Runners: How do you avoid blisters?

I agree, good socks help. The shoe may not be right for you either. I wear smartwool, there are several good brands. You should be able to find at the running store

Callouses, good thin socks, and nice shoes. I've picked up some shoes that give me blisters right away and others I can run forever in. You might need to shop around more.

i slather my feet in aquaphor to help reduce friction

My feet are already callused, but proper shoes, dry fit socks, and if need be........some mole skin over the tender area.

Socks for sure. Also, don't be afraid to take the shoes back to the store. That is a big advantage of local running stores, they will work with you.

I love the double layered Wright socks.

I would look closely at your shoes. Just because you got them from a real running store does not mean it is a good match. Even same brand and same "model" but different shoe can wear differently. What I mean by this is I pretty much only wear low to zero rise Brooks shoes. I prefer their Pure line. I have a road shoe that I have bought the same exact shoe twice in a row - love them. They discontinued that so I bought another Brooks shoe in the Pure line. These worked well also. But my Brooks Pure line trail shoe (same size and same basic everything as my road shoe other than tread) caused blisters. I removed the insert and that helped a lot - but not 100%. So I also wrap my foot with prewrap tape and that solves it. Moral of the story (at least to me) - maybe try another shoe.

Also - I have never lost a toe nail. Never even had any "trauma" in that area. I have read horror stories of that - but I don't get it. Never been a problem. Other than this blister.. no issues on the skin. (I trained for 2 marathons over 2 years .. so I have logged a lot of miles). I don't if I am just lucky - or again - if I just had the right shoes.

Obeg wrote: »

I would look closely at your shoes. Just because you got them from a real running store does not mean it is a good match. Even same brand and same "model" but different shoe can wear differently. What I mean by this is I pretty much only wear low to zero rise Brooks shoes. I prefer their Pure line. I have a road shoe that I have bought the same exact shoe twice in a row - love them. They discontinued that so I bought another Brooks shoe in the Pure line. These worked well also. But my Brooks Pure line trail shoe (same size and same basic everything as my road shoe other than tread) caused blisters. I removed the insert and that helped a lot - but not 100%. So I also wrap my foot with prewrap tape and that solves it. Moral of the story (at least to me) - maybe try another shoe.

Also - I have never lost a toe nail. Never even had any "trauma" in that area. I have read horror stories of that - but I don't get it. Never been a problem. Other than this blister.. no issues on the skin. (I trained for 2 marathons over 2 years .. so I have logged a lot of miles). I don't if I am just lucky - or again - if I just had the right shoes.

I too have had lots and lots of miles logged in the past 10 years. I also only will run in Brooks, and have never had an issue. I once wore normal cotton socks and got a huge blister that popped in the same run, but never had any toenail issues. Also have done multiple marathons in them and wore the shoes out until the sole peeled off of them.

My family bought me some nikes, and I don't even like going to the gym in them. I try to treadmill or elliptical with them and my feet fall asleep and go numb after 5 minutes.

Shoes that fit properly won't give you blisters however that is sometimes easier said than done as everyone's feet are different. If the blistering is minor and there are no other issues you may be able to mitigate further blistering with a 2 layer sock (like the Wright ones mentioned previously - I've used them and like them) another good option are the smartwool ones.

Also, the tip in this video may help by reducing the amount your foot can move in the shoe.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=IijQyX_YCKA

nosajjao wrote: »

RespectTheKitty wrote: »

Just got a new pair of running shoes, from a real running store. First time wearing them, everything was fine. Today was the second time wearing them, doing c25k, and I developed blisters on the insides of my feet, right between the big toe and arch.

My first thought is that I wasn't wearing the right socks. I only had on cotton athletic socks. Yesterday I wore better running socks. Could this be the culprit? What do you guys do to prevent blisters?

First make sure the real running store was actually real and not just an illusion. Otherwise, you might want to google "how long to break-in running shoes". If you actually ran a whole 25k with brand new shoes why wouldn't you get some blisters?

First off, she is running "Couch to 5 K" (aka C25K), not 25K. Secondly, a properly fitted pair of shoes should not need to be broken in. If they don't feel right the first time you run in them, they aren't the right shoes, and never will be. Most real running stores will warranty the shoes provided they haven't been run outside (which is why you should always test them on a treadmill first).

^ Seconding the sock issue! Even as a newbie, wearing thin athletic socks to run (as opposed to the traditional cotton sock) makes a world of difference!

RespectTheKitty wrote: »

UPDATE: I'm almost certain it's the socks. I did another round of c25k today, this time with my better socks, and it was much more tolerable. Can't say it was pain-free, because my blisters from last time are still healing, but at least nothing new cropped up.

So... off I go to order some more running socks....

Put mole skin over blisters. It will help immensely.

nosajjao wrote: »

First make sure the real running store was actually real and not just an illusion. Otherwise, you might want to google "how long to break-in running shoes". If you actually ran a whole 25k with brand new shoes why wouldn't you get some blisters?

I'm going to guess that you don't run.......