Blisters on foot: get new shoes or keep breaking these in?

Jennifer, where are you traveling to? I'm leaving for Rome on Oct. 13. Could we be on the same tour?

I would forge on. You have identified and brought the blisters to the surface. There is probably just enough time for them to heal (or heel in this case) before your trip. ________ Are you using moleskin or any other blister product? They work best if applied when an area is hot, but not a blister yet. ________ The risk of getting new shoes is that you could go through all this again with the new shoes. _______ I walk a ton on trips and every night I do a blister check and use liberal amounts of moleskin in any area that is even suspect. _________ YMMV

I bought two pairs of Chaco sandals ($70 and $95 - so not cheap) 6 wks before my month trip to Paris in June, and wore them all day every day. They were fine here, but when I got to Paris and walked in them for 12 hrs a day (hard, pounding the pavement, non-stop walking), I developed blisters EVERYWHERE. It was horrible. It took me two weeks to finally find a pair of shoes I could wear (Tevas - best sandals EVER). If it were me, I would not wear the Merrells that are already giving you blisters - I do not believe it will get better - only worse.

I agree with Susan 200%. Your blisters will just get worse with the extreme walking you will likely be doing. Revert to an old pair of shoes you know fit. On the side, if shoes need to be broken in, they are the wrong size or style for your foot. Although I can not remember the name, there is an orthopedic shoe store in St. Louis that sells a wide variety of comfortable and modern shoes. I suggest you run there and get fitted for a proper fit if you must have new shoes for your vacation. Good luck!

Jennifer, here is the link to the orthopedic shoe store. http://www.comfortshoe.com/

If you getting a blister on the heel, high probability that the boot it too big. Nothing was said about the sock which is just a critical as sizing. Use the same size of type of sock at all times. A medium weight, wool sock is best, Second, if using a good sock add an insole to reduce the size by about a half. You need to stop your heel from moving up and down or front to back depending on where the blister is. Also check inside to make sure that there is no irregularities on the side to cause the blister, The boot will be fine, just fine tune the fit.

With hiking boots, I have always found that two pairs of socks (silk sock liners and then a lightweight wool sock) works for me to prevent blisters. Second option ... get some moleskin and put it right on your foot where it is rubbing. Try this before you go and see if things bet better. If not, go with shoes that you have already broken in, even if they are tennis shoes. My most comfortable travel shoes are a pair of athletic sandals. I have worn these on cool days in April and October with wool socks and they are great. If you have some comfortable sandals, get some dark socks and that would work.

Agree that it sounds like boot too big in heel. If you still feel you are going to chance it and wear these boots on a trip, try to go to your local sporting goods store or a camping store (REI, Cabela's, etc) and see if they carry a brand of socks made by Wrightsock. Wrightsock has a line of great anti-blistering socks that are double layered to prevent friction. Also pick up a product called "Body Glide" which you can rub all over your feet before you put on your socks & shoes. Works great at preventing further blisters from ever forming. If it's possible to get a refund & return the boots, I would. Merrells are expensive. I love my Merrells & Keens as they are only boots, shoes & sandals I've never had a problem with straight off the store shelf, but every foot is different. You sound like you need to find a different brand. Definitely bring along at least 1 other pair of shoes that you know don't cause problems, but you should invest in the socks & Body Glide and use them everyday as even a broken in shoe you never have problems in at home can suddenly give you blisters if you are walking 10-15 hours a day in Europe.

This just happened to me in Paris. I had new NB shoes w/ great shock absorbing insoles that also felt wonderful. We walked all day long in Paris and I developed horrible blisters on both my feet (ball, side of big toes & toes near little toes). Luckily, I took 3 pair of shoes with me because near the end of our trip I had to rotate the shoes everyday. Went back to the NB store when I returned. They recommended plenty of break-in time before wearing on a trip, wicking socks (which I did wear), and Body Glide or Vaseline to lubricate the feet. Wish I had known about moleskin because at the end of our trip (in Bruges & Brussels), I was walking on my heels trying to keep my toes from contacting the shoes...NOT FUN ON COBBLESTONES!

Hi Jennifer. I wear comfortable shoes (ones I've had for years) on all my trips and I get blisters every time. They hurt for a couple days and then they harden to the point where they don't hurt anymore. My advice is to bring 2 pairs of shoes (either another new pair, if that's what you want, or a comfortable pair you already have) and switch every other day.

Whenever I get a blister on a trip (and I always do!), I put on a dab of Neosporin and cover the spot with a flexible bandage, and then cover the area with a nice piece of duct tape. The tape never comes off, whereas the bandaid without the duct tape always does. Best of luck to you and happy travels! :)

I would go with a different pair of shoes. If this one's giving you blisters, it's better to go with an old pair that won't...........I like the advice about the duct tape. If you get a blister, you want to protect it so it will heal..................In the meantime, socks, are you wearing cotton socks? or a decent wool blend? Cotton tend to get sweaty and lose all their cushion - then friction causes the blister. If that's the problem, put antiperspirant on your feet or use socks that still protect your feet when damp or wet.............Also, tying, your goal is to set your heel firmly into the heel of your shoe. Leave the toe area relatively loose then tighter through the middle to lock in your heel; hopefully not so tight that you cut off circulation - which creates other problems.

Whatever shoes you decide to bring, do bring a pkg of blister-type bandaids. I don't know what they're called but they will specifiy 'blisters' on the packaging. Years ago during a hiking trip in Italy, I developed a large blister on my heel. The pharmacist pointed me towards the blister bandaids (not Bandaid brand). I thought they'd just come off right away, but these stay on for a few days even during showers. When they do come off, the blister will probably be healed. The best thing is that I felt no more pain once I put it on. I always throw a few in my suitcase. They've been available here in the US for years now both in store brands and the Bandaid brand.