Blisters!

[nogray]

I'm sure this is a well-worn topic, but I looked around and didn't see anything.

I'm planning a 7-8 day section hike in the spring, starting at Springer. I feel like preparations have been going really well.

i'm pleased with my gear
pleased with pack and pack wt
pleased with my stamina (I'm not particularly fit, but I can knock out 8-12 with no problems [aside from the blisters])
very excited about this opportunity.


But I'm struggling terribly with blisters. I can do 8-12, but inevitably, once I get 5.5-6 miles in my feet start to blister up terribly. The last 2 miles is a death march, even though cardiovascularly, I feel great, and muscles too. I've tried it with my merrill hiking boots, which have always been great, and two pair of tennis shoes. Same results. Two big blisters right on the center of the balls of the feet, and then two big ones inside the heel on both sides.

I've been told to add a sock liner. Did that, it helped some, but still the blisters are bad. I've started to stop around 5.5 and raise my feet and let me feet breath (bad foot sweater), and that helps, but still significant issues.

I'm willing to shell out the money to get the right shoe, but I can't afford to do that and still have the same problems.

I would have thought even if I was making the most heinous mistakes, and I'm not, my feet would have developed calluses by now.

Any suggestions?


::nogray

[Studlintsean]

If you have an REI near by, I would try a few pairs on and purchase a pair and test them out before your trip. If you still get blisters, take them back and try another pair. I got horrible blisters until I switched to Brooks Cascadia trail runners and I have not had a blister since.

[Puddlefish]

Experiment with sock thickness, lacing patterns, toughening your skin with alcohol (I've never tried it, but have heard it suggested), stop every few miles and change to dry socks, start off with leukotape. If your feet are sliding the least bit, maybe try superfeet inserts as well, although those aren't cheap.

[egilbe]

Sounds to me like a lot of foot sliding happening from your description of your blisters. Try a smaller size shoe.

http://sectionhiker.com/hiking-boot-lacing-techniques/

good of video in there for lacing techniques

[bstiffler]

Had horrible problems with heel blisters myself with my Vasques a while back the only thing that helped for me was duct taping my heels before starting out. Turned out the boots were probably too narrow for my feet My ankles are horrible and need a lot of support so trail runners wouldn't work for me when I tried them. Finally got a pair of salmon quest 2's and with a light weight sock and liner haven't had one blister on multiple trips. So far I love them even if they are goretex frankenboots

[nsherry61]

Dang. All kinds of great advice. That only thing I have to add, if you haven't already started doing it, is pretaping your problem areas (my favorite tape is climbers tape, like athletic tape, but much stickier) and then putting talc on the tape so gluey edges don't start sticking and making their own blisters. Also, some people find good success with skin lube.

Good luck. In the end, it will probably be a lot of all this advice together that works, once you figure out the best shoes - you gotta start with a good foundation.

[Slo-go'en]

Blisters are caused by friction due to the foot sliding inside the shoe. The ball of the foot and the heel are two common problem areas. Finding the elusive ideal combination of shoe or boot, insole and sock is not easy. And of course, everyone is different. A combination which works great for one person can chew up the feet of another.

But, you got to work with what you got. What felt great walking around in the store falls apart on the trail and now it's too late. So, use them as much as possible before going out on the trail. Go for an easy mile or two walk around the block every day for 2 weeks before heading out and that will break in both the boots and your feet. You'll start to build up calluses in the trouble spots instead of them turning into blisters.

And carry a bottle of New Skin to mend the blisters with if you still have trouble.

[nsherry61]

One more thing about toughening your feet. Make sure to train with weight on your back. Your feet respond much differently when walking with an extra 20-30 lbs. You can hike and run all you want, but until you hike with weight, your feet are unlikely to harden up.

[Elder]

If your boot fit is not horrible, try www.wrightsocks.com (http://www.wrightsocks.com). Blister free guaranteed. REI's best seller and available at the best shops.
Comfort (blister free!) not mileage warrantied.

[shelb]

I NEVER had blisters walking up to 20 miles on flat land or doing steps (like on sand dunes).

Moving to elevation changes - OMG, help me! It didn't matter if it were just 10 miles in Michigan or 120 miles on the A.T. Note: I REFUSED to allow this to hold me back.... and completed 3 trips on the A.T, amounting to about 400 miles total.

I started with hiking boots - moved to hiking shoes - met with Outfitters and had them "fit" my feet. ALWAYS wore Smart Wool. Tried liners. Put on Body Glide EVERY HOUR for a couple years, aired feet frequently, on and on.......Put duct tape on / put athletic tape on. See the picture below for the results!

After researching ON THIS SITE, I decided to try Trail Runners - with professional sizing, advising them that I had a wide toe box and a narrow heel box. After nearly an hour and a half, the running store (Note: RUNNING STORE), sent me home with Salomon Mission XR's - telling me that I could return them ANYTIME for ANY REASON in the next 2 months (even if I got blisters on the A.T.)!!!! They did tell me to NOT go with waterproof due to the locked in moisture factor, which can lead to blisters.

The result: With very little break-in, I had NO BLISTERS!!!

Oh, yeah: look below for my old feet (I actually had to take antibiotics for two of the years after hiking....yes, I did treat them every night with antibiotic ointment, etc.)
3400234002

[TS-WNY]

I have horribly sensitive feet and used to suffer big time before I learned how to take care of them. I was going through a particularly difficult Selection Coarse and one of the evolutions was an unknown distance march with an unknown time to pass. My ruck was around 45 lbs and it ended up being around 25-30 miles of hard rucking. I got lots of advice going into it and what I found worked really well for me was: Good lightweight wool socks, broken in boots, leuko tape and foot powered. The leuko tape lasts forever, it's amazing stuff! Mole skin is just a giant waste of time! I would also take a 5 min break every 2 hours or so to change my socks and powder my feet. I would just hang my socks off my ruck and keep rotating them back and forth. Worked great and I flew through the coarse.

[Traveler]

Sounds like your footwear is too large or wide and your foot is moving around. Different lacing and extra socks only do so much for a poor fit like that, so new footwear may be in order. However, if this isn't in the cards for you, use Colin Fletcher's advice. Whenever you stop, take your footwear off and let your socks dry a bit (maybe even change them and let the damp pair dry). Also, rubbing alcohol on your feet at night can help toughen them up.

[Pedaling Fool]

I walked barefoot on pavement prior to my thru and it kept the blisters away; the first time I did it I could barely walk 1/2 mile, but they soon toughened up. The blisters I had after the first barefoot walk were really bad and would have sucked on a hike.

Nowadays I occasionally run barefoot on both pavement and in the surf on the beach and I generally walk around my yard barefoot, even around my sweetgum tree that drops these things.

http://www.eattheweeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/liquidambar_styraciflua_1.jpg

[Uncle Joe]

I find my boots are more prone to cause me blisters than my hiking shoes, fwiw. I generally wear Darn Tough mid-boot socks and have very little issue with them. I find cycling socks better at mitigating blisters than running socks (perhaps because my feet have spent the better part of the last decade in cycling socks).

[GreenBlaze]

If you're worried about blisters or foot care at all, you should definitely read Fixing Your Feet (http://www.amazon.com/Fixing-Your-Feet-Prevention-Treatments/dp/0899976387). After taking the sage advice cross-referenced from many sources, I picked it up and feel much more confident. It will debunk much of the "wisdom" you may have heard. One thing the author touches on is.. you can never remove the possibility of blisters completely. Even the top runners with years of experience still get blisters. It's all about understanding YOUR feet and employing techniques to mitigate the issues.

[firesign]

I'm sure this is a well-worn topic, but I looked around and didn't see anything.

I'm planning a 7-8 day section hike in the spring, starting at Springer. I feel like preparations have been going really well.

i'm pleased with my gear
pleased with pack and pack wt
pleased with my stamina (I'm not particularly fit, but I can knock out 8-12 with no problems [aside from the blisters])
very excited about this opportunity.


But I'm struggling terribly with blisters. I can do 8-12, but inevitably, once I get 5.5-6 miles in my feet start to blister up terribly. The last 2 miles is a death march, even though cardiovascularly, I feel great, and muscles too. I've tried it with my merrill hiking boots, which have always been great, and two pair of tennis shoes. Same results. Two big blisters right on the center of the balls of the feet, and then two big ones inside the heel on both sides.

I've been told to add a sock liner. Did that, it helped some, but still the blisters are bad. I've started to stop around 5.5 and raise my feet and let me feet breath (bad foot sweater), and that helps, but still significant issues.

I'm willing to shell out the money to get the right shoe, but I can't afford to do that and still have the same problems.

I would have thought even if I was making the most heinous mistakes, and I'm not, my feet would have developed calluses by now.

Any suggestions?


::nogray


Interesting article on taping feet:

http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Taping

[nsherry61]

When I was a kid, I had super sweaty feet. One day a spayed them with antiperspirant, not deodorant, but antiperspirant. Wow! No more sweaty feet.

If part of your blister problem is sweat and moisture, I highly recommend experimenting with antiperspirant. Surprisingly, I find it keeps me dry for several days, not just the day of treatment.

I've often thought of carrying a piece of alum rock with me as a "natural", ultra-light foot antiperspirant while backpacking. Alum rocks are commonly used in parts of Asia for antiperspirant. They look like broken pieces of clear crystal and you rub them on your wet skin where they act as an anti-bacterial and also reduce sweat.

[Jebo]

Hey Nogray! Go downtown to John's Run/Walk shop and talk to them about your foot issues. Even though they don't specialize in backpacking, I have found them to be a good local resource (esp. since we are REIless). Even if you don't end up buying they are happy to work with you - and you can go outside and walk around to try out shoes. I hiked a week in Georgia last spring in Asics trail runners - no problems. Another vote for wool socks - Darn Tuff. Go Cats!

[martinb]

Years ago I switched from heavy socks/boots (blisters, taping, etc.) to breathable trail runners and lighter-weight socks (never get blisters). If you are carrying under 35lbs, check out trail runners.

[nogray]

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone.

Jebo, good to see another from the Bluegrass State!

::nogray

[Alligator]

I didn't see it mentioned but maybe it was. Anyway, besides friction causing the blister, sweaty wet feet are softening up your skin. I have found that antiperspirant helps, a sock liner only adds additional warmth thus increasing sweat, and that trail runners, not waterproof, breathe well and fit more comfortably. I use Superfeet too. Also, getting the socks off, inserts out and sun drying keeps moisture down. Speed laces make this easier and more likely to be done. I wipe hotspots with alcohol wipes to dry and toughen. Generally these are infrequent.

[DuneElliot]

Instead of sock liners, a pair of women's knee high nylons creates a really thin barrier of protection without adding insulation. I hate wearing more than one pair of socks, even liners, but the nylons are barely noticeable and may help.

[sore ankle]

I use a liner sock and expedition weight Smartwools, but the greatest discovery I ever made to beat blisters was Body Glide. Put it on your feet before you start the day, and 're-apply it every time you stop for a rest. Also, take off your shoes and socks occasionally and air your feet out, like at lunch time.

[alnitak]

I have always had problems with blisters on my heels. You might check...some people have a genetic condition where there is a bump at the back of your heel rather than flat. (Mine is exasperated by scar tissue from a torn/repaired Achilles.) As an athlete in school, I always wore two pair of socks, or nowadays, a liner for hiking. In addition, check the back of the shoes/boots you buy. I loved the Vasque boots I had, but the heel area was hard (like a formed plastic insert under the material), and they gave me blisters every time I wore them. For me, the only athletic shoes/hiking boots I can wear comfortably have enough foam/padding in the back that my heel bump actually wears a hole in it over time, where the bump can sit recessed. With any new shoes, I always tape my heels (I use duct tape or that white, shiny/slick medical tape) to minimize friction on that area.

[lonehiker]

Friction has been touted as the cause of most blisters on this thread. But, on several occasions I have had blisters form on the outside of my heals. I call them compression blisters (not a scientific term as I've never done any research on them). Extra weight, from pack, and the constant pounding from hiking probably contribute to their formation. Mine form deep and on occasion I will get blisters under blisters. They are so deep that you cannot drain them. Can be very painful.

[Skeptical Dog]

Soak your feet in salt water to toughen up the skin.