feet blisters??

Does anyone have advice for me.
I've always struggled with blisters!!
I've changed shoes... The buggers don't go away. It's frustrating because on my longer runs I don't stop because I'm tired.. I have to stop because my blisters hurt!!
I have extremely soft skin on my feet and I don't know if this is the reason I'm so prone!

Any advice to help harden my feet or any general advice to prevent them?

Replies

  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    Wrong shoe size maybe?
  • ninav1980
    ninav1980 Posts: 514 Member
    If you are getting pedicures, make sure they are not scrubbing your feet. You need your feet to callus.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Socks can make a difference. Mention that you have issues at the running store. I changed my socks back when I was having an issue years ago and it made all the difference.
  • RunRachelleRun
    RunRachelleRun Posts: 1,854 Member
    I get blisters regularly on the pads of my feet, though races are worse than regular training.

    Someone recommended double-layered "Wright" socks to me, and I've made the switch. They really help. But I go through them every couple of months as I wear a hole through the outer layer exactly where I blister. And although they are guaranteed your feet will not blister, I still do a little.

    I think it has more to do with my form—specifically the push off with each step—than my shoes. I wear three different brands: Asics, Saucony, and Altras. All have been fitted and I get blisters with them all, though not always or as bad with the Altras. Still, I can't seem to correct the form issue (if it is one).
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    I don't usually get blisters, but I get calluses big time. I went to a podiatrist originally for a stress fracture, and he's been working on moderating those calluses. Some of the methods would also apply to blister prevention.

    Blisters and calluses are caused by rubbing. Factors influencing how much the skin rubs include the shoes; the socks; your running gait; any lubricant you use; and, surprisingly, how you tie your shoes.

    Specific advice about shoes is futile on a message board; different shoes fit different people. I like wool running socks better than pure synthetic. Darn Tough, Smartwool, and Feetures have worked well for me, but Feetures wool socks don't seem to wear as weal as Smartwool or Darn Tough. FWIW, I'd rather wear Darn Tough wool socks at 91 degrees than synthetic socks. Yes, my feet sweat a lot in the heat; but the wool pulls the moisture away from my feet, which helps with the rubbing.

    I use petroleum jelly (generic Vaseline) on my toes and forefeet, where the calluses form and blisters threaten to form. It works well enough. I've got a tub of generic Aquaphor, which is 41% petroleum jelly; it seems to work better than pure petroleum jelly for my chest strap heart rate monitor. I'm undecided as to whether it works better than pure petroleum jelly for my feet. Other runners are fond of BodyGlide; I have never tried it.

    The lace lock shoe tying technique is designed to keep my feet from sliding forward. It really helps mitigate my tendency to get blisters or heavy calluses on my toes and the balls of my feet. It worked so well for me that I wondered whether the petroleum jelly was still necessary; so I went on a 6 mile run without petroleum jelly and found that yes, it was still helpful.

    You probably need a combination of strategies to prevent or mitigate blisters: Get fitted for good running shoes, get good running socks, try the lace lock technique and see how much it does for you, try using some form of lubricant on the areas where you are prone to blisters. There may be other stuff to try as well; this is just what I've found that works for me. Your mileage may vary.
  • RunRachelleRun
    RunRachelleRun Posts: 1,854 Member
    Good advice @MobyCarp. The lace lock helped me quite a bit once I saw a video and figured out the way to do it correctly. I had been doing it for years, but the wrong way :# .
  • kirstengeffen
    kirstengeffen Posts: 103 Member
    Thanks for the advice guys!
    I'm from south africa and there aren't many shops around me that stock specialised socks etc for running.
    I recently bought a new pair of running shoes, they were expensive and the worst thing I could've done... The blisters they gave me were horrible. I thought maybe I just needed to wear them in, but the bottom of my feet looked horrendous after a while... thick blood blisters...
    So I'm running in my older shoes as I don't have money for a new pair... :(
    I get the blisters on the ball of my foot and between my toes (super sore)
    I'm going to look up the lace lock and try spray some anti chaffe stuff on my feet before I run and see if that helps!!
    I did 16km yesterday and at about 11km my feet were killing me... which is not ideal since I'm training for a 42.2km!!!
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    From my experience, if a nail got a tiny bit too long, it'd try to saw off its neighbor and I'd come home with a bloody foot. Amazing what a tiny little rub can do within ten miles of repetitive movement! Could this be happening between the toes? If you like to keep your nails a bit long, maybe put a bandaid in between or get toe socks? Or maybe you need roomier foot bed so toes don't get squished? Bottom of the foot could be sliding forward and a different lace technique could save that from happening. The only time I had a problem there was when my sock got wrinkled under there and made a blister that became a callous in just one run. Any little thing, even wrinkled socks, can cause a problem over a long distance.