We asked podiatrist, Ashley Howe, for some blister prevention tips to better look after our feet.
Feet are particularly prone to blisters and whether it be from starting a new form of exercise or wearing the wrong pair of shoes, nearly everybody has experienced blisters on their feet. The good news is most blisters can be completely preventable. Follow these tips to prevent blisters:
- Get the right fitting footwear! If they’re too loose they can move around causing friction and if too tight they can add pressure. Your feet swell during exercise and also throughout the day as you are on your feet. So if you’re going in store, try going in the afternoons when your feet will be their most swollen. A shoe that fits really well in the morning might not be the case in the afternoon or during exercise.
- Get appropriate socks, moisture and friction are a common cause of blistering. So get natural material socks like cotton or bamboo which reduce sweating unlike synthetic based ones. Also, any old socks that have lost their elastic can slide down during activity. Putting your skin at risk of blistering. There are lots of anti-blister socks on the market that are a more snug fit. An example for runners is lightfeet socks.
- Keeping your feet dry, non-breathable footwear and synthetic socks are external factors that add to sweating but there are internal ones as well. Some people naturally sweat more than others so it’s a good idea to change socks more regularly during the day or after activity. There are good antiperspirant sprays and creams on the market that help reduce the feet sweating as much. Which will then reduce risk of moisture and friction.
- Covering up bumps. Some people have bony bumps on their toes, in their arch or on the back of their heel which are hard to fit for. So there are ways to cover them, you can use simple plasters or blister pads as single use items or there are things such as gel toe sleeves that can be reused and provide a padded protection against painful rubs from footwear.
Pro Podiatry SA, Ashley Howe, Podiatrist