Ways to Avoid Blisters

 

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