chronic blister problems in boots

[Rooster]

My girlfriend is a new backpacker and we recently went on our first backpacking trip together. She had blisters coming in wihin the first five miles. She has fair skin and a history of easily blistering. At this point I don't think and amount of breaking in boots will do the trick. I'm personally leaning towards a type of hiking sandal and keeping her pack weight under 20 and closer to 15 if possible. Any tips would be appreciated. My main concerns are with ankle support and rocks scraping the foot. Any help would be much appreciated.

[Creek Dancer]

Blisters just suck. Where were the blisters on her feet? What about her socks? One sock, or one sock and liner?

[Rooster]

we had a lighter wigwam with nylon liners. When she felt the hot spots coming she put on moleskin around the spots on the back of her heels the she could feel forming and we lined the backs with duct tape to help reduce rubbing but she just blisters very easily.

[Creek Dancer]

Blisters are caused by friction, which can be made worse by moisture. Nylon can really make your feet sweat, so maybe you could try a coolmax, wool or a silk liner. I know wool sounds counter-productive for the summer, but they really are an improvement over nylon liners. Also, maybe try putting the moleskin on before you start your hike rather than waiting until a blister starts. As far as the boots go....I guess it depends on whether or not they fit correctly. My guess is they probably do not. If you are thinking about trying another type of hiking shoe, take a look at the Keen's. These tend to run wide in the toe box, however, so they are not a good fit for everyone. Maybe take her to REI or somewhere else that would know a thing or two about properly fitting someone with a hiking boot or shoe. Hope you get this resolved!

[Mrs Baggins]

Nasty stuff. I been wearing Hi-Tec Altitude IV boots with wool socks and nylon sock liners since 2002. I never get blisters. But once many years ago I wore a new pair of Wolverine leather boots not realizing that 1) they're really work boots, not hiking boots and 2) I wore thin cotton socks. I had heel blisters so bad that I was in the ER that evening, my feet swollen up and in a great deal of pain. I made sure that that never happens again.

[Nutbrown]

I am one of those that get blisters with boots. New or 7 yo boots. And it makes hiking much less fun. What changed for me is going to trail runnners. She can even use a pair of her running shoes. If you are worried about ankle support, I get just as much, if not more, by hiking with poles. The last 2 section hikes I did were blister free. If I were you, I'd try runners before sandals. THe sandals will rub in all new spots, and they don't have much protection from ivy or creepy crawlies. I spray my runners with deet in hopes of avoiding at least 2 or 3 ticks

[Praha4]

there's some good suggestions already here.

I have a couple more suggestions.

1. Try using Hydropel on the sensitive areas of her feet before hiking. This stuff works great. Apply the night before, then again in the morning before hiking. Available at Amazon and Zombierunner.com



http://www.zombierunner.com/store/product165.html

2. Use ultralight merino wool hiker socks with no liners. Even merino liner socks alone are good. Some good brands are Darn Tough Vermont, Smartwool, and others.

3. Buy her shoes or boots a half size larger than normal walking shoes.
4. Learn to lace her boots/shoes better, to avoid her heel from moving in the heelbox of the shoe/boot. I suspect that is part of the problem, she may need to learn to learn a better lacing technique to lock the heel in the shoe/boot.

[RockyRoo]

Try buying Hikers Wool. It's a product from New Zealand, it's pure wool that you put on hot spots/areas prone to blisters. It binds to the sock, so no need for tape. It soaks up the sweat and provides extra padding. I've been using it on my thru and it is amazing!! Can buy online at http://www.hikerswool.co.nz/

[Papa D]

I think that for the vast majority of backpackers (who are hiking in non-snowy conditions and above about 10 degrees) that boots are completely inappropriate footwear. Get your girlfriend some lightweight low-top trail runners or cross-training type shoes. I would also suggest smart-wool socks in dark colors. When you wring the water out of a dark colored sock and place it on a rock in the sun, the dark color absorbs more heat and dries faster. Your girlfriend will enjoy hiking a lot more in comfortable shoes. My guess is that the shoes will knock out the blister problems. For treating blisters in the front-country, people are taught not to pop them and put a moleskin doughnut around this - - this never works on the trail - the crap just slides around and hurts forever. My suggestion is that you open them with a sterile needle (use an alcohol pad) and that you apply a Dr. Scholl's blister treatment pad (sterile cushion) or just use duct tape. At night, carefully take the dressing off and let it dry out. I rarely get a blister but if I do, I open it and duck tape it flat.

Nobody much in the front country tells you this stuff. Salespeople at outdoor stores (like REI) are for the most part "know-nothings" so don't listen to them, listen to me. Get your girlfriend shoes and duct tape.

[glaux]

I've just made the switch from boots to trail runners, and the day after I bought them (without breaking them in or anything), I put ten miles on them, and it was like walking on clouds compared to the boots! I did feel a little more soreness in the muscles of my feet and ankles, but nothing serious. I still need to test them backpacking (multiple days and a heavier pack may put more strain on my feet), but I use trekking poles and am hopeful.

I'm also someone with little baby princess feet, who blisters if you so much as look at my feet sideways. I'm very hopeful, though, that the trail runners will make a difference! I'm also a fan of duct tape rather than moleskin, and when I run, I lube up my feet with body glide to reduce friction. I also recommend Ininji toe socks if any of her toes rub together.

[Nutbrown]

++++on Darn Tough socks. They are worth every dollar. They never slide on my sweaty feet and have helped along with the runners to not have a blister my last 2 sections.

[OBXWaMi]

I got terrible, deep blisters on the balls of my feet on my first hike. I wear Merrill Moab hiking boots. Two of the blisters were so deep they took several weeks to finally surface. Since then I've used Kinesio Tape. I got it from eBay--Weekend Wariors were the sellers I think. I was just not too keen on using Duck Tape on my skin. I just cut a piece big enough to cover the balls of my feet and stuck it on. It sticks GREAT and lasts for a couple of days, even after getting wet Also breathes well. I also switched from wool socks to Thorlo socks. Good luck to your friend on handling that situation.

[Deadeye]

runing shoes

[Deadeye]

Or running shoes, which are much easier to find in stores. IMHO, "ankle support" is way overrated. Any boot that will support your ankle much will inhibit walking. Wear running shoes and kiss blisters goodbye.

[Wise Old Owl]

Tevas trail runners and all the talk above like Creek Dancer mentioned - my take is you brought someone who has never hiked before. The Socks are so important. Thick Wool or Smart wool and if you are green - check the feet at 4 mile intervals .. Moleskin works best when you catch it early.

[shelb]

Definitely go with wool socks such as Smart Wool or Darn Tough.
My friend and I always used to get blisters on our heels even with broken in boots (for her) and hiking shoes (for me). She has found that applying Body Glide frequently (morning and about every 2 hours after, prevents blisters for her). I have found that preventative care in applying duck tape to my heels BEFORE hiking prevents blisters for me.

[BFI]

There are lots of reasons why boots cause blisters, too stiff, not wide enough, too short......etc. Go to a good outfitter that has knowledgeable staff on fitting boots and buy what they recommend. I’m sure someone on White Blaze lives in your area and can recommend an Outfitter. There are also lots of excellent remedies for blisters such as all the ones that have replied to your request. I think it would be prudent to at least start off with a good fitting pair of hiking shoes or boots. I learned this year that my expensive Zamberlin leather boots weren’t right for my feet and replaced them with Oboz. They fit me perfect right out of the box and they are ¼ the price of the Zamberlins. Any good outfitter will have a return policy if they don’t work. If your feet are happy you’ll be happy. Good Luck

[Del Q]

1/2 size larger powder inside knee high panty hose, then socks

[BFI]

Oh Ya... your feet will mush out a size larger after 30 -40 days on the trail...

[m_factor]

Not everyone does well with wool. I'm allergic but have found I can wear Bridgedale socks that have merino wool. Bridgedale wraps the wool in synthetic fiber so I don't react to it nearly as much as the other socks with wool in them. Plus, they are guaranteed to last for at least three years and including the two pair which were my primary pairs on the AT, all of mine have lasted at least three years.

I do not wear a liner under the Bridgedales. The socks have different types of weave and padding in different areas depending on the type bought. This prevents the chafing that layers used to prevent.

As for shoes, once she gets her pack weight down, get some lightweight running shoes or trail runners. Make sure they breath well. Sure, her feet will get wet faster in bad weather but they'll dry faster once the weather improves.

A number of pages on my web site are devoted to footwear. Go to http://friends.backcountry.net/m_factor/gear.html and scroll to the Footwear section. Also, you can read about lightweight backpacking at http://friends.backcountry.net/m_fac...ghtweight.html. It's a philosophy that can work for both of you. Just because you want to lighten her load doesn't mean yours has to get heavier.

Hope this helps.