Runner's Training Tips: Tricks for Blister Prevention ? ? ?

Would any of the Runner's out there happen to know any Tricks for Preventing blisters on those long runs ? ? ? Thnks for the Help ! ! !

Hot sweaty feet are at the root of many blisters, so anything you can do to cool your feet down will help. Some shoes are cooler tha others and some socks wick the moisture away much better than others.

After that check you're not doing anything funny with your feet. I was clenching the toes on one foot for a while and getting blisters on the tips of my toes asa consequence - weird!

 Finally, either tape or bandaid your feet at the trouble spots. There are some good tapes especially for the purpose.

 

These things have worked for me, though I don't use any of them now (apart from good socks and shoes) - I think my feet have toughened up a bit.

 

  I wear my running clothes inside out so that any seams that might rub me any where - toes, back, front, etc. are not next to my body. I also rub aquaphor any where I think I might chafe or develop blisters.

Wicking material helps. I love my two-layer Wright running socks, although you might find them a bit warm in the summer. I like socks with Coolmax woven in them. In colder weather, I put on a thin wicking sock liner under my regular running sock. I avoid cotton sweatsocks for long runs; they get soaked, and then start to rub- that's what leads to blisters. If run through water, you'll regret wearing cotton sweatsocks.

When you go for a long run, start out with freshly washed, dry feet and nice clean socks. A few other things I've tried (with varying success): rubbing lotion or even vasoline on the feet before putting on socks and shoes for a long run; puffing a bit of talcum powder into the sock (limited effectiveness after more than a few miles); putting anti-perspirant on feet.

A few  suggestions that I cannot see among the selection so far:

If you already have a blister, Compeed patches are great.

Check for roughness inside shoe or on insole, especially for gapping at the edge of the insole, where the insole meets the side of the shoe.

Have a few days rest and the skin will dry up and toughen.

If you have a lot of callus on your feet, get someone to remove it because it reduces the suppleness of your skin causing stress in the softer skin nearby. 

 (Thank you for the duck tape/ parcel tape suggestions which I have not come accross before!!)

 

There's a nice product called "Glide" that looks like a solid underarm deodorant. 

The two layer socks (Wright or Balega) someone else mentioned are good. 

Also, I wore a hole in the back of my shoe after just 200 miles - the guy at Fleet feet put some duct tape in there - this is another one someone mentioned but I'll second their suggestion - it was a very good solution. 

During long weeks of military training with no relief from walking, running and marching in boots, and running every morning in running shoes this was my solution:  1) evenings and overnight - nothing on the blister after showering, letting it air out and dry out as much as possible (these were popped, bloody, weeping blisters over 2 inches in diameter); 2) mornings - neosporin or other triple antibiotic cream to keep infection down, bandaid on top of the medicine, then a folded index card placed on top of the bandage and then medical tape over the card to hold it in place, then two pairs of socks, running shoes tied tightly.  For the boots, I also on occaision would take running shoe insoles out of running shoes, put them into the boots, and then walk/run/march in the boots.  None of this is comfortable, but it does keep the friction down.  Since then, I've been using an alpha-hydroxy tea tree oil foot peel and a pumice stone to get the areas back into a normal mode.  The areas still blister up with any friction now and I'm dreading winter.

I personally swear by "Smart Wool" socks. You can get them in extra thin or padded versions. They wick moisture extremely well, and somehow manage to keep my feet cool in summer and warm in winter.

 The suggestion above to tape the problem area is also a good one that I use on my heels--Nexcare First Aid Water Resistant Tape by 3M sticks to my feet for the duration of any long run.

I recently purchased ASICS Kinsei running socks and they are great, really comfotable and no blisters so far.

I used to get blisters and lose toenails like crazy (run 50 miles a week) till I found the right shoes for my foot shape (wide in front and narrow at the heel) and running style.  Don't know if I should plug a brand but I bought a pair of ASICS 1110's and ran 18 miles in them the first day and my feet felt like I had been walking on air.  I went out the next day and bought 4 more pairs.  Now the 1110's are discontinued, replaced by 1120's that are just as good.  

I talk to a lot of inexperienced runners with feet like mine who buy wide shoes for the toe room but then wind up with heel blisters cause the shoe is too wide at the back. So get good shoes that fit your foot shape and DONT wear cotton socks, only acrylic.  Oh and if you pop a blister, don't go right thru the blister, go thru the good skin next to the blister.  That way the blistered skin doesn't tear.

I used to get terrible blisters when running - bloody socks after a 40 minute run was par for the course.  All of the things I tried have been mentioned by others - Compeed I found brilliant for repairing blisters.

 My solution has been to:

• get proper custom made orthotics (not 'customised' orthotics such as those made by Footmaxx, orthotic works and a number of other companies although these can be useful for some people)
• choose runners from a technical running shop where my gait was analysed in several different shoes using video.

I've been running again for nearly three weeks and so far no blisters - that includes an 80 minute trail run where I got a soaking.  I really wish that I had these 10 years ago!

 I'd recommend starting off by finding a technical running shop - travel if you have to, once you find the correct shoe, have run in it for a while and are happy with it you can buy a half a dozen pairs at the end of season sales.

It will be clear from the video gait analysis if you need to explore the world of orthotics.  If it's not a severe adjustment that's required and you don't run too much then some of the cheaper 'off the shelf' orthotics might help but most of the time you'll probably be better off spending the money on a professional - in Ireland and Britain they will have spent 4 years learning how to be an orthotist/prosthetist and they don't come cheap but for me at least (so far) it has been worth every penny.

 Good luck!