I’m currently preparing for my first camino ( Oct 03) equipment and training coming along well apart from socks.
Got a size up in solomon boots last year and they are excellent.
However recently experimented with some anti blister socks and the lining makes them too tight.
Don’t want to have to buy new boots a further size up.
Would welcome any socks recommendations particularly ones that are not too thick
Thanks
Hi, Spikey. ..
Thanks for lending me your thread for posting the shoe fitting guideline others might decide to use.
Here are a couple of suggestions to help you see if you can get by with your existing Solomons.
A. Socks
Any synthetic or Merino wool socks which are strong enough for trekking and hiking use, have the ability to be 'anti-blister socks'. It is how they are chosen for their fit on your feet which helps to prevent blistering.
Also, most blisters are a product of friction.... often referred to as shear force friction. The skin of your foot, and the sock that is in contact with that area of skin, are sliding and rubbing together. Here are the primary things which will help your situation.
- A properly fitting shoe is a must. If the reality of your situation is that your shoes are too tight, nothing is going to help. So be honest in your assessment of your shoes. Are you trying to convince yourself that they can make them work because of the expense or trouble of buying a new pair of shoe, or are you just unsure? In brief, it needs to be long enough and wide enough to accommodate any insoles, orthotics, metatarsal pads, etc, PLUS the socks that you will be wearing, PLUS the increased pressure on the feet from wearing a loaded pack.
- Light padded Merino wool socks designed for walking or backpacking, or the same type of sock in a good synthetic blend. These will add minimal volume to your foot taking up space in your shoes, thus making the shoe a tighter fit.
- A sock fit that is snug and form fitting to the foot, but not gangrene-inducing tight. You want the shear force to be between the sock and the interior of the shoe, not the sock and the skin. A snug fitting sock will help to make that happen.
- Allow the shoe to move over the sock a bit. By keeping the shoes a bit looser on the feet, the sock will take the brunt of the shear force. If a shoe is tied snug, then that forces the foot to move more in the sock, which means the sock and skin are absorbing the shear force. An exception occurs on long downhill grades; the shoes need to be tied tight enough to keep your toes from hitting the front of the shoe which can cause injury and trauma to the nail bed and toe joints.
B. Engo Patches
Here is a review I did about Engo Patches which will help you get an idea of their use and usefulness. Using Engo will add virtually no volume to your shoes. This means that if you are wedded to the idea of using a dual sock system, or liner sock system, the Engo patch, combined with thin socks, will give you that same effect.
C. Pre-Taping.
Pre-taping involves the protection of your feet BEFORE walking. You identify places on your feet which may be at risk for blistering, and apply a barrier to that spot(s). . .. Heels, forefoot area of the sole, etc.
- For prophylactic protection from shear force friction to blister prone areas on the feet, a long lasting barrier tape or covering is the better option than are the short duration products of goo like vaseline and Body Glide type products. The placement of tapes, like Leukotape P, or moleskin-type products, if adhered correctly, will last the whole day. Goo products can also make it more difficult for adhesive products to stick if needing to treat a blistered area.
- To apply tapes and moleskin type products,
- Clean off the area of application with a bit of alcohol to remove grease, dirt, and body oils. A bit of regular hand sanitizer works for this, in addition to hand cleansing.
- Cut a piece of your chosen barrier material to fit the area you want protected; be sure to cut rounded corners rather than square in order to help the material from rolling up away from the skin.
- Apply a thin smear of Tincture of Benzoin to the skin area where the adhesive will stick. This will increase the holding power of the tape or moleskin.
- If the tape or moleskin, etc. is going on top of a blistered area, avoid getting the Benzoin on the roof area of the blister, and add a thin coating of ointment/vaseline onto the blister roof, avoiding the surrounding skin area. This will allow removal of the product without hurting the blister wound.
- Place the barrier on the area, taking care to not handle the adhesive; spend a bit of time rubbing the material to create friction so that the adhesive will heat up and adhere more firmly.
- At the end of the day, remove the barrier and use some alcohol to wipe the area that was covered.
- Since fungus (athletes foot) and pathogens splash around in showers, shower shoes are not necessarily preventative to one's feet being exposed or infected. It is helpful to use an alcohol or astringent product applied to the feet after showering.
D. Goo/Lubricants
These products include HikerGoo, Vaselines, Body Glides, etc. As I mentioned above, their effectiveness is not as long lasting as a barrier tape. When used correctly and applied periodically, they can be effective for many people. These products do not add to the volume of your feet, however, which makes it a good strategy to try out when you have shoes that are a tighter fit.