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Blister and injury prevention

Audrey McAllister

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances 2020
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!
 
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Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!
Welcome and all best wishes with your planning.Check out the medical section of this forum and you should find all the information you will need.Buen Camino.
 
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Welcome Audrey, as you are from Australia I would recommend that you buy some Silic 15 cream, my brother brought me some from there when we walked in 2012 and it works, nary a blister. Rub a little into your feet first thing in the morning before you sock up, in the areas where blisters are likely to occur, heels toes etc, give it a minute to dry in and the sock up. We also used the double sock method, light innner socks or pop socks and your regular sock outside, this also helps to reduce friction and prevent blisters.
Happy planning and Buen Camino.
 

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Was given a tip before I started my first camino from a fellow pilgrim & pharmacist here in france and having done 3 caminos now with only a hot spot ( not blister) once it certainly works. Double socks and smere your feet with Vicks Vaporub before you start each morning.

Apparently Vaseline is as good but you dont get the lovely smell!!

Buen camino
 
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Welcome Audrey, as you are from Australia I would recommend that you buy some Silic 15 cream, my brother brought me some from there when we walked in 2012 and it works, nary a blister. Rub a little into your feet first thing in the morning before you sock up, in the areas where blisters are likely to occur, heels toes etc, give it a minute to dry in and the sock up. We also used the double sock method, light innner socks or pop socks and your regular sock outside, this also helps to reduce friction and prevent blisters.
Happy planning and Buen Camino.
I’m actually already in France, do you know of a French/European equivalent?
 
I’m actually already in France, do you know of a French/European equivalent?
If you can find a Booths pharmacy, they stock "Gloves in a bottle" its pretty much the same product. Failing that my next product is Vicks believe it or not, I find it much better than Vaseline and won't make a mess of your socks.
Hope this helps.
 
If you can find a Booths pharmacy, they stock "Gloves in a bottle" its pretty much the same product. Failing that my next product is Vicks believe it or not, I find it much better than Vaseline and won't make a mess of your socks.
Hope this helps.
That helps a lot thank you.
 
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Hola @Audrey McAllister I also welcome you to the forum. I am another of the "two sock" brigade. I walk with a thin liner sock (Injinii toe socks) and a thicker outer pair. Given that you are starting in March there is a greater likelyhood of rain so I would go with medium thick socks. Try to start every day with clean dry socks. (Thus I take three pairs)
My other tip when you stop for lunch or a 10.30/11.00 am coffee take your boots off and maybe even the outer socks. This lets your feet "breath" and the socks release some of that sweet. The moment you feel a "hot spot"; stop; take-off your boot(s) and socks and check out the hot spot.
From here on it depends upon your personal preference as to what you do next. For me its Kinesiology Tape (it comes in three colours at least - blue; black and red - its the tape you often see on the back of footballers(soccer) legs). My "camino daughter" put me onto it back in 2017, I taped a few hot spots on my heels (you can keep in on for two or three days) and it stopped any blister. Buen Camino!
 
Fit is everything.

I wear properly fit, breathable, sturdy trail runners (NOT waterproofed). I replace the liners with heat molded liners that are specifically molded to my foot. And I wear a pair of merino 1/4 ankle hiking socks from Darn Tough.

No liners. No boots. No smears. No waterproofing. No blisters.

That has held true for me---through days and days of hot, cold, and constant rain---for me, my sons, and a half dozen other people whom I've helped to prepare.
 
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!
Try those tight fitting calf socks. I got shin splints the first one. Tried these worked a treat. Make sure they fit tight for support. Compeed is everywhere in Europe. Much better range.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I'm a "taper" i put a strip of Omnifix tape on the balls of my feet every morning, because that's the area where I get hotspots. Omnifix and the similar Hypafix are thin stretchy tapes that conform easily to the contours of your feet. It stays on well but removes easily without leaving a sticky residue. Most farmacias in Spain carry one or the other.
 
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!


My wife, my 3 kids and I did a mini -camino last April. St. Jean to Pamplona. Took the train to Sarria and finished in Santiago de Compestela.

We all
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!

Family did a mini-Camino last April. St. Jean to Pamplona, train to Sarria, then finished in Santiago de Compestela.

We all used Wrightsocks, a double layer sock.

I used breathable trail shoes (Oboz). They all used waterproof trail shoes (Merrell and Oboz).

I was the only one without blisters for the 130 or so miles.

Coincidence?

Buen Camino!
 
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Hola @Audrey McAllister I also welcome you to the forum. I am another of the "two sock" brigade. I walk with a thin liner sock (Injinii toe socks) and a thicker outer pair. Given that you are starting in March there is a greater likelyhood of rain so I would go with medium thick socks. Try to start every day with clean dry socks. (Thus I take three pairs)
My other tip when you stop for lunch or a 10.30/11.00 am coffee take your boots off and maybe even the outer socks. This lets your feet "breath" and the socks release some of that sweet. The moment you feel a "hot spot"; stop; take-off your boot(s) and socks and check out the hot spot.
From here on it depends upon your personal preference as to what you do next. For me its Kinesiology Tape (it comes in three colours at least - blue; black and red - its the tape you often see on the back of footballers(soccer) legs). My "camino daughter" put me onto it back in 2017, I taped a few hot spots on my heels (you can keep in on for two or three days) and it stopped any blister. Buen Camino!
That’s all great advice thanks so much!! With the tape for hotspots do you just put a patch on like a bandaid or do you generally need to tape around the foot or ankle to prevent movement?
 
That’s all great advice thanks so much!! With the tape for hotspots do you just put a patch on like a bandaid or do you generally need to tape around the foot or ankle to prevent movement?
The Omnifix tape comes in a wide width. I cut it generously.
 
I tried a whole bunch of all the well known methods to prevent blisters. But after three long caminos (1.000 km at least) I have to say that I got some blisters every time. Not after the first days as you could expect; on my 2nd camino the first blister appeared on the heel after six weeks of walking.
I also tried out different means of blister treatments and finally I came to Compeed (or equivalents). In some cases, however, the blisters appear on places, where these pads can´t be fixed securely. They slip away by the movement of the foot.
But let´s be honest: Isn´t it part of the game to suffer a bit on a pilgrimage? ;)

¡Ultreia!
 
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That’s all great advice thanks so much!! With the tape for hotspots do you just put a patch on like a bandaid or do you generally need to tape around the foot or ankle to prevent movement?

Hola Audrey - as long as they are still "hot spots" I just taped over. If a blister (small or large) was evident then I put some "non-stick" padding over the blister and then put the tape over the pad. In this case I would usually change the pad and tape each day (after shower) I would also try to let it dry before putting the dressing on at night. Cheers
 
Hola Audrey - as long as they are still "hot spots" I just taped over. If a blister (small or large) was evident then I put some "non-stick" padding over the blister and then put the tape over the pad. In this case I would usually change the pad and tape each day (after shower) I would also try to let it dry before putting the dressing on at night. Cheers
For a small blister you can use corn cushions to cushion the area around the blister, perhaps enlarging the hole a bit.
For larger blisters you can make a "donut" out of moleskin or molefoam.

Screenshot_20200218-195830_Firefox.jpg
 
With the tape for hotspots do you just put a patch on like a bandaid or do you generally need to tape around the foot or ankle to prevent movement?
It depends on how much area you think you need to protect, and how well the tape sticks to your feet in that position. Generally I find it sticks quite well, so I apply enough to cover the possible blister area and a little extra, perhaps to wrap around the curve of the foot or toe. I certainly don't need to bind the whole foot.
 
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...
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
...
It is not only the blister kit, but...

* well fitting-shoes:

* pack light!

* blister prevention
(interesting website, not only this single page)

* walk at your pace!
walk "your" distance, not more!
start your camino slowly!

* (maybe) poles

---
* the answer to your question:
Advanced Blister Kit (with ENGO Blister Prevention Patches)
... but I do not think that you need to carry all of these things. There are pharmacies where you can buy most of it.
 
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Having the right shoes in my case Altra Lone Peak 4 waterproof, and double socks like Wrightsocks. Treating a blister as soon as it happens with moleskin and second skin liquid bandaid.
 
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!
Bring a tube of Vaseline. Put some between your toes and under your feet, heels, daily. Yes it gets your socks greasy but it will save your feet. Trust me!
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!
Compeed blister cushions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!

Hi Audrey,

Everyone here has their own story and advice and I’m no exception! I walked it twice. The first time I followed standard advice: I had hiking shoes that fit me well that I wore for many hikes in the months before the Camino. I wore two pr of socks: an under liner and an outer. Well, I ended up with blisters all over both feet and eventually threw the shoes away at about the halfway point. When I got home I saw a podiatrist that was very helpful. He suggested that I get a pedicure each month prior to walking it again and that I wear one thin pr of sox and hiking sandals. He suggested that each morning I put tape ( I used Ace athletic tape) on all the places where I had blisters previously. The second time I walked the Camino I followed his advice regarding pedicures, daily tape, single socks, and Keen hiking sandals and I did not get a single blister or hot spot on the entire CF and the 200 km I walked afterwards on the CN.
 
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Hi Audrey,

Everyone here has their own story and advice and I’m no exception! I walked it twice. The first time I followed standard advice: I had hiking shoes that fit me well that I wore for many hikes in the months before the Camino. I wore two pr of socks: an under liner and an outer. Well, I ended up with blisters all over both feet and eventually threw the shoes away at about the halfway point. When I got home I saw a podiatrist that was very helpful. He suggested that I get a pedicure each month prior to walking it again and that I wear one thin pr of sox and hiking sandals. He suggested that each morning I put tape ( I used Ace athletic tape) on all the places where I had blisters previously. The second time I walked the Camino I followed his advice regarding pedicures, daily tape, single socks, and Keen hiking sandals and I did not get a single blister or hot spot on the entire CF and the 200 km I walked afterwards on the CN.
I've always been told never to get a pedicure within the 2 weeks prior to starting so I wonder if you mean your final pedicure before heading out was a month before.
 
I've always been told never to get a pedicure within the 2 weeks prior to starting so I wonder if you mean your final pedicure before heading out was a month before.
I always get a pedicure just before I start my Camino.
 
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I always get a pedicure just before I start my Camino.
I'm glad that works for you, Trecile. It takes too much off the callouses I built up training and makes me prone to splits in the skin. Maybe the pedicurists where I live are too aggressive! :eek:
I did use something called Green Goop (or a name similar) that really worked surprisingly well at keeping my feet in good condition.
 
Hi everyone,
I am about to do my first Camino Frances in March, it will be my first long distance hike and I would be grateful for anyone’s advise on blister kits (what to take) and any tips to prevent or help with muscle pain/fatigue along the way.
I am reasonably fit but have never hiked for longer than 3 days so want to be prepared.
Thanks!!

There are many many tips and approaches.
You'll need to see which one makes sense and works for You!

Here's my approach.
Three Caminos, (2,000 kms or so) no blisters...........

As for aches and pains.
Stretch
Then stretch
Then maybe stretch a bit more.
Morning, noon, night.........in fact every time you stop.
I also carry a light foam roller.
Easy to carry.



Great to work on hips, back and shins! (i get shin splints)
 
I think a big component of blister prevention that is often overlooked is to listen to your body. When you push beyond the point of fatigue or pain, your gait changes- spots that don’t normally rub have more friction. You put strain on muscles and ligaments that don’t normally have that level of use. Your body isn’t able to repair itself as easily. Set shorter distances in the beginning. If your body tells you to stop, stop. Rather than having a distance goal that requires you to walk to your limit or beyond limits on a daily basis, allow yourself more time than you think you will need so you can have some short days and/or rest days.

And... foot glide+ iniji toe socks+ mid weight merino wool+ hoka trail shoes a half size bigger than I normally wear
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

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Good luck on your Camino,
My experience comes from 5 Camino's and 3 Coast to Coast walks in the UK. (and 66 years of walking)..

This year I am walking the Primitivo with my son. After a blister prevention conversation a couple of months ago, I sent him this note, which I happily share with you.

- (Whatever you chose to do, I hope it works for you and wish you good fortune.)

FEET

What works for me in avoiding blisters.

1. Darn tough socks, a size smaller than your feet.
They don't crease or move/rub; they are merino and guaranteed for life. On a tough day, maybe change your socks in the middle of the day (I took 3 pairs).
Wash your socks every night.

2. Glide body anti chafe cream. In the morning, I cover every part of my feet, top and bottom and all around the toes, it is like a wax stick. One 42g stick will see you through about 12 days.

Vaseline. Every night, last thing, I cover my feet with vaseline (it dries very quickly). One small vaseline pot will see you through.

3. Boots, I use HOKA boots, they are light, incredibly comfortable, well padded underneath and you can tie them in such a way that your feet don't move in them, really important going down hill.

4. Never shower in the morning as it makes your feet softer and more susceptible to blister.

The very first moment that you have an inkling that you have even the smallest sense of an issue with your feet. STOP and deal with it.

It doesn't matter if you have been walking for 2 minutes or you are only 2 minutes from the end of your day. STOP and deal with it.



Paul
 
In Germany a lot of hikers like and recommend cream with deer horn sebum. In German this is called Hirschhorntalg or Hirschtalg. An example of varios products can be found here:

https://www.amazon.de/s?k=hirschhor...vqmt=p&tag=hyddemsn-21&ref=pd_sl_1pkxmyqbnb_p

Scholl is a famous brand of foot care products, maybe you can try some. I used it on my last camino and it is already part of my must gear for the next. The only downside of this cream is, that it makes the foot quite slippery, although when it is dry. So you should not walk barefoot after you have applied it.
 
I've always been told never to get a pedicure within the 2 weeks prior to starting so I wonder if you mean your final pedicure before heading out was a month before.

The final pedicure was the day before my flight which was about 3 days prior to Day One out of SKPP
I'm glad that works for you, Trecile. It takes too much off the callouses I built up training and makes me prone to splits in the skin. Maybe the pedicurists where I live are too aggressive! :eek:
I did use something called Green Goop (or a name similar) that really worked surprisingly well at keeping my feet in good condition.

My understanding is that the callouses block the natural lubrication that the skin produces and it’s the callouses that split, crack, cause pain, and bleed not the “naked” skin.

Another thing I learned is that as we age, our feet produce less and less natural lubrication of the skin thus creating a ton of problems and the necessity for all these great products that we oldtimers love and swear by.
 
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No matter what I do, I always seem to get a few blisters. I've tried pretty much everything: one sock, two socks, different shoes, different brands of shoes, compeed, no compeed, taping, no taping, etc. No matter what, I can't stop blisters. Camino hike. Scotland hike. Canada hike. I seem to be able to slow them down, but they seem inevitable, which is unfortunate because it really does impact my enjoyment.

On my first CF, I started getting my first blisters walking into Zubiri on day two. By the time I hit Burgos I had people trying to convince me to go to the hospital they were so bad. I took two rest days then kept going. I think some of us are just prone to get them, unfortunately. That said, I do have some advice for people based on fighting blisters on multiple long distance walks..

1) Make sure your shoe fits. This is harder than it seems since over the course of a multi-day hike your feet will swell. So shoes that fit perfect on day 1 may not fit perfectly after a week (when I arrived in Santiago and picked up my suitcase I had shipped there, I couldn't fit into my regular shoes for about a week since my feet were so swollen). So I always end up getting my long distance hiking shoes a half size larger. For the first few days I can just double up on socks to get a better fit.

2) Learn how to tie your laces to lock your foot in place. You can't completely eliminate the friction inside a shoe, but good tying techniques will minimize it. Probably the worse location to get a blister IMO is the back of the foot, and that usually happens when the laces loosen. So the moment you feel some play in your shoes, stop and re-tie them.

3) When I first started getting blisters on the CF, a pharmacy gave me compeed. I thought this was the best invention ever as I just put them on all my blisters. But some of them ended up getting bigger underneath the compeed, since now the liquid had nowhere to go. It's very difficult to remove compeed as well, and often it will de-roof the blister in the process, which can be painful. It also complete trashes your socks. Because of all of this, I don't use or recommend it anymore.

4) There are always arguments for or against de-roofing (removing the skin from) blisters. I'm in the pro-removing camp, especially if I'm taking a rest day. I've had really bad blisters that bothered me for days that I decided to deroof manually. Once I did, and they dried out in a few hours, a scab formed quickly which was much preferable to having a liquid filled blister to step on for days. That said, if you do de-roof a blister, make sure you use sanitary practices and cover it with something sterile after.

5) Change your socks a few times a day. This is probably the best piece of advice I have. If forced to remove extra items from my bag, my socks would be the absolute last item I removed. I typically have 4-6 pairs now. They don't take up a lot of weight, and it lets me change them as much as I want. Plus, on nice days, you can simply pin them to the back of your pack and let them dry out. I would change them usually when I stopped for lunch (or second breakfast) and then keep going. But I think damp socks, which inevitable happens over the course of the day as your feet sweat (especially if like me you are carrying a bit of extra weight), are a huge contribution to blisters.

6) I always carry a few safety pins for 'popping' blisters since usually where I get them they become painful to walk on. Near the end of the CF I was literally popping one ever coffee stop just to keep going. Not much fun.

7) Pain management. I always carry some ibuprofen, and if that doesn't do the trick, chugging one back with a wine or a beer at a cafe often helps!

8) One sock vs two - some people claim one is better than the other, but I've tried both and they are both roughly the same to me. The idea behind two that instead of the friction happening between the shoe and your foot, the friction moves between the sock and the sock. But the thing is, I don't think you can control which part of your foot or sock gives under pressure, so I'm not sure how accurate that is myself. And one of the dangers with two socks is that your feet just become warmer and sweat more. While I'm on the fence about this, I find it easier just to have one sock that fits well these days. Easier to change as well at the half-way mark.

Here is a photo of one of my worse blisters from the CF, and the one I stopped in Burgos to take care of. It actually started as just a small one on the pad of my foot, which I quickly put compeed on. But as I kept walking on it, the liquid underneath the blister and the compeed just got pressed into the surrounding skin, and it just got progressively bigger each day. But the time I took the compeed off, it has swollen to this size, at which point I took time off and de-roofed it. This photo was the next day after de-roofing, and it mostly scabbed over.

So anyways, those are some of my tips. Like I said, I've never been able to remove them all on any long distance trek I've done, but each one seems to get a bit better. I've never spent a lot of time pre-taping my feet, so if anyone has done that and it's helped, please let me know (one of my worries was always that the tape itself would cause friction, defeating the point).

It took several months for all my blisters to heal after the CF, but the upside was my feet were super soft for about a year after the CF!
 

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He suggested that each morning I put tape ( I used Ace athletic tape) on all the places where I had blisters previously. The second time I walked the Camino I followed his advice regarding pedicures, daily tape, single socks, and Keen hiking sandals and I did not get a single blister or hot spot on the entire CF and the 200 km I walked afterwards on the CN

That's encouraging! I have hope that one day I'll be able to walk a camino and not have a blister. I can't even imagine how enjoyable that would be instead of my usually multi-week shuffle!
 
Admittedly i have walked only one CF so far, but i did this without a single blister. After a 40km walk through the 32°C Meseta i had a little "hot spot". Oh, and i have not had a blister since. (thats another ~1500km of dayhiking)
I think i have told this in another thread, but prior to my camino i changed my complete footwear. Additionally i "prepared" my feet.

  • 2 weeks before starting, at least every evening, i put deer tallow cream on feet. This may be hard to find outside the germanic countries. There may be similar products, but i have no experience with them. Not a medical expert, but its supposed to "smoothen" the skin after "a while" which reduces friction which is the/a cause for blisters. On trail i continued to use it in the evenings until i ran out and replaced it with some spanish foot balm which did not feel "as good".
  • Double layer socks, mine are from wrightsocks. Also supposed to reduce friciton
  • Well fitting shoes. Light. Breathable. No Gore Tex. Sweaty feet seem to be prone to blisters. Worst feet i seen where from people hiking the meseta in "mountaineering" boots. Occasional rain is not an issue for me, feet get wet, feet get dry. I did not have sustained heavy rain, that might be a different issue.
Additionally i hike regularly and rather light. There might be some training effect and less force applied per surface area might be helpful aswell. But then, it is also possible that this doesnt make to much difference.
 
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To follow up on Koilife’s contribution I agree. I’ve walked two Caminos. The first one I did everything “right”—properly fitting hiking shoes broken in, 2 pr of socks. I was so blistered by day 5 I was ready to quit. I made an appointment with a podiatrist after I returned home. He said my problem with 2 pr of sox is that it gets too hot and sweaty in there and there is no evaporation and this is what causes blistering. Also my toenails were hitting the front of the shoe with each step causing injury to my toes. He told me to chuck the shoes and socks. He suggested: hiking sandals, daily application of athletic tape in the places I get blisters, and a light application of vaseline. And a light pair of Merino wool socks. He also showed me how to give myself a pedicure and emphasized doing this each week for 3 months before the Camino: sanding down all callouses, trimming nails and sanding them as far as they can go and daily application of one’s choice of body, hand, or foot creme. I use coconut oil. This did the trick for me!! No more blisters. You want your skin to be soft and supple. Most feet are dry, calloused, and the nails are gnarly. I walked the CF pain free and at the end walked 100 km of the CN. I’ve continued the same ritual on my feet post-Camino. A side benefit is that my feet look and feel a lot better than they ever have!
 
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To follow up on Koilife’s contribution I agree. I’ve walked two Caminos. The first one I did everything “right”—properly fitting hiking shoes broken in, 2 pr of socks. I was so blistered by day 5 I was ready to quit. I made an appointment with a podiatrist after I returned home. He told me to chuck the shoes and socks. He suggested: hiking sandals, a light pair of Merino socks, daily application of athletic tape in the places I get blisters, and a light application of vaseline. He also showed me how to give myself a pedicure and emphasized doing this each week for 3 months before hiking: sanding down all callouses, trimming nails and sanding them as far as they can go and daily application of one’s choice of body, hand, or foot creme. This did the trick for me!! No more blisters. I walked the CF pain free and at the end walked 100 km of the CN. I’ve continued the same ritual on my feet post-Camino. A side benefit is that my feet look a lot better than they ever have!
How do you use the vaseline? I've always hesitated to go that route since it looks so gross! I saw a few people in the arbergues basically covering their whole feet with it and shoving them into their shoes. I was sort of hoping I could avoid that mess if possible.
 
I thought the same. Just put a little in your hand and work it around like it was skin lotion and then apply to your feet. You’ll get the hang of it. You’re not using it for foot lubrication as much as skin conditioning. Do this after you put the tape on!
 
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