The last couple days instead of just walking/jogging the flat street around my neighborhood I've been going UP the STEEP hill into the Tidal wave safety area and coming back down... as a result I've gotten some pretty nasty blisters on my heels. I'm taking a day off today to see if they'll heal up a little but I can't let them stop me! I know back in my college days I used to plaster my feet up with moleskin and call it good but I wear flip flops everyday (yay Hawaii) so that's just not practical. What can I do to prevent/heal them? Thanks!

The moleskin is the only thing I know to help them heal, flip flops aside. However, to prevent them, there are certain socks that work better than others. Just read in Shape magazine that they tested various socks and the winners included socks made with 75% Coolmax (a polyester blend used in athletic wear) and 25% stretch nylon. Recommended brands - New Balance 360 degree Mesh Lightning Dry ($9 for two pairs), Under Armour Heat Gear No-Show ($10 for two pairs). It might be worth the investment in some good blister-reducing socks.

Also, do your shoes fit properly? It might also be a good investment of time/money to go to a sporting goods store, talk to someone who can fit you for shoes, and discuss the types of exercise you're doing so you can get shoes that fit well for the types of movement you do.

OH thanks for the tip on the socks... I'll have to run out and see if I can find them.

I'm pretty sure my shoes fit well... I got them about a month ago and they're pretty broken in. Newbalance cross trainers... Maybe I'll take them back in and see if someone can tell me if they're fitting correctly. I think my right foot is smaller than my left foot because the blister is much worse, I think it's rubbing more. Can I get shoes in 2 different sizes? lol

Blisters are your body’s way of creating a natural protective cushion to protect your feet.

Most occur on the ball or heel of the foot, or underneath the big toenail.
Friction rubs are the direct cause of blisters. Any amount of friction between skin and skin, skin and sock, sock and shoe, etc., eventually will cause a blister.

Anywhere on the feet or toes where you feel pressure, tenderness, pain, heat, or burning is an area of potential blister.

When you remove your shoes and socks after walking, check your feet for hot spots. Areas that are more tender, red, or warm are most likely to form a blister during subsequent walks.

The following guidelines should be followed to help you take of blisters should they occur:

If you develop a blister, do not pop or peel it; let nature take its course and heal the blister before you hit the pavement again. A few days of rest will be more beneficial to your training than trying to walk through the pain.

Cover the blister, opened or not, with antibiotic ointment and gauze or a Band-Aid. Provide protective cushioning with some type of padding (moleskin, Second Skin, etc.).

If the blister is under a toenail, drain it and tape the toenail in place. If the nail is loose and looks like it might cause a problem, see a podiatrist (foot doctor) for further evaluation.

For bilster care, consider stocking a "blister kit" with the following items:

Band-aids
Alcohol pads
Moleskin dressing material
Blister pads
Small scissors (to cut dressing material)
Minor over-the-counter pain relief medications (Aspirin, Ibuprofen)
Tubefoam
Medical tape
Gauze pads (sterile, individually wrapped)

Foot Powders
There seems to be a lot of discussion about using foot powders and cornstarch. You need to find which, if any, works best for you.

Try using the powders that are especially designed for feet. Cornstarch has a sugar base and may not be a good choice if you are prone to fungal infections or athlete’s foot.

You may also try applying Glide or Vaseline between your foot and sock to help prevent friction.

Applying glide (i.e. body glide) to your feet and wearing two pairs of thin socks can work well to prevent blisters. The two socks act as friction against each other rather than your sock and your foot.

If there is a Nordstrom near you, they allow you to buy one pair of shoes where the R and L are different sizes. If that truly is your problem, I would go to a local running store (not just any sporting goods store, but try to find a specialty running store) and have them evalulate your stride while barefoot. They can tell you which shoe is best for you. Also, have them measure your feet and if you are different shoe sizes, see if they will sell you a mixed pair. If not, check to see if Nordstrom carries the shoe they recommend for you and then purchase a mixed pair from Nordstrom. To be safe, I'd call Nordstrom first and double check.

Good Luck.