Help me with blisters!

[optimusprime]

Hey all. I recently went on a 48 mile hike on the PCT with some buddies. I wore my Crispi Lapponia 3’s. I was wearing Fits hike lite crew socks. I ended up absolutely tearing my heels apart. My left heel tore completely by mile 7 and the other halfway through the hike. I also had a blister under my left toe joint. Any ideas what could have caused these hot spots/blisters? What’s the common reason for this happening? My boots fit very well and I have plenty of space in the toe box. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Also, this is the second season I’ve used them and I’ve not had blisters before to this extent and I wore them a lot last year.


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[wapitibob]

Your feet are moving inside the boot. On stiffer boots, I ran a strip of gorilla tape up my heels. A thin liner and med weight hiker socks will help sometimes too.
I had hot spots under a cpl toes when I was using super feet insoles, switched to lathrop and that went away.

 

[optimusprime]

I also use the Superfeet green. Is there a lacing method that would help keep my foot still? Is the heel blister caused from my heel slipping inside the boot?


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[mtnbound]

I also use the Superfeet green. Is there a lacing method that would help keep my foot still? Is the heel blister caused from my heel slipping inside the boot?


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Yes, your foot is sliding around, which increases friction.

 

[zpearo]

After dealing with some blisters, I got some injini liner socks and I always wear those when hiking now. Haven't had a blister since.

 

[TaperPin]

Hey all. I recently went on a 48 mile hike on the PCT with some buddies. I wore my Crispi Lapponia 3’s. I was wearing Fits hike lite crew socks. I ended up absolutely tearing my heels apart. My left heel tore completely by mile 7 and the other halfway through the hike. I also had a blister under my left toe joint. Any ideas what could have caused these hot spots/blisters? What’s the common reason for this happening? My boots fit very well and I have plenty of space in the toe box. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Also, this is the second season I’ve used them and I’ve not had blisters before to this extent and I wore them a lot last year.


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Most often I see soft feet from not wearing boots before the trip as the culprit.

For instance, back in my 20s I took over a wildland fire crew. While the crew was waiting for calls it was accepted that they could do the daily chores in running shoes and only slip into boots when going into the field. On our first handful of fires in steep country there were way too many blisters, so I started requiring boots to be worn all day, every day while back at the station. From that point on for half a dozen years it was rare for anyone to have blisters, no matter how steep or strenuous and the only change was wearing boots when they weren’t needed.

Personally I will wear boots as much as possible the month before a big trip, even if it’s just around the house doing nothing. Every day your callouses are a little thicker on pressure points and what’s under the skin is a little tougher. Once calluses are built up it takes less work to keep them, but the moment you stop wearing a boot, every day feet are getting softer agin.

Of course moisture contributes and taking boots and socks off when taking breaks, and swapping socks if blister hot spots are developing helps the skin a lot. Dry skin is tough skin. As a rule of thumb it’s also better to find hot spots and cover them before a blister develops, but we all get caught from time to time.

 

[Fowl Play]

I would try tightening the laces more above your ankle. It might be a combo of where you tighten and making sure it feels comfortable, but your current lacing is letting your heel move, causing friction, then blisters. Liner socks can help reduce friction as well, but stopping the movement is best.

 

[optimusprime]

Currently with my Crispis, I tighten the forefoot moderately and tighten down the locking eyelets down firmly then go a little loose up top so my ankle can flex. I believe that prior to the blisters I may have had the ankle and lower part a bit too loose.


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[5MilesBack]

Blisters are caused by friction. I always wear thin polypropylene liner socks and then lightweight merino boot socks over those. I generally never have issues. But if I'm going to be doing a bunch of vertical mountain stuff I'll pre-tape my heels with Leukotape. On a 48 mile hike I would definitely have a roll in my pack for any other hotspots that might show up during the hike.

For "after the fact", Tincture of Benzoin works great on blisters.

 

[LFC911]

After dealing with some blisters, I got some injini liner socks and I always wear those when hiking now. Haven't had a blister since.

might have to try a pair of those

 

[SuperDUECE22]

I used to randomly get a hot spot on a heavy pack out or super long hike that I'd address with leukotape and all would be good, then i started wearing some super thin liner socks under my normal sock and haven't had a blister or even a hot spot in probably 10 years.

 

[noKnees]

As others have said, I would preemptively tape your heels with leuko tape and use a lacing technique to tighten up the heel/ankle while leaving the toe box looser.

with rubs and blisters,, better to stop and make adjustments very early, better to tape something that barely feels like an issue than try to do something about a broken blister or a hole through a bunch of layers of skin.

I haven't experience with the crispi's but my experience is that going to a lighter more flexible shoe helped with blister issues, but of course brings more risk for bruising and support issues.

One challenge I have is I often wear boots around the local trails where hills are moderate, but issues for me often go undetected until I go to the mountains and spend more than a day going up and down, so what seems great at home doesn't always cut it on a trip. It makes testing remedies difficult.

 

[mkonzen]

I found liner socks help a lot and leuko tape. Swear by the tape. I stop as soon as I feel I might have a hot spot and tape up. I am wearing crispi colorados for the last 4 seasons. I recently also got the superfeet green insoles and used for 1 season. Much better than the stock insoles! They were great but I have to wear thin socks since they are quite a bit bigger insoles than factory. If I I bought new boots I would need a half size up.

 

[bz_711]

After first year of elk hunting and blisters I added a liner sock and I'll put Leukotape on my heels...no problems since. I think the Leukotape is a must...liner socks do help overall as well though.

Good Luck!

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

Things to consider-

Wright Socks, they are a liner and outer sock sewn together into "1" Sock. They are my early season light boot sock.

Synthetic liner sock with a wool sock over it to adjust fit of the boot (liner+light, med or heavyweight wool sock) Smartwool liners and Wool socks are my later season boot sock.

Stiffer boot, if you were in steep terrain a really soft boot like the Lapponnia will flex a lot causing extra movement. I would go to the Summit GTX from Crispi because it is a little stiffer but still light.

Listen to your feet, if you are getting a Hotspot make an adjustment immediately to limit the damage/injury.