View Full Version : Anti blister socks
Hello to all. I'm about to head out to finish the final 1000+ miles on the AT in a few weeks. I've been walking a lot in anticipation and just recently got my first blister (actually about 4 or five in a row) on my right heel.
I'm not really a noob and I've always used a sock liner / wool sock combo and after almost 2000 miles over the last 15 years I guess the odds were in favor of me finally getting a blister. But I've no earthly idea what could've changed to cause this. As such, I've just bought a new pair of boots and I'm looking at some new socks.
The place I'm running into difficulty is the sock liner. I want to go silk but for some reason in my searches online only 2 places come up REI (where there are a ton of reviews saying those silk liners fall apart quick) and thermasilk, which have quite a few bad reviews also.
So I'm hoping someone might have a good suggestion for liners (preferably something with very minimal seams).
Also I was wondering if anyone's ever heard of/used armaskin. It's supposedly an anti blister liner. But all the positive reviews seem, to me, to be advertisements. I haven't found any dyed in the wool hikers (such as those here) that say anything about them.
Any help would be greatly appreciated... Man I really don't like blisters!
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Wrightsock makes a dual layer sock that is guaranteed to prevent blisters. http://wrightsock.myshopify.com/pages/anti-blister-system
They look like a quality product. I will try a pair when something I have wears out. I currently use wool liner with a wool sock, or wear Darn Tough.
Another Kevin
04-02-2016, 14:19
I wind up using the thinnest nylon or polyester dress socks that I can find as liners. If I find that I'm getting a recurrent hot spot, I'll duct tape the skin in that spot before starting out. With merino socks, I generally don't bother with liners unless I'm using a vapor barrier in winter.
daddytwosticks
04-02-2016, 14:20
I'm giving Wright socks a second try this year. A few years ago, I tried a pair and loved them. Very comfortable and no blisters. However, they wore out very quickly. We'll see if I get the same results this time. Hope this pair lasts longer.
I also like to use two pair of poly sock liners in the warmer months. No blisters and they keep my sweaty feet cooler. :)
Thanks guys! I just grabbed a couple pair of the Wright socks in the adventure style. Hopefully they get me from Va->Ga. I appreciate the help from the bottom of my souls (& heels). Hope to see y'all out there!
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saltysack
04-03-2016, 18:42
Try bodyglide...I love DT socks but still get blisters between my toes...lil bodyglide every morning=no blisters...easier than leucotape.
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Water Rat
04-03-2016, 19:14
BodyGlide and Darn Tough no-show socks for me.
I did just try a (gift) pair of Feetures Elite and I was not nearly as impressed with them. Granted it is tough for another brand of sock to stack up to a favorite! The Feetures Elite is a comfy sock, didn't budge on my foot (so no friction issues), they wick moisture, but I am not the biggest fan of the polyester-nylon-spandex materials. While they wick moisture, they (of course) didn't breathe like my Darn Toughs. This made me worry a little bit about too much sweating and possible resulting foot issues. Easily solved by airing my feet during breaks, but not something I want to have to do more often, in warmer weather. The fabric also "pilled" a little after just one use. IMO they would be fine for day hikes, but they did not contain the odor like my wool socks. I will most likely keep these in the rotation for later fall and spring day hikes where the temps are on the cool side. This would not be my go-to sock for a thru-hike.
I don't think that just bodyglide is enough to prevent heel blisters on a long day hiking.
In my experience (since the 1970's) the best way to prevent heel blisters is to apply wide (at least 1") athletic tape to the heel area, and let the sliding happen on that. It sticks better if you apply tincture of benzoin solution first. Personally I wouldn't use duct tape for that...
If you get toe blisters, buy injini toe socks.
Plenty of other tips in "Fixing your feet" book by Vonhof.
Several things can be the cause of and contribute to blisters so I question marketing that predisposes no blisters etc as a result of purchasing a "special anti blister" sock as "the answer."
I used to get those heel blisters(on the bottoms near the side) as a less experienced hiker, not having toughened up feet, poor hot spot management, improper fitting shoes/foot beds/socks, certain types of rocky roly poly terrain, improper balance, not giving enough attention to foot placement, using less breathable shoes especially in warm weather(No need to always wear boots especially thicker leather ones especially with UL loads), not applying anti-friction balm and not considering everything as a system on my feet(socks, shoes, gaiters, anti friction balm, moisturizer, etc) or what I'm doing.
For me, most of the time I get foot hotspots that develop into blisters, which is rare as another regular non-Newbie LD hiker, its's not because of the sock. It's because something else has recently changed or that I'm readapting to such as different model shoe, size shoe, sloppy fit(RARE), different foot bed/orthotic, lack of good heel cup, lacing system, weather, skin on feet has lost some of it's backpacking character that prevents blisters, very rocky terrain where I'm rolling my ankles often, increased pack wt significantly, upped MPD, etc.
I do stick to 68% or greater highly wicking merino socks of various wts(cushioning) 90% of the time using ankle/low calf height socks with more breathable trail runners and always use some type of anti friction balm on feet especially in warm weather and when having not LD hiked for awhile. Of course all socks have incorporated more breathable and/or more supportive panels AND THEY FIT(don't bunch up, sag, or constrict). Going to properly fitting light wt trail runners and reducing the haul wt for most hikes has helped immensely avoiding blisters.
As Rock Doc said if heel blisters are recurring I tape my whole heel. Duct tape, NO! Leucotape or if my shoe in the heel is voluminous enough which it usually is I wrap a thin ACE bandage loosely around heel and ankle. Maybe, hot spots are occurring because of heel slippage/sloppiness and the extra volume firms up the heel enough while still letting it move some but preventing the hot spot?
As a regular hiker one should already know not to let hot spots turn into blisters by addressing the hot spots before that happens. And, a backpacker should have ways to do that on trail. Taking care of feet as a hiker should be Goal #1.
Toolumpy
04-03-2016, 21:09
Darn tough socks, no blisters at all, even wear at work in steel toed boots walking and reading meters, very comfortable.
Smithwick
04-04-2016, 10:39
Darn Tough socks and silk liners. No blisters or feet trouble of any kind.
AlyontheAT2016
04-04-2016, 11:10
Wool socks with Injinji toe sock liners
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Wool socks with Injinji toe sock liners
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+1
I use darn tough wool socks over injinji merino liners. Just the liners when it is above 40.
squeezebox
04-04-2016, 15:36
What about anti-persparent instead of body glide. Should help with a bit of the bacteria issue.
nsherry61
04-04-2016, 16:30
The most consistently successful heal blister treatment I've seen over the years is a strip of tape over the heal as a preventative as suggested by RockDoc above. In recent years, I have found that climber's tape (https://www.rei.com/product/657847/metolius-climbing-tape) works significantly better than athletic tape because, although it looks identical, the climber's tape is much stickier than athletic tape and yet doesn't ooze glue like Leukotape and ducktape tend to.
As for toe blisters, it's hard to beat skin lube. For me, Injini socks and/or tape just transfer the blisters to another nearby location irritated by the edge of the tape or the alternative rubbing location from the toe socks. Blody Glide has name recognition. My favorite lube is actually chamois cream that is made for use on your butt when cycling. Chamois cream lasts longer than Body Glide. I will typically treat my toes every 8-10 miles or so to keep them happy all day.
nsherry61
04-04-2016, 16:33
What about anti-persparent instead of body glide. . .
Antiperspirant will help with blisters if the cause is excessive sweating/moisture. In my case, the problem is not excessive moisture, it is just skin friction and/or shoe slippage.
Spiffyguy
04-04-2016, 17:05
I love my Wrightsocks for trail runners. No blisters. Best socks I have tried. I just wish they made a set a little thicker for my winter boots.
Another Kevin
04-04-2016, 18:05
Antiperspirant will help with blisters if the cause is excessive sweating/moisture. In my case, the problem is not excessive moisture, it is just skin friction and/or shoe slippage.
For dealng with excessively wet conditions, I like Gurney Goo. Wax your feet with it at bedtime and touch it up in the morning. It doesn't clog the pores too badly, and water just beads up on your skin after you apply it. It's got tea tree oil as one of its ingredients, so it's mildly antimicrobial, too. I've heard that Bonnie's Balms Climber Salve and Burt's Bees Res-Q-Ointment are similarly effective, but I've not tried either.
turtle fast
04-04-2016, 23:28
Sounds like increased foot sweat. It could be that your footwear is too loose and not tied tight enough to keep your heel in place and causing foot movement in the boot. And/Or your boot footbed insert broke down and increased space in the boot causing heel movement. I would check into the boot to check if the footbed is still functioning, or compacted-and needs replacement.
AntiBlister
04-06-2016, 01:27
Hello to all. I'm about to head out to finish the final 1000+ miles on the AT in a few weeks. I've been walking a lot in anticipation and just recently got my first blister (actually about 4 or five in a row) on my right heel.
I'm not really a noob and I've always used a sock liner / wool sock combo and after almost 2000 miles over the last 15 years I guess the odds were in favor of me finally getting a blister. But I've no earthly idea what could've changed to cause this. As such, I've just bought a new pair of boots and I'm looking at some new socks.
The place I'm running into difficulty is the sock liner. I want to go silk but for some reason in my searches online only 2 places come up REI (where there are a ton of reviews saying those silk liners fall apart quick) and thermasilk, which have quite a few bad reviews also.
So I'm hoping someone might have a good suggestion for liners (preferably something with very minimal seams).
Also I was wondering if anyone's ever heard of/used armaskin. It's supposedly an anti blister liner. But all the positive reviews seem, to me, to be advertisements. I haven't found any dyed in the wool hikers (such as those here) that say anything about them.
Any help would be greatly appreciated... Man I really don't like blisters!
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Hi Gentle Since you asked about Armaskin, couldn't resist a reply. Up front, I sell Armaskin, so I'm biased. While Turtle Fast is likely on track with possible reasons for your old boots giving trouble, now that you have new boots your feet will likely take time to adjust and in the meantime be a bit more blister prone.
While our website has many relevant testimonials, it seems that unless you try for yourself you'll never be sure. So happy to send you a pair for your upcoming AT final stage. We do mail from Australia so you need to be quick to be in time for your final leg. Hope to hear from you. In any case wishing you the best. AntiBlister
It might help if you would read this first. http://www.footvitals.com/skin/blisters.html Go down the list of possible causes on the list since you did say, "...I've no earthly idea what could've changed to cause this. As such, I've just bought a new pair of boots and I'm looking at some new socks." which seems you are implying that your old shoes and/or socks might be the cause of the blisters. It very well might not be the old shoes and socks that are the cause. It might not be a gear issue! It could be your usage or, as said, something else or some combination of causes.
I would ask if you've been hiking in wet shoes recently which can be the cause of blisters? Were your old shoes really worn in that they offered a sloppy loose fit that created undue rubbing or friction as the shoe moved around which might not have been a significant issue until you started walking more as you have? If so, a silk liner can decrease the rubbing or friction so I think you seeking a solution that way could work. However, I would test that solution out by wearing the silk socks/merino socks combination with THE OLD SHOES to see if that's indeed the problem. If you still get blisters in the old shoes with the same old merino sock model and new silk liner socks it's not likely the liner sock that is the problem or the entire problem or solution! Seeking to pinpoint and rectify the blister issue is better done on a point by point basis as you go down the list of possible causes eliminating each cause one at a time rather than changing up two possible causes, the shoes/shoe fit or socks/liner socks, at the same time.
Also, have your feet been perspiring a lot? That's a cause of hot spots/blisters which can be further aggravated with less breathable footwear such as new leather boots. You never mentioned what your new "boot' choice were. I find this possibly ironic since again you're implying that maybe it's the old shoes that are causing the blisters and you're attempting to address it by switching to a possible less/low breathable "boot?" Going forward into the warmer weather I find that increasingly problematic if you do have perspiration or wicking issues possibly adding, not avoiding blisters, due to a less breathable system on your feet. This is why I said in my first post to consider a wider perspective than just blisters being a sock issue alone.
IMO, an anti blister sock or sock liner, all good on their own, doesn't function or exist on its own. Sure, a sock that is designed with flat seams or less/fewer seams in common blister prone areas and made of wicking and smooth materials(like silk) could be great but if that moisture isn't vented from the sock liner/sock combination into and through an adequately breathable hiking shoe/trail runner it still leaves you with potentially sweaty blister prone feet especially into the warmer season!
squeezebox
04-07-2016, 04:10
The moisture retention of duct tape is a major enemy that helps cause blisters. I'll be very interested in trying climbing tape. I have Leukotape and this foamy stuff. I'm willing to try bag balm with gold bond on top of that.
Wash your feet well every evening, maybe more. Clean skin promotes healing. Prevention is best. I was an Rn and have done some really nasty wound care in my time. Clean broken skin with filtered water. Dakin's solution, used to clean wounds is like 1 part bleach to 10-20 parts water, be careful with that on broken skin. Mostly be careful with your feet. Think and take care.
If I could I'ld do that Spock thing with my toes!!
MtDoraDave
04-07-2016, 07:43
Good fitting shoes or boots plus dry feet is, from my research, the best way to ensure lack of blisters.
I tried on 6 or 7 pairs of boots when I bought mine, asking for boots with wide toe boxes - also asking not to be shown the price. I ended up with a pair that only cost $120, Keen Targhee 2 Mid.
That outfitter also suggested I get a couple pair of Darn Tough socks. Lifetime warranty. Ok, why not.
First hike, 12 miles on flatland in FL on a warm day, I soaked the leather from the inside out, pulled off boots and socks and my feet were pruned... Yeah, I turn foot powder into foot paste which would just clog the socks, reducing or eliminating their ability to wick moisture away - so I don't use foot powder on my feet.
I googled to find a solution to my sweaty feet.
Prior to a week long section hike, I spray my feet every day with antiperspirant spray (Aarid XXDry) for a week or more. It has a lasting effect, keeping my feet dry for about 5 days of that week on the trail.
The blog said that Army Rangers use it prior to long hikes... I've shared this tip with lots of others, but no former Army have ever heard of it. Shrug.
It works for me.
350 + miles on trails, not a single blister.
Sir-Packs-Alot
04-07-2016, 11:51
Wrightsock "2 layer sock" technolgy mentioned in this thread are available at mile 21 NOBO (Woody Gap Outfitters - www.WoodyGapOutfitters.com) and mile 70 NOBO (Top of Georgia Outfitters - www.TopOfGeorgiaHostel.com
Last Saturday, I ran 50 miles in snow, rain, mud, and river crossings. I wore Injinji merino toe socks. Changed them half way to a dry pair. I got one blister... only because when I changed my socks I inadvertently put two toes on one toe hole! 😁😁😁
Just read this...
http://m.sfgate.com/health/article/Stanford-study-finds-simple-solution-for-scourge-7241988.php