Originally Posted by Hitch
I did this on my last hike. Worked fine. Skin acts as its own bandage, so to speak.
New Skin
Someone already suggested coating the blister with SuperGlue. The problem with SuperGlue is that you can stick your toes together. I prefer NewSkin. It is a similar product, but doesn't glue your toes together.
I drain the blister, then coat it with NewSkin. Better yet, coat the area with NewSkin as soon as you feel a hot spot. It will help prevent the blister in the first place.
Shutterbug
clean it, pop it, clean it again, let it air out and dry, put medicated gold bond on it and in a clean dry cotton sock, put on sock and go about your business. for the future, wrap it with a couple go'rounds of athletic tape and maybe even also to the toe next to it if you feel it needs it. also, it's possible that sweat may be softening up your skin there more than in other places. might need a new/different type of sock?
Toe socks? What a cool idea! I have trouble with a "pinch" callous between my third and fourth toe where they press together the wrong way. My shoes are fine...also Keen's....but I've had this problem a long time and it predates the Keen's. I've had to cut the callous off down into a deep blister underneath..not fun and am gimping...and hoping to get well enough to hike in a few weeks.
Where do you all get the toe socks for hiking? Wool or coolmax? Can you all please share sources? I'd love to try a pair. That may be just what I need!
All,
I had the same problem last season....both pinky toes....and actually medevac'd myself out to a Doc for treatment once infection set in in the 100 mile wilderness. I couldn't have picked my feet out of a police line-up to save my life.....totally unrecognizable.
Much of my misery was self-inflicted I'm sorry to say. Lightweight boots, even though bought larger than normal, didn't have a toe box big enough. I went to wide trail runners, lighter socks, better hygiene and more often, plus a morning ritual of taping the outboard toes together. This added a lot of time to my daily "get out of camp ritual", but was necessary to see what I was doing without waking others. I also developed an evening (and sometimes mid-day) ritual of washing, drying and doctoring my feet including dry socks. By the time the trip was over (600 miles) I was cracking on nicely, but never got to the point of real comfort/confidence in my feet. Just ordered "Injinji" toe socks and hope that works in addition to larger/wider shoes.
My recommendation, and the recommendation of an excellent shoe rep at EMS along the trail (whose name I've forgotten sadly); don't get hung up on what you think your shoe size ought to be. A 14 is not a 14 is not a 14. I can honestly say that I have no idea what my shoe size is. I have everything from 12s to 15s in my closet. My foot requires a larger toe box and must be a wide (I've never worn wides in 50 years). I hope I never have to go through the taping ritual again, but I don't go anywhere without it now.
Lastly, get yourself some quality sandels for camp use to air things out. I use Keens and although heavier...I could walk out of the woods in them if I had to. Airing things out and powdering my feet gave them a break in the evenings which they badly needed.
Lastly, I've been hiking for years, but hiking the short hikes doesn't reveal all the issues long distance treks do. I found myself wondering a number of times if I had ever really learned to hike at all....pretty depressing after a hard day.
There are better experts than me out there and I'm sure they'll be able to help.
Crack on!
Lemhi
If it is a hardened blister, more of a callous, that gets sort of stretched out where the little toe tucks in under the next toe, you can sometimes trim it down with toe clippers. I wouldn't do that if it was wide and filled with liquid, but if it is more as I described that is what I do with my left little toe, every two months or so, if I am doing alot of running or hiking. Even though I am breaking the skin, I am only going through dead skin, so it doesn't hurt or create a place for infection to occur.
blister
Very good point. I discovered that a blister can be prevented if the toe gets attention and protection at the first sign of extra warmth or discomfort. If one waits until it is hurting, a blister will almost certainly be there.
Lemhi is right. Just because you have a certain size doesn't mean it's right. Just because you have wide shoes doesn't mean they are wide enough. Very few wide shoes are truly wide enough.
I get the folded under pinky toes a lot. I had terrible problems with them on the trail, even hiking with my size 7 womens feet in a pair of size 10 mens shoes I still got the folded pinkies.
I would pop the blister if it was screaming to be popped, but I'd always be sorry afterward. One time the dead skin came off and I was in agony with that red, almost skin underneath suddenly bare. I ended up hiking in flip-flops that day.
It took me 700 miles before my toes stopped getting blisters. I don't know what changed. Maybe my toes finally just spread apart enough in my big clown shoes that they didn't fold under anymore. Shoes actually deform your feet and I think that hiking a long trail, if your feet have enough room, they're going to straighten out after a while. I came home with baby-soft pinky toes that no longer had that hard, sharp ridge on them, and toes that don't touch each other anymore. But I'm ruined for shoes. I wear sandals a lot now.
Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.
So you can actually say that every subject under the sun has been discussed on WB. So happy I found this old thread. I too have the dredded pinky toe that skooches under the toe next to it while hiking with a fully loaded pack. What to do? I wrap them after padding the skooching toe area with a mole skin corn pad and leave it on for 1wk. No popping. So far the areas have hardened. How did all ya'lls piggies hold up since posting here? What was the best method for prevention?
Those that danced were thought mad by those who could not hear the music. George Carlin
I used to have problems with my toes crossing under each other. Injinji Toe Socks eliminate the chafing, but I also find that they don't dry very quickly. I've used the gel toe caps very successfully for section hikes.
GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014
If you have some favourite types of socks which are not toe socks, you might consider sewing in a seam between the little toe and the ring toe.
My "ring toe" on my right foot will get a blister every time, if I don't tape it for anything over 5-7 miles. It is just a part of my routine to tape it before a hike. No matter what the shoe or socks that toe is a problem. I think it might be one I broke when I was younger and it's just a tad out of alignment.
Fear ridges that are depicted as flat lines on a profile map.
I don't specifically have the pinky toe problem, but another along the same lines. Whenever I do a multi day backpack I lose my middle three toenails on both feet. I at first thought I was losing the nails because my boots were too small and were hitting the end of the boot going down hills (even though I couldn't feel my toes hitting the end of the boot). So I bought larger and wider boots. The problem continued and actually got worse...
I finally discovered what happens when I watched myself walk in flip flops... I grip down into the sole with those toes, especially when I go up hills. The nails turn black and sometimes bleed and lift from the base. I went back to my smaller boots, and if I trim the nails very very short they do a little better (don't always fall off), but now I have developed sores on the tip ends of my toes..sort of hot spots/thick callouses.
Anyone else do this? Should I file the thick skin down or leave it for protection? I have tried just about every brand of sock....but have not tried body glide. Any other suggestions?
I use a "Hot Shot" if I get a blister. It involves drawing the fluid out of the blister with a syringe and inject tincture of benzoin into the blister. You will soon discover how it got the name "hot shot" but in one minute you won't feel a thing the rest of the day. Works great!
Blisters
FIT, FIT, FIT, the best advice is to get shoes that fit. A lot of hiking boots/trail runners are built on a European last and are narrower than an american last (last is width/length of the foot bed) so you generally need a larger/wider shoe than your normal street shoe. When you go to the hike shop bring the socks you'll wear and try on as many pairs of shoes as you can. Most shops only carry a limited style/company. I buy mine online, I wear a 91/2 to 10 reg. but a 10/101/2 wide in trail runners. When I find a pair that fit I buy several pairs and alternate using them.
As for blisters. if in camp run a sterile needle through the blister with a short piece of thread cover loosely and let it drain overnight. If hiking, follow the same needle trick except for no thread. Clean the area good with a bit of alcohol, dry area,insert needle through the blister, massage the blister to remove fluid, apply a small dab of antibiotic creme, cover with blister block or Leuko Tape, this stuff is great and works IMO better than duct tape (no glue residue). I also use and recommend Super Glue they use it in hospitals only difference is shelf stuff is non sterile. You do need to know that it can hurt like hell when you apply it and you need to be careful to apply it only to the wound. I also use Betadine to help the tape stick better. If you feel a hot spot stop and take care of it then not later. The blister blocks came in 2-3 different sizes so you could wrap your toe before hiking and it won't feel as bulky as tape. Hope this helps, I've had my share of blisters and the above seems to help.
Blisters
Sorry, if in camp leave the short piece of thread overnight to wick all of the fluid from the wound. And always leave the skin intact.
Sorry Rick, Blister blocks?
Those that danced were thought mad by those who could not hear the music. George Carlin
I would not recommend superglue on raw skin, bad idea.
Get some new shoes
Sure hope you're toe is feeling better....
ad astra per aspera
Band aid Brand Blister Block, they come in 2-3 different sizes. There are other brands but the Band aid Brand seems to stick for several days if applied properly. I've not used the 2nd skin or Glacier Gel but have heard they work. Also rubbing your feet with Hydropel Lube will help.
I don't have the over/under lapping toe problem as stated at the beginning of this thread, I would think it would make hiking difficult though. I might would try the Hydropel so the toes could slip around each other.
Super Glue
As I stated, Super Glue isn't sterile, I don't put it on an open wound, and I'm very careful using it. After draining I leave the skin intact and cover with Super Glue. I don't coat the whole foot, only the blister area. I carry 5-6 extra small Q-Tips to apply antibiotic ointment and super glue. After 3-4 days the glue wears off and I've never been troubled with any adverse effects. Lots of long distance hikers swear by this and I only know that it works for me.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
