This will be a LONG post,
so grab a cup of your favorite beverage
and get comfie.
If you ask me what is the most important thing you take on the Camino,
I will tell you it is
YOUR FEET!
Without your feet,
there will be no Camino.
So be sure to take very good care of them!
1. SHOES
Begin by purchasing the correct shoes.
I have several blogs on this topic.
I suggest a lightweight trail runner
with good traction,
and a deep, wide toe box.
Your feet ARE going to swell
unless you are athlete
because we just aren't used to walking
6-8 hours a day on the type of track
you will find on the Camino.
So be sure and get those trail runners
a size larger than you usually wear.
You can always put on a second pair of socks,
but you cannot make your shoes larger.
Trail runners trump boots, in my opinion,
UNLESS you are an avid boot wearer
and your boots are completely broken in.
There is no terrain on the Camino
that warrants hiking boots,
in my opinion.
One thing is for sure,
unless you are walking in high summer,
THERE WILL be rain.
And rain means wet shoes,
and wet boots mean BLISTERS.
Trail runners will dry overnight.
Boots will not.
If possible, stuff your wet trail runners
with newspaper,
and they will be dry and ready to walk in
by morning.
I do not suggest waterproof shoes.
Waterproof shoes hold the moisture IN
as well as keeping it out.
Moist feet mean BLISTERS.
2. SOCKS
Wear the correct socks.
One option is to buy double layer socks,
like Wrightsocks
Another option is to wear thin sock liners
with your wool socks over.
You can purchase expensive liners
from a sporting goods store,
or ladies can just buy inexpensive white socks
like the ones we wore in the 50's
and wear them under your trekking socks.
You can pick those up in any China store
(which is like a Dollar Store)
in the larger cities of Spain, like Pamplona.
In summer, I do not wear two pair of socks,
but my New Balance trail runners
almost never allow blisters.
I have heard of other folks wearing socks with toes in them.
I tried it one year, and it really hurt my toes.
The extra fabric can really take up a lot of space
in your shoe.
But if it works for you,
go for it.
I certainly would try it at home first.
In fact, I'd try any of these solutions at home
before heading out for Spain/France.
3. TUBES
One problem I DO have with blisters
is with my small toe,
which overlaps the one next to it.
To keep this toe from rubbing against the other,
I buy gel tubes like the ones below.
You can buy them already cut
or you can buy them in longer tubes
and cut them to size yourself.
These work great for me!
You can also get these
in almost any farmacia in Spain or SJPP.
4. LAMB's WOOL aka Hiker's Wool
Another option is to use lamb's wool.
You can find it on Amazon.
It comes in small packages and is very lightweight.
You just pull off a piece,
and wind it over and around the toes
that are rubbing together.
Works GREAT!
5. RESTING
When you first start out
you are not used to walking so long each day,
and your feet are going to complain.
Be nice to them!
Every couple of hours,
I stop,
take off my shoes and socks,
and give my feet a nice rub.
I air them out and rest them for 5-10 minutes
while I have a snack or a drink of water.
Then they are good to go another couple of hours.
6. NO SHOWERING IN THE MORNING!
Get your shower at night before you hit the bed.
That way, your feet have all night to dry out
and harden.
Showering in the morning,
as much as your HEAD may like it,
will lead to BLISTERS!
There is no way to get your feet completely dry.
They will be moist and soft,
and you are more likely to get blisters.
It's amazing the difference this will make.
7. STOP THE MINUTE YOU FEEL A HOT SPOT.
If you are walking,
and feel a bit of a hot spot starting on your foot,
STOP NOW!
Don't wait until it becomes a blister.
Stop, cover it with Compeed
or some other dressing before you take another step.
This could keep you from getting a full blown BLISTER.
8. CREAMS/POMADES
People tend to get blisters on places where
a) their shoe rubs/pinches,
or
b) their toes rub together.
Some people have great success by rubbing their feet with
Vicks VapoRub or Vaseline
before putting on their socks.
I have done this between my toes,
and it HAS helped on occasion.
I think it's worth a try if your toes are rubbing together.
You can buy small tubes of Vaseline
in any Farmacia in Spain.
9. TIE SHOES CORRECTLY
Believe it or not
there IS a way to tie your walking shoes correctly.
Check with your manufacturer.
As you can see from the first photo I posted,
on my very first Camino,
my shoes were tied too tightly
across my high instep,
causing a BLISTER.
Since then,
I'm careful not to tie them too tight.
Also, if you are DESCENDING,
be sure your shoes are tight enough around your ankle,
that your toes are not rubbing against the front of the shoes.
This may mean you need to stop and adjust.
10. BE SURE INSERTS FIT
Inserts can be a great help.
I use Motion Control inserts in my New Balance trainers.
They cushion my foot and keep my ankles
from turning in.
However, be VERY careful when cutting inserts to size.
If you leave just a tiny space between the shoe and the insert,
you are asking for a BLISTER,
as your foot will be pinched with each step.
So cut those inserts carefully.
11. SOAK FEET AT NIGHT
Most Albergues will have plastic dishpans
that you can fill with
ICE COLD WATER AND SALT
to soak your feet.
Buy salt at the market if the albergue doesn't have it.
You can also take every opportunity to
stop at streams and rivers
and soak your feet.
Some Albergues will have ponds,
such as the one at San Bol,
with icy water in which to soak your feet.
This really helps harden your feet,
especially if you use the salt,
and will help swelling
as well as help you not to get blisters.
Plus, it just feels SOOO good!
 |
| Soaking at Ligonde |
 |
| Joe found a stream to soak in. |
 |
| Find a soaking pan at the albergue! |
 |
| San Bol has a wonderful pool for soaking |
12. ALCOHOL CON ROMERO
Some people, me included,
love Alcohol con Romero.
It is rubbing alcohol infused with Rosemary.
Yes, it's a bit heavy to carry,
but it is quite inexpensive and
WONDERFUL for massaging your
feet and legs after a long day of walking.
Find it in any Farmacia.
It comes in a variety of bottles,
so just ask for it.
Worth even taking a small empty bottle with you,
so you can carry some along.
13. TO POP OR NOT TO POP?
That really IS the question.
I DO pop my blisters when I get them,
thought I get very few.
Relieving the pressure,
then covering the blister works for me.
However, I usually do NOT get blisters,
because the minute I feel a hot spot,
I cover it with Compeed.
You then MUST leave the Compeed
to fall off on it's own.
Removing it will remove a chunk of skin,
so before using Compeed,
please read my blog post
so you understand how it works.
You can do a search to the right.
I've heard of people pulling a thread
through the blister and leaving it.
I don't personally like that idea.
I think that could open you up to an infection.
The Camino is covered with cow manure
and sheep manure
in many place,
and I think leaving a wet string
for bacteria to crawl up
might not be a great idea.
So these are some of my suggestions
for avoiding BLISTERS~
If you have others,
please feel free to list them in the comments below.
Buen Camino!
Annie
