Blisters after T2: How to avoid?

Triathlon Forum
1

So, I have fancy cycling shoes that are ultra comfortable when worn sockless.

I have sized down my running shoes (so there’s no slipping during toe offs), use quick laces, and tried everything from vaseline to baby powder inside my shoes, but if there’s more than 40% humidity, my feet get wet and begin to blister after <30 minutes on the run.

Aside from completing the run course shy of 30 minutes, how can I prevent my feet from developing friction blisters?

PS: I can handle the pain during the race when the blisters develop, but then I’m out of the pool for 5-10 days after blistering so that I’m not swimming with open sores. Also, it sucks to have blisters when doing another race the following weekend (I race tri, road, and mtn, so there are several weeks of consecutive races during summer (humid) months.

Thanks for commenting!

2

Where are you getting the blisters?

I was getting them on my toes untill I went to narrower shoes.

jaretj

3

I squeeze a few good gobs of that blister lubricant stuff in there, especially on the hot spots. I also have two jars of this dry powder anti-blister stuff called BlisterShield from TwoToms. I haven’t tried the dry stuff yet, but SportSlick works well as a blister preventative in your shoes.

4

Run barefoot? Or maybe try these →

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/images/products/119//large.jpg

I wouldn’t recommend wearing them for the swim portion, though. We don’t need another finman on our hands.

5

Those are kinda cool.

6

Those Five Finger shoes feel great, look nerdy(hippie) . Takes a while to gt used to. You can feel the rocks on the ground when you run and all the contours of the road, I live on the beach and they suck in the sand.

7

The blisters are in different places on each foot…

On left foot it’s in the center of my foot on the medial side of the plantar surface.

On right foot it’s primarily the heel.

Thanks!

8

Before the race, try coating the known hot spots with liquid bandage. Just put a layer or 2 on the heel, arch, toes, whatever. It will form a friction pad and won’t wash off in the swim. The shoe will rub the dried layer, not your skin. I’ve been doing it for years and as long as I remember all the spots I don’t get blisters.

9

That sounds like a hella good idea. :slight_smile:

You buy the liquid bandage at the drug store?

10

Run sockless more often so your feet HTFU

So, I have fancy cycling shoes that are ultra comfortable when worn sockless.

I have sized down my running shoes (so there’s no slipping during toe offs), use quick laces, and tried everything from vaseline to baby powder inside my shoes, but if there’s more than 40% humidity, my feet get wet and begin to blister after <30 minutes on the run.

Aside from completing the run course shy of 30 minutes, how can I prevent my feet from developing friction blisters?

PS: I can handle the pain during the race when the blisters develop, but then I’m out of the pool for 5-10 days after blistering so that I’m not swimming with open sores. Also, it sucks to have blisters when doing another race the following weekend (I race tri, road, and mtn, so there are several weeks of consecutive races during summer (humid) months.

Thanks for commenting!

11

Ah, you seem to be missing the obvious -

WEAR SOCKS
.

12

Before races and long runs I do the following: NuSkin (liquid bandage) on all the hot spots. When that dries, I put superglue over it. You can do superglue alone, but some people get burns from it. If it’s really hot and humid, I will sometimes body glide the top.

13

Yep, socks are the answer - only about 15 seconds extra in T2. My first sprint tri I got all excited and ran without socks. I could drain the blood out of my shoes after 5km and my heels were a mess for weeks. Never again.

14

ONLY 15 seconds?

lord

=)

really just start training without socks and it isn’t a problem

Yep, socks are the answer - only about 15 seconds extra in T2. My first sprint tri I got all excited and ran without socks. I could drain the blood out of my shoes after 5km and my heels were a mess for weeks. Never again.

15

I went the opposite route - I found shoes with the largest toebox possible. got rid of my blisters.
But, then again, I also wear socks… granted, the thinnest socks possible, but still, socks. If putting on socks was preventing me from say, winning the race, well, then I’d reconsider. But right now I don’t have that problem (I’m not that close), so I’d just rather be comfortable. I don’t get paid to do this, I do it for fun. Blisters aren’t fun. Therefore, I wear socks.

16

For me, nothing works half as well as a pair of socks. I use a well worn low cut and thin pair that takes seconds to slip on in T2. They’re the only separation from a bloody blistering painfest.

17

Put a lot of body glide on you feet at the start of the race then put it in your shoes too…Also after that put baby powder in the shoes too…This helps a lot…

18

Train without socks so your feet get calloused (sp?). Or wear socks. I use some thin socks that take a few seconds to put on in T2 that eliminated the problem for me.

19

What is HTFU?

20
  1. Pretape problem spots with Leukotape-P. This stuff has a super-aggressive adhesive, is flexible, and breathes – absolutely the best tape for blisters.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/leukotape_p.html

  1. Coat your feet with Hydropel. It’s mostly Dimethicone and creates a moisture barrier that reduces maceration (“Prune foot”).

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/hydropel.html

Disclaimer: I work for Backpackinglight.com where these products are sold. (They are also available other various places on line like zombierunner.com.)