Foot blisters are a big subject on which there many opinions. Ask a peregrina about blisters and she might get into an argument with herself on the subject. Thus, my opinions should be taken with a full container of salt.

That said, blisters are very common. They are often painful enough to turn a day of Camino joy into one of simply overcoming pain. The information here will help you avoid them entirely or, should that not be possible, minimize their damage to your Camino experience.

Blisters can form on every spot available on the foot. The most common sites appear to be on the back of the heel at the Achilles; on the ball of the foot; and on the outside of the big and little toes. Blisters between the toes are common enough for me to have seen other peregrinos with them multiple times. Those seem to me to be the worst because they are not accessible for blister care.

Blister Causes

So, what causes foot blisters? Well … a lot of things, including many illnesses, but only those from pressure or rubbing are really problems for hikers on el Camino de Santiago.

If we know what causes blisters, why do so many peregrinos get them? Well, my belief is that there are several reasons with the most significant ones being insufficient attention to getting one’s foot equipment right, an “it can’t happen to me” mindset, saving what is likely a small amount of money, and a lack of discipline getting ready to get going in the morning.

Blister Prevention

So, how do we prevent blisters?

First …

Do not wait until you arrive in Spain to start testing ways to prevent and treat blisters. The only way I know to do this is by walking. Start walking months in advance. Work hard enough to sweat because moisture REALLY helps blisters form. Walk uphill and, especially, downhill to the greatest extent possible. Sweat and walking downhill appear to me to be the big two for causing blisters, especially those between your toes, because going downhill increases both the pressure and the rubbing at one’s toes.

Second …

Let’s start with well-fitting hiking shoes as one’s first line of defense. Shoe fit and properly tightened laces can do a lot to reduce pressure when going up and, especially, down the Camino’s hills. The hills I’ve experienced on el Camino del Norte have often been very steep and the downhill portion drove my toes into the toe of my shoe, cramming them together and making them rub against each other.

Good fit comes first, but it’s only the start. Shoes that wick the sweat away from a person’s feet and provide at least some protection from puddles and small streams are also very desirable.

But how do you know which shoes are right for you? Talk to knowledgeable people, especially at stores that specialize in hiking gear. Test them. Try different shoes, walk in them in as many challenging ways as possible, and find the solution that serves your feet the best.

Third …

Paper tape. Wait, whut?

My Internet rummaging some years ago led me to a study on blister prevention that compared lots of solutions, was short on real conclusions, and made note that, while the sample was too small to be meaningful, paper tape was the one thing that never seemed associated with blisters.

So, I experimented with tape, especially paper tape.

IMHO, paper tape is the bomb for preventing blisters in most places, especially on the heel, ball of the foot, and outside of the big and little toes. All those can be protected by applying a layer of tape over them to protect the skin from rubbing against the sock. I use overlapping layers from back to front so that each one protects the one before it from being dislodged during the process of putting on my socks.

ONLY PAPER TAPE works, at least as far as I can tell, although I’ve not tested every possible solution; some people swear by duct tape but I’ve not tried it. Paper tape is different. It is very much not masking tape or any kind of painters’ tape, it’s for medical purposes and it’s hypoallergenic. It’s very thin, has good adhesion on one side, and is quite slick on the other. It’s that combination that, I think, makes it effective. The friction from rubbing between the foot and sock is between the tape surface and the sock, not between the skin and the sock.

Paper tape isn’t rare as it’s usually available in pharmacies and supermarkets, it’s just not obvious as it’s a very small part of the “tape section” of the first aid aisle. That said, I’ve never found it in Spain, so I take my full supply along. You can find yours at a lot of places, including CVS, Express Medical Supply, and a variety of other places on the web.

Fortunately, I’ve never had a problem between my toes. I don’t believe paper tape would work for me there because my toes are close together and anything between them tends to be uncomfortable from the get-go. Information available on the web includes recommendations about moleskin and other products, but I have no experience to share beyond seeing other peregrinos trying and failing to deal with blisters between their toes.

Fourth …

Keep your feet dry. This is really important, but not as easy as it seems. Hiking for hours, even at a slow pace, works up a real sweat. The del Norte has a lot of moisture including from rain, puddles, and splashing across small streams.

Keeping your feet dry, therefore, begins with those hiking shoes mentioned above. The things inside those shoes that contribute to keeping your feet dry are your socks and what I’ll call “foot potions” from powder to antiperspirant.

I’ve tried foot powder. It worked ok at first, but as the day grew longer, the powder I used got overwhelmed. Something I have considered, but never actually done, is a stop mid-day to clean and dry my feet and apply fresh tape and socks. Why not? Well, my body was never very flexible and today it’s right stiff so finding a place with a suitable seat combined with something to put my foot on to help bend my knee when putting the socks on is critical but also unusual. Drying my feet can be hard if it’s raining, which is also when the moisture problem is at its worst. If the inside of my shoe is wet, well, the socks will be wet very soon as well.

Fifth …

Importantly, I’m also willing to take it easy and even stop before the day grows short in part as a protective measure for my feet. If I feel a blister hot spot, a place where the skin is stressed but no blister has yet formed, I make it a point to do whatever is necessary to protect that skin before a blister forms. That can include stopping short for the day if an opportunity presents itself.

Sixth …

Ask any peregrino about socks and he’s likely to get into an argument with himself while trying to answer you. One pair versus two pair. Wicking versus absorbent. Brand versus brand. compression versus plain. White versus brown. Cotton versus …

What I do is two pairs of socks. The inside ones are soft cotton footies that go over my taped feet. They are easy to get on, protect the tape while I struggle with my compression hose, and help with absorbing moisture.

The compression stockings that I wear, as the older demographic often does, are for worn out veins in my lower legs. The thin, artificial fiber ones are pretty good at wicking the moisture away so that, on MOST days, the paper tape is still stuck to my feet as planned when my shoes and socks come off for a shower.

Treatment

The last thing to mention is blister treatment. Even with all of the above, you may (there are those peregrinos who argue that the correct word is “will”) get one or more blisters.

Blister treatment is a significant subject and will get the dedicated post that it deserves because it is that important. It can be the difference between being able to continue your Camino in comfort, continuing it in pain, or even having to end it early because of a serious infection.