• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

First Blister

jo webber

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Sept 9th 2017
Walked 10 miles with my fully loaded pack of 12 lbs. Got a hot spot on both feet between the pads just under the toes. This had happened on one foot before and tapping worked very well. I tapped both feet and the right foot was happy (this has always been the foot with the hot spot). The left foot developed a small blister on the second 10 mile day. Two days in a row of 10 miles.

I wore knee high hose as liners and socks until it got hot, then changed to pedi socks with no liner. The temps here go from 50F to 80F during my walks.

I can: drink more water / tighten the front of the shoe to lessen the possibility of foot slide / wear liners 100% of the time / take longer breaks during the walks (this is tricky as there is just no place to stop for more than 30 minutes) ?????

Any ideas, suggestions are most welcome.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Don't know what would work for you, but for me it was wearing thin, synthetic running socks...no liners or anything like that. Only blisters I ever got on the Camino was on my pinky toes, outer part where they rubbed on my shoes going downhill. They turned into callouses in a couple of weeks and became no issue.
I don't like my feet to get sweaty....I believe that moisture leads to blisters.
 
I guess now you have identified where the little blighters will come from, just make sure you tape them every day,,let the sock rub on the tape. That's what I've been doing and not had a blister since, there's a lot of fancy tape out there that will do the trick, myself I just use Gaffa tape, not for everyone but it works for me.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I guess now you have identified where the little blighters will come from, just make sure you tape them every day,,let the sock rub on the tape. That's what I've been doing and not had a blister since, there's a lot of fancy tape out there that will do the trick, myself I just use Gaffa tape, not for everyone but it works for me.
What is Gaffa tape? Paper, cloth, duct tape?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I have a couple of questions:
1. What is the terrain? Hills or flat? Dirt or pavement?
2. What kind of shoes are you wearing?

I have a theory on blisters. There are people who never get them and then, there are the rest of us who seem to get them, no matter what we do. The fact that you got them after two long days does not bode well for the camino. I mistakenly thought that blisters I got prior to the camino would heal, toughening the skin in that area and prevent future blisters. Dumb, I know. Here's what I have found that works for me. I only seem to get toe blisters. I cannot wear waterproof boots. Too much sweat with nowhere to go. (Although some people remedy this with sticking thin panty liners in the soles.) Also, I scrunch up my toes when I walk, especially downhill. At first, I thought the blisters were due to my toes hitting the ends of my boots, but my boots were 1 size larger and the blisters were on the pads, not tips. I bought some hammer toe gel pads which keep my toes flat. I also toughen the skin prior to leaving with NOK, but I've heard you can also do this with tea or lemons. Lastly, I wear toe socks, then my gel pads, then my outer socks (I like compression socks). The toe socks keep my toes from rubbing - but I still got blisters prior to adding the gel pads.

The first time I walked the Frances, I put a compeed on my baby toe blister. It twisted while I was walking and ripped off the entire nail and some surrounding skin. I went to the closest sporting goods store, found a pair of sandals that didn't touch my toe and I was able to finish my camino. This year, I will be walking in Chaco sandals - I love their thick vibram sole. I will still be wearing the socks and gel pads.
 
Last edited:
I think perhaps it should be gaffer's tape.
I think the gaffer's tape would work. I'll give it a try.
So much better to try things at home than on the Camino.

I just ordered some very good compression socks and will try them out. Stopping the friction is probably the most important thing.
 
I think the gaffer's tape would work. I'll give it a try.
So much better to try things at home than on the Camino.

I just ordered some very good compression socks and will try them out. Stopping the friction is probably the most important thing.
I used WrightSocks double layer socks. You can buy them at REI, Amazon or direct from their website.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
1. What is the terrain? Hills or flat? Dirt or pavement?
2. What kind of shoes are you wearing
The terrain is flat, city sidewalks or pavement. A bit of dirt for 1/2 mile at the beginning. So, very hard surfaces.

I have Eco Yucatan sandals. My feet are very happy with the sandals. I am thinking of tightening the strap across the front of the foot, the foot may be sliding a bit or I may be scrunching my foot. Not sure. I wear sandals all the time as I live in the desert.
 
Be careful of gaffer tape, it's not intended for use on skin and the glue could cause an allergy. I use 3M Micropore tape. It's a very soft paper surgical tape, you can build up several layers if you want. It is non allergenic and lets the skin breathe through it. A lot of pharmacies sell generic / own brand versions of it, which do at a pinch, but the 3M branded stuff is softer and more conforming, and worth the few pennies extra.
 
I used WrightSocks double layer socks. You can buy them at REI, Amazon or direct from their website.
uhh, don't believe their ad that says no blisters, guaranteed. I got blisters last year
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Walked 10 miles with my fully loaded pack of 12 lbs. Got a hot spot on both feet between the pads just under the toes. This had happened on one foot before and tapping worked very well. I tapped both feet and the right foot was happy (this has always been the foot with the hot spot). The left foot developed a small blister on the second 10 mile day. Two days in a row of 10 miles.

I wore knee high hose as liners and socks until it got hot, then changed to pedi socks with no liner......

Why are you using pantyhose as liners? I would think pantyhose do not wick (poor, sweaty moisture management), are rather rough, and are so thin as to not be particularly protective against friction. That's the first thing I'd change. No liners or proper liners.


Be careful of gaffer tape, it's not intended for use on skin and the glue could cause an allergy. I use 3M Micropore tape. It's a very soft paper surgical tape, you can build up several layers if you want. It is non allergenic and lets the skin breathe through it. A lot of pharmacies sell generic / own brand versions of it, which do at a pinch, but the 3M branded stuff is softer and more conforming, and worth the few pennies extra.

Another really good one is Hartmann Omnifix tape. I find it sticks better/longer than paper tape, and is super breathable and soft. I especially like that it has a backing, so I can easily cut, trim, and round edges before peeling off the backing. I use it straight on the skin as a preventative measure in a known trouble spot, and over a bit of lamb's wool if I feel a hotspot coming on.

I'm pretty sure it's a Spanish company (I buy it on Amazon), so I'm hoping it will be readily available in Spanish pharmacies.
 
Nylons work very well for liners for us, and are definitely not rough. There's a reason some people call them silk stockings...
 
Not tried them, but you may want to have a look at those 'toe-tubes'. Like singular socks for each toe.
Have seen them in High Street Chemists. I do get problems with digits when a lot of up and downhill is required.
Davie
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

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,-
I'm in the camp of folks that will always get a blister... no matter what I do :(

But, I've learned how to try and prevent them and also if I do get one, I've learned how to deal with them asap and minimise the problem.

Everyone has a shoe/sock/cream/no-cream combination and I've come to the comclusion that there is no 'one' answer... but lots and lots of good ideas... and I did find this website useful and I do believe that knowledge is power... as far as the blisters are concerned!

Good luck!

https://www.blisterprevention.com.au/
 
uhh, don't believe their ad that says no blisters, guaranteed. I got blisters last year
I got 2 blisters on the heels and the only thing different from previous training walks were the double layer socks. Never again! Back to liner sock + merino wool sock (lightweight).
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I think it has a lot to do with the shoes you wear.

The most common problem I used to get was losing a toe nail from it hitting the front of the boot (not that I ever noticed till it was too late).

Now I don't wear gortex shoes as I like my feet to breath.
I buy shoes the fit the heel well (supportive but doesn't lift), my foot can't slip forward but have a large toe box so I can wiggle all my toes. I wear a single pair of moisture wicking merino socks. I stop at the first sign of a problem with my feet.

I've walked for 5 days straight in NZ through rivers that require full foot immersion so my boots and socks were wet all day and I didn't get blisters.

But I think it is an individual thing and you have to find the combo that works for you. Keep trying because there is a solution that will work for you.
 
I have done quite a bit of distance walking, and have yet to solve the blister problem. The only time I got no blisters was wearing Hoka running shoes. For me, a running shoe is not appropriate for all terrain, so I wear Hoka boots ... I take off and dry socks a couple times a day. When I get a hot spot, I put a compeed over it. I still may develop a blister, but the competed protects the skin from being rubbed until the blister has healed. The thing to avoid is a blister that is too big to be covered by the compeed. You don't want to remove compeed from a blister until it is healed or the new skin will also come off. I haven't had great success with liner socks, but will try them again, along with physio tape on hot spots, to see if that works better.

Some people don't realize that before applying compeed, you need to rub it between your hands and warm it up. I find it holds for over a week that way.

I also plan to try lamb's wool between my toes this time.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I have done quite a bit of distance walking, and have yet to solve the blister problem. The only time I got no blisters was wearing Hoka running shoes. For me, a running shoe is not appropriate for all terrain, so I wear Hoka boots ... I take off and dry socks a couple times a day. When I get a hot spot, I put a compeed over it. I still may develop a blister, but the competed protects the skin from being rubbed until the blister has healed. The thing to avoid is a blister that is too big to be covered by the compeed. You don't want to remove compeed from a blister until it is healed or the new skin will also come off. I haven't had great success with liner socks, but will try them again, along with physio tape on hot spots, to see if that works better.

Some people don't realize that before applying compeed, you need to rub it between your hands and warm it up. I find it holds for over a week that way.

I also plan to try lamb's wool between my toes this time.
Have you tried Hoka trail runners?
 
Walked 10 miles with my fully loaded pack of 12 lbs. Got a hot spot on both feet between the pads just under the toes. This had happened on one foot before and tapping worked very well. I tapped both feet and the right foot was happy (this has always been the foot with the hot spot). The left foot developed a small blister on the second 10 mile day. Two days in a row of 10 miles.

I wore knee high hose as liners and socks until it got hot, then changed to pedi socks with no liner. The temps here go from 50F to 80F during my walks.

I can: drink more water / tighten the front of the shoe to lessen the possibility of foot slide / wear liners 100% of the time / take longer breaks during the walks (this is tricky as there is just no place to stop for more than 30 minutes) ?????

Any ideas, suggestions are most welcome.
I swear by Vaseline, which you can get almost anywhere and it comes in a handy tube. Just slather it all over your feet including between the toes, then put on one pair of socks. A way to make your feet very happy is to change to clean socks half-way through the day, at which time you can slather on more Vaseline.
 
Be careful of gaffer tape, it's not intended for use on skin and the glue could cause an allergy. I use 3M Micropore tape. It's a very soft paper surgical tape, you can build up several layers if you want. It is non allergenic and lets the skin breathe through it. A lot of pharmacies sell generic / own brand versions of it, which do at a pinch, but the 3M branded stuff is softer and more conforming, and worth the few pennies extra.

I have just walked the Great Ocean Walk in Victoria Australia. Tried and tested before the walk was the use of paper tape. Similiar to the Micropore but most pharmacies have a generic type. Perfect. 110kms over a 5 days and NO blisters. Managed the feet at night with Tea Tree Antiseptic Cream. Worked brilliantly.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Walked 10 miles with my fully loaded pack of 12 lbs. Got a hot spot on both feet between the pads just under the toes. This had happened on one foot before and tapping worked very well. I tapped both feet and the right foot was happy (this has always been the foot with the hot spot). The left foot developed a small blister on the second 10 mile day. Two days in a row of 10 miles.

I wore knee high hose as liners and socks until it got hot, then changed to pedi socks with no liner. The temps here go from 50F to 80F during my walks.

I can: drink more water / tighten the front of the shoe to lessen the possibility of foot slide / wear liners 100% of the time / take longer breaks during the walks (this is tricky as there is just no place to stop for more than 30 minutes) ?????

Any ideas, suggestions are most welcome.
I think pure nylon stocking encourage moisture and blisters, I only ever wear one pair of socks, either wool or a "hiking outdoor sock "
 
Blisters are oddly enough often more about shear that build up in the tissues of the dura and below and then the rubbing between your skin and the shoe. And new shoes or changed activity level can increase both.

This thread points to a guide for the steps to reduce the shear.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-prevention-methods-a-podiatrist-guide.31980/

If you read the research paper link you will, as I recall, see that there were controls in place to isolate effect amongst different studies, which gives great insight into the primary causes. A good scientific read, but the summary of the recommendations are key, they should provide all the information you need to mount and effective response to control the issue.

I myself find that Merino wool socks with a liner, good fitting shoes, fairly tightly laced and compeed plasters for the areas where I cannot control the shear (when a blister forms) due to the shoes design are most effective.

Also personally due to the bone structure of one of my heels and the odd shape it has compared to single shaped shoes, I will always develop a blister on the,inside of my right heel, no matter what I do. So that just needs to go through the process of toughening up. Two compeeds later and it is fine.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
I am on day 5 but I had to stop a day in Viana because I have so many blisters. One is bloody, one is a blister on top of a blister. I got them thru using Liners & Smartwool or Wrightsock double layer. I tried different feet lubes (German, Body Glide, Vasoline), tried duck tape, it rolled up and gave me a blister. Put Compeed on foot pads which I got a blister under and around edges. My feet do not seem to sweat, but get extremely hot after the first couple hours - like they are on fire. I take off shoes and cool off my feet, socks are not wet, but HOT! My feet feel like like they are rug burned all over. I have good Merrel hiking shoes (broke in for 2 weeks prior) low top, orthodics for high arches, 1/2 size too large. I switch to Teva sandals in afternoon to cool off my feet. I am walking a slower pace, 2.5 mph or so, slower after 7 or 8 miles. Drinking tons of water and sleeping great.

I do know what else to do. Maybe different shoes? No lube? No Compeed? No double socks? Go native? Gueez...
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

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,-
Oh Patrice, I feel for you. I'm curious, did you go through the exact method, using what you listed while you were training before your walk??
It may not be a bad idea to visit a medical clinic. The last thing you want is an infection. I observed a couple of pilgrims with infected blisters....Not a pretty sight. I do hope you find some relief soon.
 
Yes, I started 5 months prior, walking with different boots and shoes (decided on the Merril hikers), trying socks and foot creams. Started with 45 min walks each day, worked my way up to 8 - 10 mile hikes (hilly & flat ground) 3-4 times per week at 3mph. No blisters, but it was cold weather while I was training. But my first day was 15 miles, ok, some hot spots so I applied compeed. Next day it was 14 miles, hot and my feet started burning and so I patched them up, took off shoes and socks often, rested, walked slower, etc...next day brutal, 13 miles..so hot and my blisters exploded. I think its just friction, like two sticks rubbing together makes fire. Gonna try no foot creams, maybe it creates heat?
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I have been training everyday . Hills and over 10 km . I wear only one pair of socks . And have been hiking for many years and only wear one pair. Maybe get rid of the liner pair .
 
After reading and thinking about the blisters: I think it is the heat.
When I started training it was winter (50F to 65F) and the bottoms of my feet got hot, but no hot spots or blisters.
In the early spring (60F to 70F) the one hot spot started. Taped the bottom of the foot and all was fine.
Current late spring (65F to 80F) and blisters.

I wear sandals. So very light weight "cool max" type socks, or no socks, or take off sandals and socks very often to let the feet cool as much as possible. I did wonder why I saw photos of people soaking their feet in streams, pails or other water holding items. :)

Anyone else have the issue of the bottoms of feet getting hot and if so, what did you do?
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Update on my blister and hot feet issue. I got new shoes; one size larger, not waterproof, lighter weight runner type, versus my waterproof off road Merrills. I skipped the foot lube, left out the linner sock and wore a thinner runners type sock. Today I walked 11 miles, feet were cooler, no new blisters.
 
Go
Update on my blister and hot feet issue. I got new shoes; one size larger, not waterproof, lighter weight runner type, versus my waterproof off road Merrills. I skipped the foot lube, left out the linner sock and wore a thinner runners type sock. Today I walked 11 miles, feet were cooler, no new blisters.
good news. :)
I just got very light weight coolmax socks. Will try them out on my next walk.
 
I am one of those people who gets blisters no matter what. Every time I buy a new pair of shoes I get blisters. The insight that really helped me, as Copado said above, is that blisters are often caused by shearing between different layers of skin, not by rubbing between the foot and shoe.

For me, the solution was simple: Leukotape. I tape all blister prone areas (e.g., outer side of foot, inner ball, side of big toe, heel) before starting out for the day. This prevents the shearing motion. I also change to a dry pair of socks midway through my walk each day.

Before starting to do this last summer, I developed ~14 blisters on my feet within 2 days, each about 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter. (And yes, I did "train" before starting, which meant that some of my camino blisters were beneath previous training blisters.) Walking from Burgos to Santiago, I went through almost an entire roll of Leukotape; however, I did not get another blister after beginning to tape. Of course, there were a few miserable days while I waited for the blisters to become less painful. Draining existing blisters before taping helped reduce additional shearing and made those few days more bearable.

I do highly recommend reading:

https://www.blisterprevention.com.au/

I also really liked my 1000 mile, double-layer socks, which come with a no blister guarantee. Of course, I got blisters the first time I wore them (on a training walk), but the padding is nice, and they wick sweat.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
How do you put it on? Wrap the entire foot? Put a small piece over the area that blisters? I can get some, but have no idea how to use it. Thanks.

The goal is to cover the area of irritation + a border region with tape. For example, I would put one 7" x 1.5" (18 cm x 3.8 cm) piece of tape lengthwise along the outside of my foot (i.e., running from small toe to heel). For the inside of my foot, I would take two ~3" (7.5 cm) pieces of tape and run them from the top of my foot around the inner side to the ball of my foot. I would put a shorter piece of tape over the toenail on my biggest toe around to the bottom of that toe. I would then put a couple of pieces on the problem areas around my heel. Fortunately, my small toes never blister, so I just ignored them.

The tape forces all of the taped skin to move as one unit. As a result, the skin is not subjected to large shear forces. Instead, the entire taped region moves as one unit.

Once I put the tape on, I didn't really notice it. As a result, my approach was to tape anything that I thought might cause problems.
 
For me, an essential is to visit a podiatrist and get them to check how you walk. Bring a couple of pairs of shoes that you often walk in so they can check the wear patterns and have a gait analysis done. I learned exactly which areas were the pressure areas on my feet so I always made sure I taped there. Because of my weird gait I will never be able to avoid blisters completely but I can keep them tiny. And I learned that I need a shoe with less midfoot flexibility as well so hiking shoes will always be better than trail runners for me, and if I am trail running I won't be using a bendy shoe.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
2 days into the Camino I got blisters again, on the lateral sides of the heel and on my little toes. Had to take a day off and am feeling disappointed.
 
Yes but going back to vasoline I think it works better.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-

Most read last week in this forum

Hola, I was really hoping to walk the Camino again this coming summer but despite all my hopes and planning I am in need of a hip replacement instead, yea! I walked the Frances in 2017 and have...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top