Hiking socks to prevent blisters

“Hi all! I am going backpacking on Sunday, to Big Pine Lakes,CA, about 16 miles round trip. I have a few blisters on the sides of my toes (right foot only) that are healing, I am also on antibiotics since one got infected. I bought a pair of Merrell Siren Sport hiking shoes, however, I tried to break them in, and got a blister, they were uncomfortable for me in many ways, so I returned them to REI. Now I have a pair of low top Northface Hedgehog hiking boots, and I tried to break them in last weekend. I hiked 6 miles with moleskin all over my feet, but still got a blister, which got infected. I bought new nylon socks "Coolmesh ii" by Wrightsock. If I wear these socks, with another nylon sock over it, will it help? I hate thick wool socks as they seem like too much cushion for me, and I know to stay away from cotton. Or is it ok to wear the Coolmesh ii nylon sock under a cotton sock? Any advice is appreciated. I also have secondskin, and moleskin to use. Thanks guys! Ciera”

“I've found double nylon socks to work alright to prevent blisters - but if you already have blisters I'm not sure if they'll do a lot to prevent those from starting to hurt after a few miles. That said, I don't know if I'd want to test anything new or different out on a longer hike... if it doesn't work and gives you new blisters within a few miles, you're gonna be hating life by the end of the trip”

“Synthetic liner sock with a low volume merino wool sock is your best bet. Dress your feet with moleskin prior to hiking.”

“I'd also add when stopping for longer breaks, take the socks off and let them and your feet dry out or consider changing to totally dry socks...”

“wrt existing blisters - forget the moleskin and sterilize a needle and cotton thread - put the thread through the blister and cut it off still in the blister leaving about 1/2 inch on each side - this acts as a drain for the blister - this saved me considerable pain when doing some long days backpacking”

“ew! never thought of that though... I'll have to give it a go next time.”

“I wear Ultimax liners and wool socks. You can get thin wool socks that will still wick better than cotton. Merino is good but expensive.

... And don,t forget duct tape (God on a roll). It provides a slippery surface and prevents rubbing. Don't put it over an actual blister; wait till it heals and tape that area when you hike.

Good luck.

Doug”

“Lighter gear (30lbs or less)+ trail runners + Smartwool Trekking socks = no blisters. Sometimes sore spots on the bottom of my feet.
Duane”

“Treat the boots with professional shoe stretch, available at shoe repair shops...call around until you find a shop that has it...

apply to the boots (Soak the leather all over) Wear the boots for a few hours until they dry, WALK in them, don't just sit...the shoe stretch will break in the leather stretch the bootsa where they flex, and you will not get blisters.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRJ5T_dff5X36QHK86YjN1Eye4kAt7mlIgt7Uuv35_gQ5Fa6Wd2”

“Your problem might be the footwear and not the sock combination. Try trail runners instead if boots are giving you a problem.”

“After dozens of blisters this year I came across these: Injinji performance lightweight ultra thin interface socks with Smartwool PhD's over them to be the ticket. They may be more expensive and require a bit of TLC but when it comes to my feet I'd rather pay the price than pay the price. Also found that athletic tape worked better than duck tape as it breathes.”

“forget the liners, use smartwool and duct tape.”

“agree on the athletic tape”

“I like thick merino wool socks or thin nylon socks. The thick wool seems to keep my feet drier in wet conditions. The nylon I like better with trail runners but you have to change them more.”

“First off, the easy question: "Or is it ok to wear the Coolmesh ii nylon sock under a cotton sock?" No - cotton socks are bound to cause you problems on a hike.

Second - the problem may be that your feet haven't healed. What works when your skin is in good shape may not work when the skin on your feet is already a mess.

Overall - socks are the place go high end, because the price difference isn't all that great. If the Hedgehogs were a good fit for my feet - I'd be happy with a pair of fairly light good wool blend socks. I love the "Darn Toughs" - but smartwool as duane, twiggy and HOI suggest is also a great brand.

What works for one person often doesn't work for another - but for me a very tight fitting sock will do the trick. If the trail is very rough, I might use a tight fitting liner or even a tight fitting regular sock with something looser over it. Ages ago, I had lots of blisters, but with the exception of one trip with cheapo socks, I haven't had any in about 12 years.

For me - one solution for a very rocky nasty trail and low cut trail shoes similar to the Hedgehogs, was to wear the following socks (with Darn Tough under the REIs).

http://www.amazon.com/Darn-Tough-Merino-Cushion-X-Large/dp/B000XG1CXA/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie;=UTF8&qid;=1346427760&sr;=1-2-catcorr&keywords;=darn+tough+1%2F4+merino+cushion

http://www.rei.com/product/791176/rei-hybrid-light-hiking-quarter-socks-with-primaloft-fiber-mens”

“Sometimes the cause of the blisters isn't boots or socks - it's the person's soft feet.

Use liberal amounts of moleskin/duct tape. If your feet sweat profusely try spraying on antiperspirant.”

“please note I did not recommend Smartwool - what I use are either Wigwam Coolmax Liners - not really a liner sock IMO but they work well in the summer by themselves - the rest of the time I use Darn Tough socks - they grip the foot well and tend not to slip against the skin thus fewer blisters - I previously used Bridgedales for much the same reason but I think Darn Tough are better

wrt foot treatment - if there are no open wounds use some rubbing alcohol to help dry your feet out - note rubbing alcohol is also good for hand sanitizer - another product sometimes used on the feet is Body Glide - I used it a bit early in '09 when I was starting the AT andd I think it helped avoid blisters”

“I apologize HOI. I was looking at the board crooked it was Twigeater and the poster immediately before her, comfortable hiker, who mentioned smartwool. You were the poster immediately after Twiggy.

HOI - this is exactly why I like Darn Tough. They fit snuggly so they take the friction as the foot moves around in the shoe, and the skin doesn't get the friction”

“HOI great idea with thread inside the blister! That's the first time I've heard that. And I'll have a try at athletic tape too. I use Smartwool, Bridgedales, and some Thorlos, always with some type of synthetic liner. My stocks are always overstocks or blems from places like Sierra Trading Post .... if I'm buying something there, I'll pretty much always snag some sox too, while I'm at it.”

“Stay home until your feet are healed.

Then use silk or nylon under wool!

I buy work shoes from Walmart or Target. I break-them-in slowly even though it is not needed. Also, until I can trust the new clodhoppers, I carry my old boots with me. I switch at the slightest sign of a problem starting. I do not hesitate to use athletic tape.”