Dealing with Blisters

Blisters can be a bane for walkers. The good news is that there are lots of ways to prevent and treat them. Try our tips below to help maintain happy walking feet.

  • Wear comfortable, good-fitting, worn-in boots or shoes - especially on long walks
  • Wear good walking socks in the right size - wearing two pairs of socks can help prevent rubbing
  • Immediately remove anything from your socks or boots which causes irritation
  • Check your feet carefully and regularly, for any sign of rubbing and tenderness
  • Walk as much as possible in your boots so that your skin hardens
  • Act as soon as you feel any discomfort, as blisters can form very quickly
  • Remove your boots and socks when you stop for a rest to give your feet a chance to dry off and cool down, which helps prevent blisters.
  • Carry some blister plasters, plasters or padded dressings in your rucksack just in case

If you do feel a blister developing, stop walking, take your boots and socks off and check your feet.  The earlier you catch blisters the better. Apply some material cushioning or padding, or a plaster to the area that is rubbing.

If a blister has formed, you can either burst the blister carefully and then immediately apply a sterile dressing or you can clean the area and cover it over with a blister plaster or a dressing.

Lots of chemists and outdoor shops now sell special blister plasters which you apply over the blister providing a ‘second skin’. This not only helps provide cushioning to lessen the irritation of the blister but also help it to heal more quickly.

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