[pct-l] Feet Swelling

[Gary Wright]

On Jun 7, 2010, at 11:46 PM, Nathan Miller wrote:
> While we're on the subject of feet, I've been getting blisters on the balls of my feet, right behind my second toes, which seems to be a strange place to get blisters.  It's also a pretty darned near debilitating place and I was forced off the trail a couple of years ago and had to do some concerted damage control to avoid the same last June.  Is there something different that leads to blisters on that part of the foot vs. on other parts such as the heel or toe edges?

Avoiding the problem is always the first choice (different shoes, different insoles, different lacing, etc), but protecting those spots that are causing you a problem can also be effective.

I'm a big fan of products like Body Glide.  In the morning and whenever I stop for a break, I apply some Body Glide on problematic areas on my feet.  I've found this to be very effective at preventing blisters and even stopping hot spots from turning into blisters.  I also generally use some GoldBond powder on breaks to manage moisture and fight the 'funk' that can develop on feet/socks/shoes.  My final trick is to alternate pairs of socks at every break.  The unused pair is strapped on the pack where they dry and air out while I hike.

Radar