Barefoot Sandals Blister Prevention
How to prevent blisters when walking large distances (trekking or hiking) in barefoot sandals.
If the weather permits, I do my trekking in barefoot sandals for enjoyment.
Since I am only an occasional trekker, my feet are not accustomed to such long walks and I easily get blisters.
Blisters develop through sideways forces on your skin. They tear layers on your skin apart. And then fluid fills in.
Short-term: how to prevent blisters immediately
- Wearing 2 pairs of socks. This is a real biggie and works wonders for me. 2 pairs work much better than just 1 pair of socks in catching and diverting these sideway forces. The second pair more than doubles the blister free distance for me.
- Socks also prevent blisters from forming on the rope of the sandals.
- Keeping the feet dry as the skin is less robust when wet. Maybe take additional socks with you for changing after a rain or similar.
- When walking downward, pay attention to minimize sideway forces on your foot.
The 2-sock trick also works with normal (trekking) shoes.
Long-term:
- Training the feet such that the skin patches adjust to longer usage periods
- I recently bought barefoot shoes that look like normal shoes. This way I can train my feet on the barefoot walking style during my normal daily activities.
That is already it.
Hope you will enjoy your walking.
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