A few years ago, I was at mile six of a marathon when I felt my left foot sliding around in my shoe. The bottom of my foot was burning, and I knew I’d have a fat blister soon if I didn’t make an immediate adjustment. I pulled over to the side and retied my shoe, making it a little tighter. That did the trick—my foot stopped sliding, and I ran the rest of the race blister-free.
Blisters are usually a result of too much friction, heat or moisture. To help prevent friction, wear running shoes that fit properly. You need enough room so that your toes are not pressing up against the front of your shoe as you run, but they shouldn’t be so loose that your feet are sliding. Visit a local running store to ensure that your shoes fit properly.
Some runners use talcum powder in their running shoes to keep their feet dry. Socks made of synthetic blends, such as ASICS Kayano® Classics, can also reduce friction and wick away sweat. Another way to reduce friction is to apply petroleum jelly, Chafe Free™ or BodyGlide to the soles of your feet and between your toes. If you feel hot spots like I did in my marathon, try wrapping the blister-prone areas in moleskin, athletic tape or even duct tape before runs.
Skin actually serves as protection for blisters, so if you have a small unbroken blister that isn’t painful, just leave it alone. However, make sure that you’re taking steps to keep from getting more blisters on top of it. If the blister is large and painful, you might drain it. First, I clean it with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Next, I sterilize a needle, and pierce a small hole at the blister’s edge. Then, applying gentle pressure, drain fluid from the blister, and cover it with antibiotic ointment and a bandage.
What are your blister-prevention tricks?
Source: http://www.asicsamerica.com/blog/post/2011/05/02/Tips-to-Prevent-and-Treat-Blisters.aspx
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