Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
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Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
I am preparing for my first 14er and doing a lot of walking. I believe I have good hiking shoes and am using new athletic socks. I am fine for about five miles, but around 5.5-6 miles I start blistering on the balls of my feet. The rest of my body, feet included, feel really good. Any advice please on avoiding the blisters on the balls of my feet? Do I need specialized socks?
Last edited by Wayne-smith on Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
What kind of socks are you using?
It sounds like your feet are sweating enough to perhaps cause friction between either the foot and the sock or the sock and the sole of your footwear.
You may need a different material in your socks, a different fit in your foot wear or a change of socks (if soaked with sweat) before the blisters start.
I personally use a liner sock (wool or nylon) and then a wool sock outer layer (Smart Wool). I'll also use BodyGlide on my feet if I know I'll get hot spots, works wonders.
Hope that helps!
It sounds like your feet are sweating enough to perhaps cause friction between either the foot and the sock or the sock and the sole of your footwear.
You may need a different material in your socks, a different fit in your foot wear or a change of socks (if soaked with sweat) before the blisters start.
I personally use a liner sock (wool or nylon) and then a wool sock outer layer (Smart Wool). I'll also use BodyGlide on my feet if I know I'll get hot spots, works wonders.
Hope that helps!
The older you get, the better you get, unless you're a banana.
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
Yes, I think socks is the issue. The friction starts once my feet are soaked with sweat. I have been using cheap socks (Dickies) from Walmart.
- Dan_Suitor
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
I too have blistering problems. I’ve even bought socks and liners that “Guarantee to Prevent Blisters”, still got them. I’ve been able to minimize the blisters, however. As Sunny said, friction, heat and sweat is the enemy. Make sure your foot does not slide around in your boot and change your socks when they get sweat soaked. A breathable hiking boot helps as well. Hike with shorts or zip off your pants to allow your lower legs to cool. This helps to reduce foot sweat. Pay attention to how you step. Going uphill, (especially on trails with stair like steps) avoid pushing off with your toes. This causes the friction on the bottom of your foot. Instead, try keeping the sole of your foot on the ground using your quads instead of your calves. Going downhill can cause a lot of friction, especially if you are going fast. A boot with good ankle support can help in this case preventing some of the forward slipping motion of your foot in the boot. Hope this helps and have fun on your first 14er.
Century Bound, eventually.
- Mike Shepherd
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
Is there any specific type of terrain you tend to get blisters on? Blisters require 3 things: heat, moisture, and friction. This recommendation looks to reduce the last one: Purchase a product called Leukotape P along with some tincture of benzoin. The tincture of benzoin is a super adhesive. It comes in a little bottle - apply with a qtip to the problem area and then cover with the tape. It will not come off no matter if you hike 10 or 30 miles or get your feet wet. Do this ahead of your hike along with other things such as liner socks. Conduct a Google search on this stuff it's pretty much legendary in its ability to prevent blisters.
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
For me, Smartwool PhD socks have been a blessing, though you pay dearly for them. (You can get them fairly cheap on Sierra Trading Post.) Also, my blisters tend to be on my toes, so foam tape has helped a lot. For you, with blisters on the ball of you foot, moleskin may be helpful. Also, serious insoles may be well worth the investment. (The ones that come with most shoes & boots are junk; serious hikers, runners, walkers etc., usually replace them as soon as they get the shoes.) Good insoles will also decrease fatigue and help you hike further with less discomfort. I like the Powerstep insoles, but there are lots of options, and different folks have different favorites.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... +orthotics
Also, you just might need different boots. If you try everything else without success, that's probably your answer.
Good luck and happy climbing!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... +orthotics
Also, you just might need different boots. If you try everything else without success, that's probably your answer.
Good luck and happy climbing!
Bill "Blind Willie" Cummings
"God loves you just the way you are. But He loves you way too much to let you stay that way." --"Junebug"
"You can't argue with the truth when it comes up and bites you on the buttocks." --Peter Lang
"God loves you just the way you are. But He loves you way too much to let you stay that way." --"Junebug"
"You can't argue with the truth when it comes up and bites you on the buttocks." --Peter Lang
Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
1. Change your socks when they start to get wet from sweat. (Moisture causes the skin to soften and any rubbing then causes blisters.)
2. As soon as you feel a hot spot, put on Luekotape.
http://www.amazon.com/Leukotape-Sports- ... B00UG6OUEK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
3. If you have a blister (fluid under skin) pop the balloon with a small pin or needle and drain the fluid. Do not remove the skin! Let it form back to the foot and reapply Leukotape.
You will be surprised how you can still hike long distances even with a blister if you do these steps.
2. As soon as you feel a hot spot, put on Luekotape.
http://www.amazon.com/Leukotape-Sports- ... B00UG6OUEK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
3. If you have a blister (fluid under skin) pop the balloon with a small pin or needle and drain the fluid. Do not remove the skin! Let it form back to the foot and reapply Leukotape.
You will be surprised how you can still hike long distances even with a blister if you do these steps.
Last edited by globreal on Sat Jul 04, 2015 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- tornado
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
Invest in breathable(right sized) footwear and socks. They're worth the money and more. For socks, I'd recommend Injinji or DryMax. I rarely will change a pair of socks while trail running, even after crossing streams because they'll dry out that fast.
Also, you probably need to build up your calluses on your feet to make them a bit 'tougher.' That'll come with time.
Also, you probably need to build up your calluses on your feet to make them a bit 'tougher.' That'll come with time.
Last edited by tornado on Sat Jul 04, 2015 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- YouAndWhatGendarme
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
You're wearing cotton socks (if they're the Dickies DriTech, they are 71% cotton!). They will absorb moisture like a bath towel does and hold it against your foot. Jut like when you spend too much time in the bathtub / pool, having that moisture against your skin is softening it up and making it more susceptible to damage, including blistering. Wear anything but a cotton sock and I can almost guarantee that your blistering problems go away. Im guessing that the inside heel of your athletic shoes (against the hard plastic heel counter) wears out pretty quickly as well? Wearing a non-cotton sock will greatly help with that problem too.
Punish your body to perfect your soul. - Mark Twight
- Katherineanne98
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
Order a copy of Vonhof's Fixing Your Feet (or check out the website). It's the holy grail for ultrarunners, but covers hiking problems well, too.
- Brian C
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
Do insoles really help with blisters? I have a new pair of approach shoes that feel good (a bit snug) but just gave me blisters on an 11 mile hike.
- Daniel Joder
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Re: Advice needed on avoiding blisters.
This may sound weird, but spend some time regularly walking barefoot--around the block, whatever. I remember never having blister issues when I was a teenager and young adult and I swear it was because my feet were so tough from hanging out barefoot for much of the summer. Just a strange thought for you...