Avoid Those Annoying Blisters
Thursday September 25, 2008
Runners on the team that I coach are starting to hit their peak mileage in preparation for their fall marathons, and right now there seems to be an epidemic of blisters among them. If you've also been plagued by blisters, try these prevention tips:
- Make sure your shoes fit properly. Your running shoe should be at least 1/2 a size bigger than your street shoe size, since your feet swell when you run. You should have a little room in your toebox.
- Look for socks made of synthetic fabrics (not cotton!), which wick moisture away from your feet, preventing the sock from bunching up and causing blisters. Also, buy socks with no seams and a smooth surface. Some runners wear double-layer socks created to deter blisters. The idea with those socks is that any friction occurs between the two sock layers instead of your skin and the sock.
- You can also spread BodyGlide or Vaseline on problem areas. But go easy: Too much and you'll be sliding around in your shoes.
- If you go for a pedicure, make sure they don't remove your calluses with a razor or emory board. The callused skin serves as blister protection for your feet, so if it's removed, you'll be more at risk for blisters.
Another “trick” is to wear socks that have individual toes (like gloves for your feet). This helps prevent skin to skin friction. They feel a little wierd the first time you put them on (assuming you haven’t worn this type of sock before), but you won’t notice any difference once your feet are in the shoes. I swear by them for long runs.
Great tip, John. I also know some runners who wrap each toe individually with moleskin to achieve the same effect.