Blister Management

It’s that time of year in Victoria, where the weather is warming up, meaning a more hot and humid environment in which to do our training & racing. Blisters are an ongoing issue for runners & triathletes. The main cause of blisters is friction and moisture. You can easily prevent blisters from forming by addressing these two causes in a variety of ways.

Here are ProFeet Podiatry’s top tips for managing blisters:

  1. Footwear: Get your shoes properly fitted by a technical store who knows walking and running shoes! If you have pressure areas you can adjust the lacing in your shoes to help offload the pressure.
  2. Get awesome socks & change them frequently! Technical socks (not cotton!) are the best at keeping your skin dry and strong! Make sure your socks fit well & feel good with your shoes. Ideally change socks every 8-10 km to keep your skin healthy and strong.
  3. Taping/Strapping: Use your training walks to identify “hot spots” or high areas of pressure or friction Use a combination of breathable tape (Mefix, Fixamul, Hypafix) and/or rigid sports tape to reinforce the skin. Practice makes perfect with taping so give it a go before your longer walks/runs.
  4. Shoe lacing: There are lacing techniques such as “heel lock” and “lace lock” that can help to offload pressure or reduce friction. See what works for you depending on your “hot spot”.
  5. Blister products: Some blister products work for specific “hot spots”. Be sure to use them in training. Engo anti-friction patches (engo.com.au) and silicone toe sleeves (chemist) are our favourites.

Check out the full article including videos here.

Triathlon Specific

You may consider not wearing socks during a sprint or standard distance race to save time. If you do this consider taking the following precautionary steps:

  • Practice wearing your race shoes without socks in training to toughen up your feet
  • Use baby powder to reduce moisture in your shoe whilst running
  • Pre tape or strap any spots which you know might be an issue
  • Consider swapping elastic laces to normal laces with a toggle

Further Reading:

Is Your Running Technique Causing Blisters?

The Nine-Step Blister Fix

An Ounce of Prevention – Stopping Blisters