BLISTERS: What They Are and How To “Win the War” Against Them
Posted October 25th, 2006 at 4:00 AM by Trish Monks
Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Gear & Apparel, Miscellaneous, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab
Trish Monks, writing all the way from England, is a wonderful addition to our team. Although Brits might speak a little differently and make us laugh from time to time - we still love them and we love Trish’s writing. Enjoy!
A Blister is defined as: “A defence mechanism of the human body. It consists of a pool of lymph and other bodily fluids beneath the upper layers of the skin. It may be formed in response to burns or friction, and helps to repair damage to the skin.”
As runners, we all know about blisters. We know that although they seem to be such a small, insignificant ‘injury’, they can hurt like hell, really spoil a run, and - as an added bonus - have more far reaching impacts if not taken care of.
As a worse case scenario - imagine you always get blisters on the arch of your foot. Every time you go out running your foot either already hurts or starts to hurt while you are out. So what do you do?
You try to avoid landing on that part of your foot - consciously or sub-consciously, you are trying to prevent the pain that you know is coming. Think about what that is doing to your running style, and the impact that might have on your knees, hips, ankles, back………. need I go on?
Pretty dramatic I admit, but, without a doubt, blisters are best avoided.
In our ‘war’ against blisters, we first need to understand that they are caused by friction – essentially, bits of your foot rubbing against your shoe - and then we need to think about how to stop that friction, or minimise it as much as possible.
Shoes: The conventional answer, and ideal solution to blisters, is to buy ‘better’ fitting training shoes: If your footwear is a perfect fit for your feet, then blisters shouldn’t be a problem (or at least, much less of one).
Is it possible to get ‘perfect’ fitting shoes though? Doesn’t that rely on having ‘perfectly’ sized and shaped feet?
You do the best you can. (Check out our articles on foot type and our shoe-fit guide before your purchase your next pair!)
You go to a ‘proper’ running shop, get measured for the right size shoe, try a few different styles, pick the ones that feel the most comfortable and, for the 5 minutes that you try them on the in-store treadmill, they seem fine.
However, when you get them out on the road and wear them over an extended period things might be quite different. I also find that in some of my shoes, I only get blisters in races, or when running over a certain distance, or just randomly on the odd run - so it is a little bit extreme to suggest that you need to give up on a pair of trainers immediately you get a blister.
Despite the problems involved with getting it right, there is no doubt that your shoes are the best place to start on your blister-avoidance exercise.
When you try a new pair of training shoes in the shop think hard about how they feel. Can you feel any of the seams pressing on the tops of your toes, or the sides of your feet? Where does the arch support of the shoe sit in relation to your arch - is it in the right place, or does it feel a bit too far back or forward? What about the back of your foot - is it a snug fit in the shoe or is there a lot of movement? Can you feel anything pressing into your Achilles? Are you wearing the same socks you would wear to run in? Would that make a difference to the overall fit?
If you notice any warning signs - don’t buy the shoes. No matter how lightweight they are or how lovely they look, or how much you try to convince yourself that they will “wear in” or “soften up” or that they will be “fine” - in your heart of hearts, you know that they won’t. More likely they will rip your feet to pieces, you will have to buy more shoes and you will feel stupid. I speak from experience! (Once again - make sure to check out our articles on foot type and our shoe-fit guide before your purchase your next pair!)
Here is some more helpful advice about socks, lubricants, tape and more to help avoid blisters:
Socks: The right pair of socks can make all the difference; but it is a minefield. Many people swear by double layered socks, like 1000 mile, which are designed to replace any foot/shoe friction with sock/sock friction. Nice idea, and like I say, lots of people think they are the bee’s knees, but personally, I never got on with them. I prefer socks with slightly more padding underfoot, no seams, and always, always made from a wicking fabric - something like Coolmax material - never cotton! Cotton socks are a big no-no: they soak up sweat, making your feet damp, which makes your skin soft and therefore more likely to tear and blister. So long as you avoid cotton and go for a wicking material, the best advice with socks, like shoes, is to try a few different styles and see what suits you best. If you are feeling really daring, why not try something like these!
Tape: The use of something like Zinc Oxide tape (I have also even heard people talk about using duct tape for the same purpose - even though that seems slightly extreme!) to protect areas of your feet that you know are vulnerable to blisters is a great idea and usually does work. The only problem I find (and it might be a technique thing) is that if the tape starts to come away from your foot, you end up with something extra in your sock (the flapping bits of tape) that is almost certainly going to result in a blister! Done properly though it can be very effective, and there are some good tips on taping here.
Blister patches: Something along the lines of Compeed blister patches have saved many a marathoner’s day. I use these all the time if my feet get a bit tender, and they are genuinely amazing. So long as you apply them exactly as the instructions tell you, they should stay on your feet throughout the longest runs, and for a good few days afterwards! These are especially brilliant for protecting tender skin where your blister has burst.
Lubrication: Applying something like petroleum jelly, Bodyglide (Preferred by our Editor-in-Chief), or, my current favourite Brave Soldier’s Friction Zone to potential ‘hot spots’ on your feet may help prevent blisters, at least in the short term, as it reduces the friction that is causing the problems. Again, I have had mixed results with this method.
All of these techniques (and if you have any others, please share them with us) are useful in the war against blisters, but as with most things, it can be a case of “suck it and see” before you find something that works for you! Good luck.
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Sources: [Wilkepedia] and see our in-text link citations.
Picture from: [Running Commentary]
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: 1000 mile socks, blisters, Bodyglide, Brave Soldier Friction Zone, Coolmax, cotton, feet, lubricants, shoes, socks, tape, wet test
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The Final Sprint