Hiking boot / sock / etc combo to help prevent blisters?

[Mathematics]

Curious what folks here are wearing to avoid blisters while hiking/backpacking

I have leather asolo's & use mid weight hiking socks, which seem to work most of the time. If my feet aren't in hiking condition (soft & pussy like) or if its pissing rain and the inside of my boots get wet I end up getting mad blisters. The gf gets blisters on her heels regardless, and has tried just about every combindaiton of boot/different thickness socks/moleskin/etc.

Anyways we've got a few 4-6 day hikes we're doing before summers over and thought I'd fish for some suggestions on preventing blisters here.

[Tye 1on]

Got the same boots, usually use the same sock. In challenging conditions i'll add a real thin liner sock. Heel blisters call for pre-hike duct tape, a vertical 2-inch piece, whether it's from hiking, skiing or touring. Good luck!

[iamTRuTH]

+1 for duct tape

[skimaxpower]

Hike more. Break in your boots better. Wear the boots more often.

Usually people get blisters (hands, feet, etc) because their skin is being asked to do something that it's not used to. If you break in your feet, you'll get fewer blisters. It's not a tech talk answer, I know, but the real solution is: hike more.

[pfluffenmeister]

Heel blisters call for pre-hike duct tape, a vertical 2-inch piece, whether it's from hiking, skiing or touring. Good luck!


good tip.

i did this on day 2 when breaking in my makalu's (except i didn't notice that there was already a blister there from day 1, the hike was much more comfortable, and the duct tape did a fine job of removing that annoying blister :().



Hike more. Break in your boots better. Wear the boots more often.



^^^ this.

after putting ~60 miles on my makalu's, they feel like butter;

steel shanked, crampon compatible butter :cool::biggrin::cool:

[XXX-er]

you want to round off the corners of the ductape with scissors

smooth the piece of tape onto your heals 1st thing in the morning so there are NO wrinkles

Taping after a shower when your feet are clean and dried off is a much better time to do the taping than sitting on a rock out on the trail trying to get tape to stick on sweaty feet

Properly ductaped heels will last all weekend to protect your heels from blisters if you do it right but if you sleep with ductape on your feet the glue will bleed out onto your sleeeping bag or sheets ... so wear yer socks to bed

I just got scarpa's and they fit well which IMO is the real key ... no blisters so far and I use a midweight wool ski sock

[sierraskier]

I have some succes using a real thin, lightweight technical sock like the Patagonia Lightweight Hiking Crew Sock underneath a midweight or lightweight Smartwool hiking sock. Not too bulky and you can adjust the bulkiness with the outer sock as needed.

[LT]

I have leather asolo's & use mid weight hiking socks, which seem to work most of the time. If my feet aren't in hiking condition (soft & pussy like) or if its pissing rain and the inside of my boots get wet I end up getting mad blisters. The gf gets blisters on her heels regardless, and has tried just about every combindaiton of boot/different thickness socks/moleskin/etc.


That seems to be the key for me too....have feet in "shoe shape". If I've been wearing flip flops day in and day out( as I usually am in the summer) and haven't had my feet in boots for a while my skin seems to get soft and more prone to blisters. Having conditioned feet seems to be the only real answer for me.

[fallguy]

don't know how broken your boots are, but you try:
put on the socks your going to hiking in
fill one boot with hot tap water/ as hot as it'll get
fill the other boot
empty 1st boot and put on
empty 2nd boot and put on
wear boots for a couple hours
this like sweating them/breaking them but faster.

[nickwm21]

Get a tight fitting base layer sock. They are made specifically so you don't get blisters and work. Also some vasoline usually helps

[SpinalTap]

+1 for sock liners. They work.

[Meadow Skipper]

Curious what folks here are wearing to avoid blisters while hiking/backpacking.
The main thing is to get boots that fit your particular foot. Different boots fit different feet, depending on your foot shape. Other than that, there's good advice above.

[hutash]

All of the above, but also good footbeds. Custom cork or similar is best, but superfeet work well if you have relatively normal feet. Blister are often due to heel slip, so using a footbed to keep your foot from moving around in the boot helps.

I also like a thing liner sock, which allow glide between layers, but doesn't solve the movement issue that is the real cause. Women's knee highs work well. I grab a pair of my wife's black knee highs thinking they were my hiking socks:eek:. I didn't realize the mistake until the trailhead...I was surprised how well they work.

[SpinalTap]

Women's knee highs work well. I grab a pair of my wife's black knee highs thinking they were my hiking socks:eek:.

Touché. What's your explanation on the thong? :wink:

[Tye 1on]

Touché. What's your explanation on the thong? :wink:

found it in Irul's Forester?

[hutash]

Touché. What's your explanation on the thong? :wink:

Hey, it was dark when I got dressed this morning.:redface:

[Kevo]

Substitute climbing tape for duct tape. It is made out of clothlike material so it breaths and actually works much better IME.

[snapt]

If liners don't work for you just try two mid weight socks. An old NOLS dude recommended that to me and I've had good success with it.

[steved]

Might wanna try adding thin layer of foam under boot's tongue....to see if it's a case of your feet sliding forward creating space for heel movement..

$.01

[StopMakingSense]

My Vasque Wasatch GTX boot (Perfect fit for my feet with a narrow heal just like my Lange's) paired with SmartWool Socks has never given me any blisters.

Products
- http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Vasque-Wasatch-GTX-Backpacking-Boot-Mens/VSQ0048M.html
- http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/SmartWool-PhD-Outdoor-Mediumd-Crew-Sock/SWL0320M.html

[Loafr]

Another vote for the ladies knee highs. I had tried the duct tape thing and yes it worked OK but makes a mess of a good pair of socks because the adhesive would liquidfy. I had red it somewheres about the knee highs and figured it was worth a try. Give it a try, they're cheap. By a tree pack for like $5 or something stupid like that. I don't backcountry without them.

[Loafr]

Dooh! Maybe I should have included you put the knee highs on first and then a quality wool sock over it.

[neufox47]

Two pairs of hydrophobic socks. To test the socks rub the fabric against fabric and it should slide with ease, try it wet too. Blisters are caused by heat and friction. Eliminate the friction. Any sliding should occur between the boot and your sock or your sock and another sock, not your sock and the shoe.

That or start hiking more and toughen up your lil footsies.