Photograph by KERI OBERLY, AURORA
Written by: Andrew Skurka
Our mistake was placing too much trust in textbooks. When we were still a few kilometers from the first campsite, Gerry told me he might have developed blisters on his feet. We should have dealt with it right then and there. We all knew foot health was crucial to his plan, but we decided to handle it later.
When we reached the campsite and I saw Gerry’s feet, I immediately regretted my earlier decision and felt I had let him down. He was an experienced endurance athlete, yet he relied on my knowledge to achieve his ambitious goal of hiking 360 kilometers of the John Muir Trail in seven days. Both of Gerry’s feet had small blisters, and I was very worried they would grow larger, increasing the pain and making our goal seem even more out of reach.
We tried every method from the textbooks to control the blisters. We used medical tape, cotton flannel, moleskin, analgesic ointment. Every time we stopped to rest, Gerry would let his feet breathe, and we kept his feet warm and dry every night. I even carried him across a river at one point to keep his shoes from getting wet. We tried many different pairs of socks and even cut holes in the insoles to reduce pressure on the blisters.
Photograph by MICHAEL D. WILSON, AURORA
Alas, what’s done is done, and nothing could be reversed unless we reached the end or quit immediately — only then could his feet recover. Gerry was extraordinarily tough and pushed through each high point, eventually reaching the finish line on time.
To avoid ending up like Gerry, you need to put some effort into foot care. Here's to happy feet and a happy journey.
Here are some basic techniques I’ve used for years:
Pre-Treatment
A stitch in time saves nine. Spending five to ten minutes upfront can save you hours of foot pain later. Before starting a hike, I wrap areas that tend to blister with medical tape. If I notice a “hot spot” developing during the hike, I immediately protect the irritated skin to prevent it from turning into a blister. I trim my toenails short to prevent blisters from forming underneath them, and I file them round to avoid sharp edges that could poke into neighboring toes or snag socks.
Clean, Dry, and Warm Socks
I wash the insides and outsides of my socks with soap every day to prevent grit and organic matter from rubbing against my skin. I take off my shoes and socks at least once a day to let my feet breathe and dry out. At night, I wear clean, dry, and warm socks to let my feet recover overnight and prepare for the next day’s ordeal.
Got a blister? Pop it and drain the fluid. Identify the cause: heat, friction, or moisture. Address those factors.
Moisture Control
When your feet stay wet for too long, the outer layer of skin absorbs water and softens. Softened skin becomes itchy, painful, prone to blisters, and may crack once dried.
However, in persistently wet conditions, I don’t know how to keep feet truly dry. I’ve tried every solution I can think of — waterproof shoes and socks, even rubber boots — but nothing works. So I focus on minimizing the impact of wet feet.
At night, when my feet are dry, I apply analgesic ointment to the soles. This ointment helps retain skin moisture and acts as a water barrier, reducing how much the feet soak up the next day. Applying it a few hours in advance to let the skin absorb it works best; applying it only when the feet get wet doesn’t help much.
Photograph by BLAKE GORDON, AURORA
I also wear thin socks and low-absorbency, non-waterproof shoes. Compared to thick socks, regular shoes, and “waterproof” footwear, they retain less water and dry much faster.
Try on new shoes and socks
Before embarking on a long-distance hike, I usually wear new shoes and socks on a low-risk hike first. Generally, I prefer sleeker shoes with good heel support, a roomy toe box, a firm insole, and sufficient footbed protection — but no “corrective” supports like orthotic insoles. Poor biomechanics or weak muscle systems might be alleviated somewhat with orthotics or arch supports. For blisters between the toes, toe socks can help.