Blisters!!

fishlips

Help! Am going to be doing a lot of walking in the next few weeks and my feet always end up covered in blisters. Any advice would be great. Thanks.

Nicki

I tend to get blisters every time I buy new shoes (think I have very odd shaped feet) and have found the compeed blister plasters to be very good at both healing broken skin and preventing new ones forming.

balletshoes

wear your most comfy shoes, which also give you a bit of support around your ankles, heels and soles of your feet. Put padded plasters on your heels where your shoes may rub, I usually put a plaster around the base of my big toe too (as thats often where I get a blister in my walking shoes).

Pazu

Walkers often use duct tape (seriously.) It works for me and is cheap.

Pazu

worriedmum46

My kids do a lot of hiking with the scouts and we have found over the years that it is worth investing in a good pair of walking socks that really fit well. My little one just did a weekend hike in a £14 pair of socks ( almost the same price as her boots!!) She was very tired after, but her feet were perfect!!

karen24_2

I second the well fitting socks thing

floss2

I swear by double layer socks - Matalan do some that I have found to be fab - and Compeed blister plasters to stick on at the first signs.

BlondeHeadOn

If there's a bit of time before you go off walking, try rubbing the soles of your feet with surgical spirit every night, just before you go to bed. (Obviously only do this if you have unbroken skin!)

I was advised to do this while preparing for a long walk for charity, and it really worked. Over a week or so it toughened the skin on my feet (but not in a 'hard skin' sort of way), and when I did the walk I had no blisters at all at the end of it.

It smells a bit when you do it though, you might need and undestanding OH for this!

The_One_Who

Wear a pair of proper fitting walking socks and shoes/boots and you shouldn't get blisters. Decent walking socks and boots aren't cheap though.

elantan

i go walking as much as i can ... best advice i can give is deff get the right boots/shoes ( i wear scarpa rangers gtx ... i swear they are so comfy) and a good pair of socks ... added to that you can do things like zinc oxide tape, duct tape ( yes it does help) surgical spirit, vaseline and the minute you feel any burning at all you must stop and deal with it then dont wait till its a blister ... if you do get a blister dont burst it but do put a blister plaster on it ( compeed are the best) if your going any distance you might find walking poles might help as well ... well they help the knees and anlkles atleast

fishlips

Thanks for all the advice. Which are the best socks to get?