Blister relief

Spenco 2nd Skin Blister Pads rock.

I bought new hiking boots last year (after 13 carefree years my old boots were beginning to fall apart), and it has taken over 100 km of strenuous hiking to break them in. During that process I've accumulated some of the nastiest blisters I've ever seen.

The worst happened last August. On the first day of the Rockwall trail, I felt a painful bubble developing on my left heel. By the second day it had broken open into a raw, excruciating mess. And by day three it had grown a black crust with yellow fluid oozing freely through the cracks. No combination of bandages, moleskin, duct tape, 2nd Skin, socks, corn starch and alternate boot-lacing techniques seemed to relieve the boot-on-heel pressure.

The blisters have continued this year, and though my boots are getting better they still create a lot of friction on my inner heels. I used the Spenco 2nd Skin Blister Pads for the first time this weekend and they made a huge difference. They're thin and very sticky, so they don't wear off easily. They also seem to be water resistant and less likely to sweat off (compared to say duct tape or regular bandages). My pads lasted two days each--I used waterproof tape to help protect them. The best part was that I didn't feel much pain at all and was able to enjoy the hiking and scenery.

The Spenco pads are fairly expensive, but I've also had some luck with the Band-Aid blister pads (about half the price).