Trisha Bartle on How to Avoid Getting Blisters While Hiking

bad blisters on my heels because of it. This was a few weeks ago and I still have the scars from it, as evidenced in a picture at the end of this post.

Needless to say, it hurt like crazy. Next time I went on a walk, I couldn't go through that again. I had to prepare. And that's exactly what I did.

To prepare, I first started with my plain ol' feet, newly cleaned. I made sure that my heel and ankle area was clean and dry before I started because of the steps to follow.

I used an adhesive bandage to cover the affected area. Since I got blisters once before with these shoes, I was able to know exactly where to place the bandage. This is also where being clean and dry comes in. My shoes were going to rub against the area. If I was dirty or moist, the bandage could have come unstuck. Blisters would form.  Not this time, though. I prepared.

Next, I needed a good pair of socks. There's some debate about the kind of socks you should wear on a hike. Some say thin socks, some say thick. Some people suggest you buy really expensive specialty socks. Since I don't have that kind of money, I chose regular thickness socks. Again, clean and dry is very important here. I made sure not to choose socks that were too tight or too loose, as that can cause blisters, too.

Now, time to put on the shoes. You'd think this would be self-explanatory, but it's not. You can't just go putting on your shoes willy nilly. I made sure of a few important things:

1. I made sure that my sock stayed straight when I put on my shoe, making sure it didn't bunch up behind my heel.
2. I straightened up the heel part of the shoe so that it wasn't bunched or folded down.
3. I laced the shoe evenly from top to bottom, creating a snug - but not tight - fit.

There you have it. After using all of these techniques, I went for an hour long walk without any heel or foot discomfort. The adhesive bandage really helped avoid any extra rubbing on my heel and ankle skin. Plus, making sure that the sock and shoe are just right further helped the situation. Now, I just need to remember to follow these steps every single time I go for a hike, or I may end up with hurting feet again (not to mention a terrible sunburn from lack of sunscreen forethought.)