View Full Version : Foot issues - not sure what to think
grrickar
09-12-2004, 19:27
After wearing any full leather shoes or boots (I wear dress shoes for work a lot) my feet get these clear blisters on them, and not due to friction - I really can't explain it. I thought maybe athelete's foot, but the typical treatments do not work, even after several days of applying them. After about a week my toes get cracks under them, and the skin peels. About the only thing I have been able to do is soak them every night, and that will not be practical on the trail. Anyone have a clue as to what causes this, and what to do about it? My guess is that the leather doesn't breathe, and the sweat of my feet sort of scalds them. Short of spending a lot of time without my boots on (again not practical on the trail) I'm not sure what to do.
eyahiker
09-12-2004, 20:22
My experience has been that leather boots/shoes, although super high quality, can cause a 'hot spot' which in turn will blister, even if the boot/shoes don't rub.
grrickar
09-12-2004, 20:41
Mine are sometimes small blisters between the little toes, but more often the skin just starts peeling - and it's not because they are dry. I think it has to do with heat and sweat. I'm thinking about trying something like Gold Bond powder on my feet. I can usually switch to breathable tennis shoes for a few days to allow my feet to recover, but my section hike will be 11 days in leather boots. I plan to pull off my boots every time I stop, and I'm going to rotate socks to try and keep my feet as dry as possible.
That sounds more like an allergic reaction than heat or friction blisters. Possibly to tanning chemicals or dyes in leather.
grrickar
09-12-2004, 21:16
I found this handly link thanks to Google: http://familydoctor.org/x2574.xml
The symptoms sound like Athlete's Foot, but I have had that before and this seems to be something different. After a week or so the areas between my little toes can get pretty raw. If moisture is the problem, powder will likely help - I hope.
orangebug
09-13-2004, 06:40
There are several fungal infections under the rubrick of "Athlete's Foot". I bet that is what you have. You will have to treat the shoe as well as your feet. If I remember correctly, Gold Bond is antifungal also. A quick interior dusting of all of your shoes before wearing and after use would be a good idea. I expect it to take a couple of months before the spores are gone.
I have used a product called Clotrimazole anti-fungal cream. Because it is a cream it has some lubricating properties and may help a little to reduce chafing and hot spots. It works better than anything I have used before.
I wore a excellent pair of leather boots for years and most of the time they worked out OK, but my feet were damp most of the time and higher maintenance for blister and rash prevention. I have been wearing tennis shoes for a number of years now and can say that my feet are much happier. My personal experience is that they have been the best alterative for my hiking.
Best of luck :)
Maybe you need to use a moisture wicking sock.
Also, if it only happens with full leather boots... don't wear full leather boots. I and many other backpackers use trail running sneakers.
My brother has a similar problem. He discovered that the problem was synthetic dyes in the socks he wore. He now wears white cotton socks and has almost no problem. At first he thought the problem might be leather shoes, but they only made the problem worse. You might give it a shot.
I would try a liner sock and a good thorlo trekking sock, both synthetic of course. The thorlos made with Cool Max seems to work for me the best. Also, you may need to swap out the footbeds. Another problem could be the use of boots with goretex, these make my feet sweat more and moisture means blisters. Boots with gore are great if you are just standing around in them, but for hiking I have found the feet sweat faster than the gore can shed.
grrickar
10-14-2004, 12:23
Just got back from my first section hike and the only problem I had was blisters and something that appeared to be an infected callus (yuk!). Thank God for Motrin. I used Superfeet footbeds, and sprayed my boots liberally with Tinactin. I changed socks often, and work mylon sock liners and wool socks on top. If I had it to do all over again, I would put Gold Bond powder in my boots, on my feet and in my sock liners (I did this for the last part of the trip, and had no new blisters).
Bandana Man
10-15-2004, 13:48
Mine are sometimes small blisters between the little toes, but more often the skin just starts peeling - and it's not because they are dry. I think it has to do with heat and sweat. I'm thinking about trying something like Gold Bond powder on my feet.
Try a small dab of vaseline between your toes. I had the exact same blister problem you described and vaseline completely eliminated the problem. Foot powder did not work for me -- made things worse, actually. I also wore leather boots w GoreTex lining and my feet sweat a lot. Someone else on WB uses stuff called BodyGlide (?), which sounds similar to vaseline. You may want to search the forum to find their comments.
Flash Hand
10-18-2004, 02:45
I am considering buying superfeet, but have a problem figuring out what size to buy. My regular shoe size is 8 1/2, but I have a hiking boot that I use for thru hike is 1 1/2 size bigger than my normal shoe size. It will be size 10 boots that I will use for thru hike. So, my problem is. Is superfeet designed to comfort feet in the exact size or should I get superfeet size 10?
Thanks for your help.
Flash Hand :jump
I am considering buying superfeet, but have a problem figuring out what size to buy. My regular shoe size is 8 1/2, but I have a hiking boot that I use for thru hike is 1 1/2 size bigger than my normal shoe size. It will be size 10 boots that I will use for thru hike. So, my problem is. Is superfeet designed to comfort feet in the exact size or should I get superfeet size 10?
Thanks for your help.
Flash Hand :jump
You should get the size Superfeet that conforms to the profile of your feet. The only way to do that is to go to a store that has them and see which one fits and supports your feet the best. Don't go by shoe sizes.
Flash Hand
10-18-2004, 09:50
You should get the size Superfeet that conforms to the profile of your feet. The only way to do that is to go to a store that has them and see which one fits and supports your feet the best. Don't go by shoe sizes.
Okay, I've planned to buy one through internet but with your advise, I can wait until I have opportunity to get to outfitter stores. Thanks for your advise.
Flash Hand :jump
chknfngrs
10-18-2004, 10:12
perhaps the foot is not as clean as you think it is. For instance, the transition from barefoot beach hiking to full on socks and shoes caused my feet to basically blister up with these stupid large clear blisters. I didn't clean my feet well enough. So I learned a lesson to make sure my feet are free and clear of all debris before putting socks on. Just a thought. You wash 'em daily?