One of the common issues hikers and backpackers often face is blisters. Although they may seem small, they can quickly become painful enough to cut short your journey. This guide is assembled to help educate you on how to prevent blisters, learn how to deal with them, and provide general foot care tips to keep your toes happy and healthy on your travels.
What Causes Blisters?
Pressure, heat, and moisture are the main culprits in the formation of blisters on the feet during hiking. By learning to minimize these contributing factors, you can keep your toes feeling good and continue your journey pain-free. If your toes start to complain, this guide will teach you how to control the situation, minimize pain, and set you on the path to recovery instead of letting blister issues escalate.
Trail Running Shoes vs. Boots – When hiking and backpacking, we almost always opt for trail running shoes, and in our later post on five reasons to ditch your hiking boots, we’ll explain why. In summary, trail running shoes are much more comfortable, lightweight, breathable, and quick-drying. However, boots can still have their place in certain situations. For an in-depth look at what to look for in excellent hiking footwear, you can check our list of the top ten best hiking shoes and boots.
How to Prevent Blisters
Proper Shoes – The most critical factor in preventing blisters is ensuring that your shoes/boots fit extremely well. Shoes that are too tight almost certainly lead to pressure points and blisters, so the goal is a relaxed fit. A little extra room inside the shoe (especially in the toe box) is good, but you don’t want your feet sliding around, so make sure your shoes fit just right. Good insoles can also help, especially if your feet are between sizes or need extra cushioning.
Allow for Foot Expansion on Long Hikes – If you’re on a long-distance hike, remember that your shoe choices may need to change, and because you’re covering many miles, your feet may flatten/widen. We don’t recommend buying all your shoes at once for a thru-hike, as towards the end of the journey, you might want to upsize. One of our authors experienced an increase of almost two sizes during her two thru-hikes!
Break-in New Shoes (Especially Boots) – If you plan to wear brand-new shoes (especially boots) on your travels, make sure to break them in before heading to remote areas. New shoes/boots can be quite stiff, and if there are pressure or friction points, you’ll want to mail comfortable shoes from home and make adjustments if needed. Old shoes will be much more comfortable, and your shoes will gradually adapt to your feet, but make sure the soles of old boots still have good traction and the boots provide cushioning/support. Unfortunately, no shoe or boot can be worn for a lifetime.
Keep Feet Clean – Keeping your feet as clean as possible helps reduce inflammation caused by dust and debris and lowers the chance of infection in case blisters do occur. Take the opportunity to rinse your feet in cool flowing water whenever possible and wash them at the end of the day in camp. After a full day of hiking (especially in wet conditions), keeping your feet clean and dry overnight is essential, allowing your skin to recover.
Change Your Socks – Carrying at least two pairs of hiking socks is wise, so you can change them when needed and wash/dry the other pair later. We keep a large safety pin behind our backpack to clip socks and handkerchiefs, allowing them to air dry as we move. We also like to pack a pair of comfortable, warm socks and keep them until the evening to wear inside our sleeping bags. Keeping your feet in relatively clean socks helps maintain healthy and blister-free toes on the journey.
Good Socks – High-quality socks are crucial to keeping your feet dry and cool during your travels. Wool and synthetic fibers are best for wicking sweat away from your skin and drying quickly. Cotton should be avoided, as it performs poorly and can lead to blisters. Good hiking socks should be snug without wrinkles to minimize friction. Wearing a thin sock underneath another sock is a good strategy for those prone to blisters. Some hikers find toe socks very helpful, especially in preventing blisters between the toes. For more details, you can check our list of the best hiking socks.
Adjust Your Laces – Take the time to adjust your shoe/boot laces for different terrains, providing the best fit for your feet. Most of the time, we lace our shoes a bit looser to allow our feet to expand and be comfortable. However, during long steep descents, we tighten the laces on the instep (where the ankle and foot meet) to prevent our toes from hitting the front of our shoes.
Let Them Breathe – Taking off your shoes and socks to let your feet breathe during breaks can be beneficial for preventing blisters. Certainly, it will take a few minutes of your time, but it’s well worth doing as it allows your skin to breathe and gives your socks a chance to dry. Our general rule is to take off the shoes if we rest for 15 minutes or longer. Elevating your legs and feet by propping them up with your backpack also reduces swelling and speeds up the recovery of your lower body. It’s also a good opportunity to shake out any debris from your shoes and observe areas on your feet turning red.
How to Deal with Redness
- Stop – If you notice any foot pain or discomfort while hiking, immediately stop, find a place to sit, and take off your shoes to assess the situation. Though it might take a bit of time and can be frustrating to stop, this simple step can save you a lot of time and pain in the long run.
- Tape – If blisters have not formed yet, clean and dry the area and cover the reddened area with a layer of moleskin to reduce friction. Make sure the moleskin adheres as smoothly as possible to your skin.
- Lubricate – If the skin is red and stinging or if blisters have partially formed, apply antibiotic ointment on top and cover the reddened area with a blister bandage, first aid bandage, or gauze.
- Rest – If the redness does not worsen, try leaving the tape in place until you get home. You may need to give your feet a day or more of rest to properly recover before moving forward, especially if the blisters are severe.
- Soak Your Feet – After a long day of hiking, spend a few minutes soaking your feet in warm water to relax muscles and tendons. Adding Epsom salt is an extra treat that can speed up recovery (use a hotel room’s bathtub or sink, an empty trash bin, a bear canister, or any container you can find).
- Massage – Spend a few minutes each day massaging your feet to keep them strong and flexible. Foot massages are beneficial for circulation, promoting restful sleep, stimulating overall recovery, and preventing ankle injuries.
- Apple Cider Vinegar Soak – Treat athlete’s foot or other minor skin inflammation by soaking your feet in warm water diluted with a small amount of apple cider vinegar.
- Smooth Calluses – Use a pumice stone or foot file to smooth thick calluses to prevent blisters from forming underneath them (especially on the heels). Slight firmness rather than baby soft soles are good for hikers, but the skin should be alive, supple, and healthy.
For blisters, prevention is much easier than finding a cure, but if you are prone to them, don’t give up. Increase your foot care game, walk or hike regularly, and keep experimenting with your shoes until you find a winning combination. By simply paying a bit more attention and understanding your feet, your hiking experience will be less painful and more enjoyable.
Blisters First Aid Kit
Make sure you are prepared to prevent and treat blisters by carrying the right supplies in your first aid kit or in an easily accessible place in your backpack. Each first aid kit should have:
- Moleskin (we like to wrap it around an empty medicine bottle, which can also be used to store a needle, safety pin, and thread).
- Adhesive bandages or blister pads
- Lightweight multi-tool with scissors, tweezers, and a small knife
- Soap, alcohol, or disinfectant wipes
- Safety pin, sewing needle, or scalpel
- Braided fishing line, nylon thread, or dental floss on a small spool (optional)
- First aid bandage (optional)
- Gauze (optional)
- Blister bandage (optional)
- Kinesiology tape (optional) – Elastic therapeutic tape, also called kinesio or KT tape, is a type of elastic adhesive tape used for treating pain and disability from sports injuries. It has excellent adhesion for blister treatment and is useful for supporting many other common overuse injuries. To spend less time combating redness and blisters, we recommend keeping your blister care supplies in a easily accessible sealed plastic bag or a lightweight toiletry pouch, separate from your first aid kit.
Foot Care Tips
Whether before, during, or after your backpacking journey, taking good care of your feet is a great habit that can prevent blisters from becoming a problem, make your feet stronger/healthier, and make your experience more enjoyable. Incorporating consistent self-care into your daily routine at home or on the trail is not shameful.
At Home or in Towns During the Journey:
- Trim toenails short and keep them filed smooth, eliminating sharp edges and points. A good multi-tool like the Swiss Army Classic can store clippers, scissors, a file, tweezers, and a knife for maintenance.
- Regularly and thoroughly clean your feet, paying attention to details like removing dirt from under toenails.
- Moisturize your skin with lotion or coconut oil to keep it hydrated, preventing painful cracks and unnecessary roughness that can cause friction and pierce socks.
- Rest during downtime and assess your feet to reduce swelling. If blisters are severe, you may need to give them a day or more of rest to properly recover before moving forward.
- Soak your tired feet in warm water to relax muscles and tendons. Adding Epsom salt is an extra reward and can speed up recovery (use a hotel room’s bathtub or sink, an empty trash bin, a bear canister, or any container you can find).
- Spend a few minutes each day massaging your feet to keep them strong and flexible. Foot massages are beneficial for circulation, promoting restful sleep, stimulating overall recovery, and preventing ankle injuries.
- Treat minor skin inflammation by soaking your feet in warm water diluted with a small amount of apple cider vinegar.
- Smooth thick calluses with a pumice stone or foot file to prevent blisters from forming underneath them (especially on the heels). Slight firmness rather than baby soft soles are good for hikers, but the skin should be alive, supple, and healthy.
For blisters, prevention is much easier than finding a cure, but if you are prone to them, don’t give up. Increase your foot care game, walk or hike regularly, and keep experimenting with your shoes until you find a winning combination. By simply paying a bit more attention and understanding your feet, your hiking experience will be less painful and more enjoyable.