new boot blisters

egads, my worse fears are being realized!

i leave for a week-long backpacking trek along the john muir trail covering 60 miles in about a week. this is a project for work where i am a staff photographer.

i bought the montrail torre (non GTX) as soon as i could and after wearing them for a week in town (flatland) i took them on a test hike a little over a week ago. 10 miles hike up and over a small pass and then back. around mile 2, i started getting a blister on one heel. i stopped immediately and applied some moleskin. but by mile 4, i had blisters on each heel. very very painful for the next 6 miles and obviously i cannot do this on the week-long hike starting next week. there was no way around preparing for this, i was dropped into the project the way i was.

so, does anyone have any tips?

the backpacking "guru" at the main shop in town where i bought the boots double checked the sizing. yup, right on. superfeet are also being worn. socks are midweight trekker ((or trekking) by bridgedale, no liner. this has left him a bit perplexed.

his first suggestion was to use a liner. scond, he installed a platform of sort, seemed like thin foot shaped wood to help lift my feet and match the top of the boot, hopefully eliminating any space around the heel.

the problem it sees, is that this eliminated all space. my feet felt very numb today after wearing them for an hour and i can feel pinpoint pressure on one outside little toe. i haven't tried walking on hills or stairs really yet, but this numbness is new and perhaps something we hadn't considered. our fallback plan was to simply tape the heels with duct tape if we couldn't find a solution. i'm going to revisit him tomorrow to see what he suggests.

does anybody have any suggestion? my feet are not "wide" and not narrow either. one possibility is to forget TRYING to get these boots to fit well enough for our project and start anew with another pair. if i go that route, are there any boots which might be considered a solution for those who have had blistered heels before?

i really do not want to endure a week long hike and work at the same time in excruciating pain. obviously. :-) and i leave on the 14th of august, start hiking the 15th. i only wish i could wear my well-broken in lightweight low ankle trail shoes. but they're not made for heavy backpacking on the john muir trail.

thanks for any help.

eric

Probaly ought to remove the spacer that removed all of your comfort space first. There's movement where you get the blisters so if you can prevent the boot from moving or prevent the movement from rubibing your skin you'll reduce your blisters.

I use use sport/athletic tape on the spots where blisters occur before you start your hike. The 1st layer (2 or 3 pieces side by side)I put on horizontally with very small overlaps & the 2nd layer (usually only 2 side by side) goes on vertically (again with a very small overlap). Be sure to have the edges adhered to your skin as best possible and trim away any loose threads. This allows the movement to rub against the tape and not your skin. For me the pieces are only 1" to 1 1/2" long. You don't want it all over your foot/heal where it may create other blister problems. Keep the thickness as thin as possible so don't add any more than you have to.

It's early. Does this make any sense?

cheers
ag

I purchased a pair of Montrail Torre GTX this past spring. I was also having problems with blisters on my heels. Tying the boots using the heel locking method (the manual that came with the boots has instructions on this) seemed to help some, but my feet were also experiencing some numbing, and the balls of my feet would begin to ache after 5 miles on the trail. I tried a pair of superfeet insoles this past weekend, and this seemed to help out some. I still used the heel lock method to tie the boots, but didn't tie as tight. This eliminated the blistering and numbing, but the balls of my feet still ached toward the end of the hike (17 miles in 2 days). I believe the boots should be broken in by now, with 75+ miles of backpacking, plus numerous walks around my neighborhood.

If you have the opportunity to find a bootfitter that is trained by Phil Oren, pay them a visit and get their recommended adjustments to your boot fit.

Barring that, another thought, you may have too much volume over your instep so instead of raising up your foot try adding some volume over the top. A shoe repair should be able to attach a thin neoprene layer to the underside of the tongue. If the problem is too much volume this will take it up and not affect the area around your toes. Can always remove it if it too is uncomfortable.

And ditto the suggestion on taping sensitive/high risk areas. Steve

ok everyone, thanks so much for the tips. i was so busy on monday i didn't have time to visit the sports shop but managed to today. i outlined the problems and with the idea these were simply the wrong size, tried others. no go. but i did try the asolo TPS 520GV and they felt great. both size 11s, but the asolo felt like a completely different size. no numbness in the fornt of the feet. with the superfeet installed felt even better. i hope with the combo of taping with duct tape and moleskin, these will work for me. i'm going to try some stadium climbing in the next few days to simulate uphills and we shall see.

as for taping, what do people do? aply tape to just the area where blisters are prone to happen or completely wrap around the ankle and heel portions?

thanks again

eric

Tape only the blister prone areas and don't use duct tape. Duct tape has a tendency to peal & ball up and create it's own blister issues as well as being wider and not as flexible. Any roll, fold, or flap in the tape will cause an area for blisters to develop. The atheletic tape adheres better in the conditions inside your boot, wet & warm. I don't even use the moleskin since it's not very thin. Once the tape is on it needs to look like a 2nd skin.

ag

There is also a product called "Nu-Skin". It is a liquid that can be applied before or afer a blister developes. It makes an outer protective layer over the site, similar to elmers glue. You can put it on in layers to vary the thickness as needed. I have used it in both before and after applications and swear by it. It wont come undone and roll up like tape or mole skin and it is water proof. It will peel off eventually but it adheres very well and is right next to the skin. Be advised though, if you put it on a currrent blister it will sting a bit, especially if the blister has popped. I buy mine at Wal-Mart but it can be found in most drug store type outlets, usually near the mole skin or other foot products. It comes in a small brown bottle with built in applicator and is easily packed for the trip.