Blisters – Now What?

[Lorna]

My new scarpa boots are still giving me blisters on the back of the heel. I'm using vaseline on my feet, a thin pair of inner socks and proper hiking socks. Now what??? Should I stop wearing the boots and training until the blisters have healed or should I keep going with the aid of blister packs, taping etc??

A couple of weeks ago I ended up with whoppers of blisters on the backs of my heels. This surprised me as I'd been wearing the boots around for quite some time without incident. It wasn't unitl I put on my backpack and went for a hike in them that the problem occured. That time I stopped wearing the boots till the blisters eventually healed. Today I headed out again, this time prepared with a first aid kit in my pack. About 1km in to the walk I felt some hotspots so stopped and taped my heals. However I've still ended up with blisters on the acks of both heels.

I'm very keen to know if readers have trained through blisters, or waited till they've healed. Also, with the blister packs i've purchased I notice there is a large piece of thick cushiony adhesive included. Do I cut this to size and use tape to hold it in place? And once on – do I leave it on ( say for the duration of the Kokoda trek) or change it each day??

Thanks in advance,

[Geoff Hardie]

Hi Lorna,

Assuming you still have a few months before you trek, I would strongly advise you ease off with the walking and wait until your blisters are completely healed. Use time to build up your heart/ lung fitness by e.g.swimming and/ or exercise bike / rowing ergo. Good cardio fitness is just as important for Kokoda as "miles in your legs"
Depending on your outdoor hiking background, sustaining blisters periodically is quite normal for some and it would certainly not be the fault of your boots. Once your blisters are healed you will generally find a much tougher skin layer will result. I have now permanent tough skin on my hands built up over 45 years involvement in the sport of rowing.
Good luck with your continuing preparation.
Cheers, Geoff Hardie

[Brian]

Hi Lorna

I agree 100% with Geoff fortunately I do not normally suffer with a blister problem but on the very last day of my trek I guess having wet socks on I did get one blister even though my feet are very used to wearing boots.

When I buy a new pair of boots I wear them where ever possible shopping, work and even out at nights for at least 2-3 weeks once I start "Bushwalking" in them they start to loose thier newness appearence then I generally use them only for that purpose. In the "Old Days" the idea was to stand in water soak em them walk them to they were dry repeat this 2 or 3 times and they usually fitted well but these were all leather boots unlike the nice lighweight composite ones we are able to get these days that well may not like being worn in the same way.

Try wearing a second pair of innner socks "Coolmax" or simlar preferrably for both pairs if you can get them at the right price.

What ever when you walk enjoy every moment of it.

Brian

[Lorna]

Thanks for your quick replies Brian and Geoff. This is really frustrating me – the boots (leather scarpa) have been absolutely fine just wearing for everyday use the past couple of months. It's only now i've started hiking with my backpack that I'm experiencing the problem. The blisters are also preventing me from running – my other great passion and de-stresser.

I'm not walking till the middle of June so I guess I've got time on my side at this stage. Gee I'd hate to come down with blisters on the track and have to keep walking!! Painful.

Once these blisters have healed would you suggest taping the backs of my heels as a precautionary measure before trying again??

[Geoff Hardie]

Hi Lorna,

Like Brian, I have been fortunate to escape any prolonged blister problems involving feet.
My thoughts would be that once your existing blisters heal, proceed with your normal sock arrangement solely. If "hot spots" start to re-appear, quickly apply the blister strips.
As always, if the problem persists, qualified medical advice maybe worthwhile to take account of any unique personal issues.
Cheers, Geoff Hardie.

[Kerryn]

Hi Lorna,

I too suffer from bad blisters because my feet are really bony so press in funny places. At first I used some soft blister pads (like scholls or those plastic second skin things) with a lot of elastoplast over them, and it helped a bit but I was still getting blisters through them. I then discovered something called "Friars Balsam". It is a yellow antiseptic that comes in a little bottle that helps the blister pads to stick and holds them firmly in place – so firmly that they can be tough to get off! You just wipe it on your heels, let it dry for a couple of minutes and then whack your normal tape and pads on as usual. This helped a lot, I think because it minimized the movement of the tape on my foot, especially when sweating. Like Geoff, I am a rower too, and have learned that skin does toughen up over time (my dream to be a hand or foot model has gone down the drain ). Something that helps to toughen your skin (but stinks like hell if the blisters are open) is dipping your blisters in methylated spirits. Lots of rowers do this for there hands and works just as well on the feet; if you're game!

But most of all, be patient and experiment with different tapes, blister pads, socks, etc. There are so many out there and you'll eventually find the perfect combination.

Good luck

Kerryn

[petedowling]

hi Lorna, Blisters seem to be just an occupational hazard for a lot of sports people. the advice you have got so far is probably complete. I would just add that prevention is the best policy. Tape and cushion any areas that are a cause of a problem. Do so for each training session that you do. it takes a little while longer but it prevents problems. The main thing to try and prevent is an infection secondary to a blister that has ruptured. Thin inner socks with good quality outer socks also help. Also resist the temptation to tough out a training session if you feel a hot spot occurring. stop and tape and if it still causes discomfort then stop the session. Other cure all's such as vaseline and aloe also have their supporters. kerryn's suggestion of methylated spirits is very effective for rowing blisters on the cheeks of your butt but 40 years on I still have the strongest recollection of severe pain as my father daubed me with meth/ spirits post surf boat training sessions. Isopropyl wipes and medical swabs fall into the same realm as metho wipes on raw broken skin. In the end graduated training and appropriate preventative strategies win every time. God luck with the training and the Trek
Regards Pete

[Boss Meri]

I was reading through the Herald Sun during the weekend and came across this article:

Staying injury free

SO now you know that walking is good for you, here are a few tips that will prevent injury or discomfort from stopping you once your start.

BLISTERS

THESE can be caused by heat, friction and moisture. Three essentials to prevent them are socks that move moisture away from the skin and lubricants and powders that reduce friction and heat.

Double-layer socks can reduce friction more than single-layer socks. Some adventure racers swear by 'seamless waterproof socks'.

Use super-absorbent powders, the kind that absorb six times their weight in moisture.

Apply lubricants to feet and anywhere you chafe, such as the armpits, inner thighs and nipplies.

Practise taping your feet to find what works for you. The tape can go across the sole, on the heel and around each toe.

REPLACEMENT INSOLES

ATHLETIC shoes come with their own insoles, but many replacement foot beds offer better support, shock absorption and energy return.

Don't confuse these with orthotics. Replacement foot beds are not designed to address injuries or anatomical problems.

There are two types of insoles; foam and viscous polymer. Foam is inexpensive and lightweight, but loses its shock-absorbing properties over time.

Polymer may be better for people who have sore or tender soles.

DRY SKIN

APPLY creams or lotions to soften and moistise dry, cracked skin. Pay special attention to the balls of the feet and heels.

Use a deep-penetrating cream twice a day, once in the morning and again before bedtime.

FOOT SELF-MASSAGE

WARM your feet in a bath or with warm, moist towels.

Cross one leg over the other with your sole facing you and use your thumbs to massage the foot in a circular motion.

If you prefer a lubricant, apply lotion or oil to the palms.

Work from toes to heel and ankle and remember to massage the top of the foot, too. Repeat on the other foot.

UNQUOTE

[Lorna]

All very good advice, thanks so much. While away earlier this week I puchased every sort of blister pad I could find, and have found using these, plus tape to keep them firmly in place – and of course a thin inner pair of socks and good quality hiking socks is working. I'm going to continue taping my heels for quite some time to come just to make sure, and will probably do it on the trek as a precautionary measure too. I'm also conditioning my boots with leather dressing regularly … and with high 40 degree temps here at present it's working to make them feel more 'lived in.'

It's a relief to be over this present crisis with my preparation. At the rate I was going ( blisters, wait a week till they heeled, blisters immediately again, wait another week and so on …..) I was never going to get the damn boots broken in!!

Cheers

[petedowling]

Good to hear that things are on the improve with the condition of your feet. Just a little bit of extra advice.
If you tape then tape every time. This includes each and every training session and not just soetimes. Your feet will position into your boots so much better if your taping is constant and the likelihood of a pressure spot is minimised. For taping of toes and other spots , I found that the large and extra large "Tough Strips" Band Aid were fantastic to tape toes and were great for the backs of heel. At night a good footwash, alcohol swabs on unbroken skin and anti fungal footpowder and your feet will not be a problem.
Adopt the berger paints motto and "keep on keeping on"
regards
Pete

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