How to not get blisters on feet when wearing sandals?
December 29, 2015 9:53 PM Subscribe
I keep getting blisters with sandals (every time) other than sneakers I guess its the socks and softer shoe. And I've tried different types of sandals. Have you ever dealt with this? I maybe have sensitive skin on my feet. Would like to hear from people who have dealt with this . Thanks!
I get this too. I hate it. Eventually I found some sandles that work for me. Crocs Huarache
Before I found these I had good luck with flip flops with a fabric middle part.
posted by bleep at 10:05 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Before I found these I had good luck with flip flops with a fabric middle part.
posted by bleep at 10:05 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also I agree with your theory about sensitive skin. I feel like my skin must be paper thin - the blisters show up anywhere they hit friction.
posted by bleep at 10:07 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 10:07 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ill try flip flops if I have to but I prefer not to as I find I can trip over with them- their a bit clumsy I find the bit in the middle irratating but I'll resort to that if I have too
posted by re at 10:11 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by re at 10:11 PM on December 29, 2015
Response by poster: I get the blisters at the back of my foot on my ankle and also on my toes
posted by re at 10:12 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by re at 10:12 PM on December 29, 2015
Best answer: It could be due to feet sweat. Maybe try fabric sandals and foot drying powder (baby powder, etc.) They also make sticks and lotions that you can rub on problem areas that are supposed to help prevent blisters. You may also be able to find some comfy low-rise canvas or similar shoes that you can pair with no-show socks.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:23 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by Crystalinne at 10:23 PM on December 29, 2015
My feet blister if I look at them wrong. Flip flops (non-leather) are my go to sandal to stay blister free. I like Teva brand as they have some arch support.
posted by cecic at 10:36 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by cecic at 10:36 PM on December 29, 2015
When was the last time you went to an actual shoe store and had someone measure your feet? I get a lot fewer blisters now that I'm wearing the right size shoes (turns out that I'm a half size smaller than I thought, but I need a wide size). Blisters in similar places from lots of different shoes suggests to me that the size may be part of the issue.
posted by decathecting at 10:39 PM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by decathecting at 10:39 PM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
There's this stuff called moleskin (not to be confused with the costly notebooks) that is perfect for preventing blisters or raw spots. It helps me during the breaking-in period of shoes. You can get padded or unpadded versions, and it's sold in drugstores by the foot care items.
posted by stowaway at 10:43 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by stowaway at 10:43 PM on December 29, 2015
Response by poster: Unfortunately its not the shoe size as ive worn different sizes like for today I bought one size bigger than my normal size.
posted by re at 10:44 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by re at 10:44 PM on December 29, 2015
Just because you've tried different sizes, that doesn't mean that the shoes you're wearing fit you properly. Just as one example, if you're getting blisters on your heels, it might be that your shoes are too big. That's part of the problem I was having (though most of the problem was the width). I seriously recommend getting measured at a real shoe store. It may be that I'm wrong, in which case you'll have wasted a half hour of your life. But it could help.
posted by decathecting at 10:46 PM on December 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by decathecting at 10:46 PM on December 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
I get blisters incredibly easily on my feet, and mostly I just resign myself to preemptively putting athletic tape on my feet in the places where straps will rub if I'm going to be doing a lot of walking. (Band-Aids would work too, but I like the tape because I can easily rip it to whatever size/shape I need.)
posted by anne_severson at 10:53 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by anne_severson at 10:53 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
2nd sensitive skin and poor fit. If a sandal or shoe doesn't fit near-perfectly and isn't made of soft leather*, I get blisters (at the top of the foot, back of the heel, any point of stress). Said soft leather and adjustable straps make a difference. Also, ensuring the placement of different elements makes sense on your feet (e.g. the toe strap isn't so thick and stiff that it cuts into your toes as you walk - basically that things aren't tight or create friction or pressure, especially where parts of your foot move.) Would avoid heavy heels or soles that ask the straps to do too much, or that make you feel like you have to grab the sandal with your toes (flip flops, mules). Basically, aim for as perfect a fit as possible.
I've done ok with a very specific pair of Tevas (and few other Tevas - few other sandals, period). If you've got finicky feet, you just have to try a million things on, every time you buy footwear.
*which will shape itself to your foot, a bit. Like maybe by 5%. It's not going to increase by half a size, unlike what some retailers want us to believe. But it's better than fabric or other materials.
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:54 PM on December 29, 2015
I've done ok with a very specific pair of Tevas (and few other Tevas - few other sandals, period). If you've got finicky feet, you just have to try a million things on, every time you buy footwear.
*which will shape itself to your foot, a bit. Like maybe by 5%. It's not going to increase by half a size, unlike what some retailers want us to believe. But it's better than fabric or other materials.
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:54 PM on December 29, 2015
Response by poster: I like the idea about athletic tape that way it doesnt matter what I wear and to try tevas.
posted by re at 11:04 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by re at 11:04 PM on December 29, 2015
My feet also blister if you look hard at them.
I have some success with being really picky with my sandals - I can't wear anything with an enclosed heel without socks, I can't have anything between my toes, I can't have anything that covers my little toe. The other thing I do is have at least 6 pairs of sandals and rotate them so that each set of blisters can heal before wearing the shoes again.
Tape doesn't work for me because my feet sweat and then it rolls up and I end up with worse blisters than you can imagine.
posted by kadia_a at 11:32 PM on December 29, 2015
I have some success with being really picky with my sandals - I can't wear anything with an enclosed heel without socks, I can't have anything between my toes, I can't have anything that covers my little toe. The other thing I do is have at least 6 pairs of sandals and rotate them so that each set of blisters can heal before wearing the shoes again.
Tape doesn't work for me because my feet sweat and then it rolls up and I end up with worse blisters than you can imagine.
posted by kadia_a at 11:32 PM on December 29, 2015
I just gotta say I been down the road of taping up my feet with different stuff, rubbing stuff on them, it was just an expensive, unsightly waste of time. My advice is its just better to spend your time and money on finding those shoes that your feet actually want.
posted by bleep at 11:34 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 11:34 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
And what my blister-prone feet want is expensive sandals so I start with Keens, Dansko, and especially Clarks, the Lexi model basically saved my feet.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:56 PM on December 29, 2015
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:56 PM on December 29, 2015
I have to wear sneakers a lot (I get ingrown nails otherwise)
Damn typos. Just to clarify, I meant to say that I have to wear sandals (or flip-flops) a lot. I wasn't bringing up sneakers out of nowhere.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:09 AM on December 30, 2015
Damn typos. Just to clarify, I meant to say that I have to wear sandals (or flip-flops) a lot. I wasn't bringing up sneakers out of nowhere.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:09 AM on December 30, 2015
In the meantime, before you get your new sandals. I highly recommend a blister stick. It prevents blisters for me and I have a longstanding problem with sandals. I don't know if I've ever had a pair that didn't cause problems. Flip flops are sometimes ok but I'd rather not walk too long in flip flops.
The only downside to the stick is that it can attract dirt, but that's going to happen anyway, it's just worse.
posted by Gor-ella at 6:21 AM on December 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
The only downside to the stick is that it can attract dirt, but that's going to happen anyway, it's just worse.
posted by Gor-ella at 6:21 AM on December 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't know if you can get these where you are, but Compeed is awesome for your problem and won't be noticeable when you wear sandals.
posted by Toddles at 7:02 AM on December 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Toddles at 7:02 AM on December 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
All footwear rubs against the feet, and can cause blisters in feet that are unaccustomed to that type of footwear. (This is true for everyone, although some people do have naturally more sensitive skin than others.) If you use footwear of a particular type consistently enough, your skin will toughen where it needs to and you will no longer get blisters. Your skin is only as tough as it needs to be.
If you want to be able to wear sandals, you will have to condition your feet for them. The way to do this is by wearing your sandals! Wear them for short periods of time at first, taking them off when you begin to feel a "hot spot" forming but before they begin to blister. Then change into something more comfortable, and let the hot spots heal before wearing your sandals again. This rest period may be a couple of days at first. Continue to wear your sandals as much as you are able, always removing them as soon as you feel hot spots starting to develop. Let your feet tell you when they are done.
By doing this, you will build calluses in the spots where your sandals rub against the skin of your feet. Over time (days to months, depending on how diligent you are, what your individual skin is like, and how badly your sandals chafe you) your skin will become tough enough that you can wear your sandals as much as you like.
Once the weather starts to warm again, I intend to do this with my beloved Chacos, to get my feet used to being in them again. If previous years are any indication, I will at first be able to wear them for a couple of hours at most, but by mid-summer will have no problem wearing them as my sole footwear for multi-day backpacking trips. Build up those calluses!
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:17 AM on December 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you want to be able to wear sandals, you will have to condition your feet for them. The way to do this is by wearing your sandals! Wear them for short periods of time at first, taking them off when you begin to feel a "hot spot" forming but before they begin to blister. Then change into something more comfortable, and let the hot spots heal before wearing your sandals again. This rest period may be a couple of days at first. Continue to wear your sandals as much as you are able, always removing them as soon as you feel hot spots starting to develop. Let your feet tell you when they are done.
By doing this, you will build calluses in the spots where your sandals rub against the skin of your feet. Over time (days to months, depending on how diligent you are, what your individual skin is like, and how badly your sandals chafe you) your skin will become tough enough that you can wear your sandals as much as you like.
Once the weather starts to warm again, I intend to do this with my beloved Chacos, to get my feet used to being in them again. If previous years are any indication, I will at first be able to wear them for a couple of hours at most, but by mid-summer will have no problem wearing them as my sole footwear for multi-day backpacking trips. Build up those calluses!
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:17 AM on December 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have done what Anticipation says with success. If they are dressy, you might get more wear without blisters if you wear them with nylons.
posted by SandiBeech at 11:29 AM on December 30, 2015
posted by SandiBeech at 11:29 AM on December 30, 2015
I usually get blisters on the first few wearings of the season, so I use CLEAR medical tape (the porous stuff) and it is not only amazing and stays in place, it is nearly invisible. I put it where I know the straps will rub on my feet. Usually don't need it for more than a few days per summer :)
posted by St. Hubbins at 5:03 PM on December 30, 2015
posted by St. Hubbins at 5:03 PM on December 30, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
I wear the kind with the strap that goes between the toes, not over the toe (so it's more of a flip-flop, I guess) and the strap has to be soft or it'll shred up the skin between my toes. It can't be kind of soft, like rubber or leather. It has to be a soft, strong but floppy fabric, or it's no good. It can't even have a strong texture, or the texture acts like sandpaper.
It's also possible the sock is messing you up. Maybe try some time without it, and see if that helps.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 10:05 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]