Yet another anti-blister concept

[Roseallee]

Hi All,
Nothing I tried was working to prevent blisters forming on my feet after about 10km. It wasn't as though I wasn't working at it, either. I have been training for my Sept. Camino since May. I have walked a lot of kms in that time. I have great shoes which are well broken in & I was wearing proper wicking socks. When I came home with a new blister the other night after an 8km stroll with no pack, I was feeling pretty discouraged with only 2 weeks before I leave.
I am here to say that I believe I now know what the problem was and have solved it! Yippee!
In hindsight, I realize my assiduous applications of moisturizer, be it Vaseline, lanolin, etc were making my feet more prone to blisters, not less by making the skin more delicate. It didn't toughen up my feet, especially between the toes where I blister most frequently but made the skin more fragile. I know that is contrary to what the general experience here at the forum has been.
So that was the cause & now on to the solution...
A chance conversation the next day was incredibly fortuitous. I had relayed to me the advice of a highly respected mountain guide. His advice was to apply rubbing alcohol to your feet to toughen them up. He said to do it every day for 2 weeks to prepare for a long hike.
I came home and did some research and came up with many references. It popped up in all sorts of places.
Hiking:

1. When you are breaking in your boots, rub developing hotspots with rubbing alcohol. This can help develop calluses in those areas and prevent blisters.
2. The daily use of rubbing alcohol on your skin will definitely toughen the skin up. The rubbing alcohol pulls the moisture out of the skin to give it a leathery consistency
for hiking, I often tell neophytes to rub their feet with rubbing alcohol nightly for 2 weeks before a hiking trek. This seems to prevent blisters for hiking, and I should guess for diving too
3. I did this with my feet when I went out to hike the Appalachian Trail, and it will build calluses fast. I think the evaporation dries the skin, which helps it toughen.

Diving:

Wherever you rub the alcohol, actually it?s least effective on the bottoms of the feet, where the skin is thickest. I use regular 70% isopropyl alcohol.

Musicians:

Eric Clapton said that the best method he finds to build calluses is to swab rubbing alcohol on the fingertips two or three times a day until the skin dries out and the calluses are thick enough to protect the fingertips. After that, the treatment can be repeated periodically to maintain them.

I also found an orthopedic surgeon recommended it to prevent chafing under a brace. The same advice was offered to a recruit entering boot camp.
I felt I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have only applied it for 3 days, twice a day, and I can already tell it has solved the issue. I walked a hot 10km on pavement this morning without any protective measures and without a twinge of discomfort. I can feel the skin on my feet toughening up, day by day.
Two added benefits are it is cheap and cleansing.
Please don't anyone tell me that Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is bad for me! At this point I really don't care! Bring on my Camino!
Sorry for such a long winded post but maybe someone else will find my experience useful. Roseallee

[Tami]

Hi Roseallee,

Thank you for sharing your insight into the use of the rubbing alcohol.

I wish you all the best for your Camino. If you get a chance, let us know how things are going.

Tami

[Roseallee]

Hi Tami,
I am feeling incredibly UP for my Camino now that I have figured out the blister problem. 4 days of the alcohol treatment has worked a pre-Camino miracle. My diligent months of training now actually feel worthwhile.
I will definitely let you all know how it went. Roseallee

[Marc]

Hi Rosalee
When are you going in September and from where are you starting. I will be in Barcelona on 16 Sept and will leave for Pamplona on the same day. Any advice?

[Covey]

Look at the date of her post!

[fraluchi]

Another very simple treatment is by soaking your feet in tea. Tea contains tannin, also used in making leather.
At home whilst sitting behind your computer, put your feet in a tea solution (3 teabags are OK) during your internet sessions. Within a week your feet will be "Camino-fit" !

[Covey]

This presumably gets around the problem Da Ladies have in ending up with very tanned legs but white feet from wearing socks!!

[InOrlando]

I assume Roseallee had a "buen Camino," but I wanted to express a concern about alcohol to dry out feet: Here in Florida, we wear sandals all day, so dry feet are a fact of life. Still, we do get blisters once our feet are inside shoes and we walk great distances. So I am interested in any blister-preventive measures for the Camino. All the same, I'm concerned about the use of rubbing alcohol to create calluses. If feet get too dry, they crack in painful ways--especially on the heels. I was told that grain alcohol is less drying. But does it give the same blister-preventive effects? Does anyone know?

[Barrie & Carole]

We have discovered "1000 mile socks" and have been wearing them in preparation for our September pilgrimage. So far they have been the absolute answer to blisters and sore feet. They are made of two layers, the inner layer stays with the foot and the outer layer moves with the boot. They even come with a *no blisters guarantee* as well.... We think they are good value.

[Covey]

I wore "1000 Mile" socks last year on the Camino Frances in July/Aug and they were excellent. No blisters so no need to claim on the guarantee!!

I had previously used Smartwool socks but found the 1000 Mile socks were cooler in the hottest part of the year.

[Gazza]

Covey

Now mind readind as well... very good

I had bought smart woll socks in Oz & had found them quite warm. Then I saw an old thread of yours relating to the 1000 mile socks. So I got on the net & imported them from the UK

The interesting part is, they were cheaper to get in from the UK (some sites do postage free) then the smart wool were in Australia.

Agree with you both, they are gr8 & very comfy.

If we keep plugging them do you thing we can get freebies??

Gazza

[Covey]

The problem with the retail shops for walking kit, is that a lot of them don't employ staff who walk!! They will point you in the direction of the sock section which usually has a number of brands, and socks for all sorts of different applications, but without any advice about what type of sock is best for where you are going.

The Smartwool socks are excellent for trekking in the UK where temperatures are not that high, but for the Camino Frances in July - September, I think they are too warm and will cause your feet to sweat too much. In March -May the Smartwools will be fine on the Camino Frances.

If I was walking the CF in March - May, then I would use boots, but in June - Oct a pair of good walking shoes are fine.

A word of warning though: DON'T wear the 1000 Mile Socks with trail sandals. Shoes and boots only. The trail sandals are too loose on the feet and your feet and socks move around too much and WILL blister. The label on the socks has a warning and the guarantee is invalid!!

[Barrie & Carole]

We bought some *seconds* from ebay but they have a heavy seam right across the top of the toes. They'll be fine but for the £ difference they aren't the bargain they should be. We could do *testimonials* for them.......

[Covey]

I know socks can seem expensive, but I would not buy "seconds" under any circumstances.

Your feet are the most important part of you as far as the Camino is concerned, and the socks a close second, followed by your footwear. If your feet, socks and footwear are OK, then you will be OK. If your socks do not function correctly, or are counterfeit products (they exist!) you can be in a world of hurt!

It is said that over half the branded clothing sold on Ebay is actually counterfeit, so what is supposed to be Gortex might not be, and what are supposed to be genuine branded socks, might not be.

[Gazza]

Covey

Thanks for the Trail sandal warning, as I will have them with me also. Forewarned is forearmed

Gaz (2 1/2 weeks till take off - whose counting)

[Katy]

We bought some *seconds* from ebay but they have a heavy seam right across the top of the toes. They'll be fine but for the £ difference they aren't the bargain they should be. We could do *testimonials* for them.......

I spoke to a very helpful lady in the 1000 Mile HQ and she assured me they don't sell seconds as their success is built on the quality of their product. It might be that you bought an end of line which has since been redesigned. Apparently they're bringing out a new walking sock soon based on their Fusion running sock which is both double layered and padded. I'm looking forward to trying it.

[Barrie & Carole]

that sounds great. We find that some socks do not have enough padding especially around the ankle bones, so we look forward to then next generation 1000 mile socks!

[Barrie & Carole]

We both used the 1000 mile socks for our 9 day 220 Km camino with absolutely no hot spots or blistering. Carole wore the new *Fusion* 1000 mile socks and found them to be exactly what she needed but a bit too warm for mid September. She folded the tops down to create more ankle padding and this worked perfectly. Barrie wore the traditional 1000 mile socks and is happy to recommend them. Others in our group didn't have these wonderful inventions and found that they needed the Red Cross blister stations on several occasions.

[tim.angelone]

Greetings,
I was looking into Smart Wool Socks and came across this post. I will be walking during the month of July wearing a low cut hiking boot. My question is what type of 1000 Mile sock do you recommend? Also I was wondering about sizing. I wear a 11-12 size boot, what would that calculate to in there sizes provided. (Small, Med, Large, Extra Large, etc.)
Thanks!

Tim.

[Gazza]

I used the traditional lighter 1000 mile sock in July & it worked gr8. Even across the Meseta. Its a dual layered sock that keeps yr feet dry.

Not sure what country your foot size is in. My size 12's were snug but I think that's the way they are suppose to be, so there isn't too much movement.

Hope this helps. I will be doing some research on the "new" Fusion socks to see how they have improved an already very good product

[minervauk]

Greetings,
I was looking into Smart Wool Socks and came across this post. I will be walking during the month of July wearing a low cut hiking boot. My question is what type of 1000 Mile sock do you recommend? Also I was wondering about sizing. I wear a 11-12 size boot, what would that calculate to in there sizes provided. (Small, Med, Large, Extra Large, etc.)
Thanks!

Tim.

HI, We walked in September and found that the heavier 1000 mile socks were too warm. We also took the light weight ones and they were perfect. NO BLISTERS, and not even a hint of foot trouble!!! The DO fit snug so be sure to get your size. If you go to the 1000 mile web site and contact them directly you will get great service. We assume your 11 - 12 size boots are N American so be sure to tell them. Happy Camino -- somehow it changes one's perspective on many things in life!! We just might do it again.

[Precious1]

Hi Roseallee!! Great info...now I know another use for the little spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol I carry among my toiletries. Makes sense. I only had one blister on the inside of each big toe develop regardless. I knew better than to pop them, which makes them more painful and takes longer to heal, since the blister forms to protect. I just put antibiotic cream on it, and ordinary band aid, till my Camino buddy turned me on to better stuff I didn't even know about that felt kind of like skin, and was able to wrap around each toe snug so the blister would not be agitated, and it was perfect. No pain, and those things really stay on a long time, and the blister dried up by the time you reach Santiago from Sarria. Thanks!! Kate

[minervauk]

These sound like the *Campede* (not sure of the spelling)foot pads that are wonderful. Some in our group used them for blisters and they were protective and kept the blister area well protected. They come in various shapes for different parts of feet and they stay stuck until they have done their work. Good to have along -- just in case.

Hi Roseallee!! Great info...now I know another use for the little spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol I carry among my toiletries. Makes sense. I only had one blister on the inside of each big toe develop regardless. I knew better than to pop them, which makes them more painful and takes longer to heal, since the blister forms to protect. I just put antibiotic cream on it, and ordinary band aid, till my Camino buddy turned me on to better stuff I didn't even know about that felt kind of like skin, and was able to wrap around each toe snug so the blister would not be agitated, and it was perfect. No pain, and those things really stay on a long time, and the blister dried up by the time you reach Santiago from Sarria. Thanks!! Kate