All right gang.....what are your best tips for avoiding feet problems!!!???

[CJK]

Without fail, I get blisters on both feet on my Disney trips. I also have a bit of a chaffing problem...
This year, I'm going to be better prepared!!!! Here's what I'm doing. Please add other tips if you have some other ones.

I have two pair of shoes to wear. The first, are a worked-in pair of running shoes with blister-prevention socks. I just bought the socks so I'm not sure how well they work. My other pair of shoes are teva sandals. I bought them last week so I'm slowly working them in.

With both pair of shoes, I'm going to use body glide. Apparently you rub some (it's like putting on deoderant) on any part of your body where chaffing may occur. I'll rub some on my feet and between thighs. The key is to apply it BEFORE any blisters or soreness develops.

I'll also have good ole bandaids as back-up! I really, really want this trip to be pain-free!! I've heard people talk about moleskins too. Is that like a bandaid? I wonder if they're sold in Canada?

Thanks for any additional tips!

 

[NMAmy]

The two pairs of shoes has worked wonders for me. I take two pairs of broken in running shoes and alternate days. I haven't had a blister since I started doing this.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[VW_Guy]

If you want a surefire way to avoid blisters, do what us runners to--tape your feet. You don't have to do it all over if you don't want to--just wrap it around the front so you get the sides and balls of your feet. DO NOT put tape between your toes--it won't help any, and you will cut thier circulation. Also, make sure its the slippery kind of tape, not the grippy kind--the idea is to make the tape take all the friction instead of your skin. If you are afraid your feet will get really sweaty, get perforated tape. You may also want to bring along some goo gone or Dawn to get rid of the sticky at night.

 

[metus]

Moleskin is the best when you have a blister (or one is starting to show up). You simply put the moleskin over the blister and you can keep going without the blister pain. It used to be actual skin from a mole, but now i can only find synthetic stuff. It works wonders when you have a blister, you almost forget that you have one. However, it can hurt a lot when taking it off at night - be careful.

 

[JillU-DVC]

I always get blisters in the same place - between almost all of my toes (I have hammer toes, and some overlapping toes). Doesn't matter what shoes I wear, happens in all shoes when I walk at WDW.

It only took me a couple of trips to learn to put moleskin around each of my toes every morning before I put my socks & shoes on.

So if your blisters are always in the same place, put moleskin on every morning, before your blisters start! And put fresh moleskin on every morning (we shower at night at WDW, so I would take it off each night when we got back to the room).

Hope this helps!!

 

[JEANMR1]

I bring numerous pairs of shoes and always have some moleskin with me. With 4 pairs of shoes or so, I can switch twice a day and my feet don't feel tired because of the different pressure points.

 

[Mickeefan]

I don't have any real advice for blisters, because I usually don't develop them. My advice is for tired, weary feet. CHANGE SHOES! I love to change shoes after walking the parks all day. We'll go back to the room in the late afternoon to rest and I'll change shoes for the evening. This year, I'm taking Tevas. I've never worn sandals at the parks before, so we'll see. They're broken in and I've been wearing them for shopping and stuff to be sure I can wear them for long periods of time.

 

[michaelwilliammidd]

Here is alot of other suggestions from an earlier post......http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=828947

 

[momsgoofy]

Three suggestions, two of which I learned here at the DIS.

1. Buy Arrid antiperspirant cream, it's in the can. Use it like the body glide...it worked great for my feet the day I wore my Nike trainers and is less expensive.

2. Buy a pair of CROCS beach style shoes. I wore those the entire trip at WDW (minus the 4 hours I wore those stinkin' Nike that caused me a blister). My feet were great the whole time I had on the CROCS. Okay, they are a bit ugly, and they do need a test run before you wear them all day...just like the Birkenstocks need a breaking in period.

3. For the chafing, buy Monistat anti-chaf powder gel. It is fabulous!! I went to the website and requested a sample before our trip, but it didn't get here in time so I didn't buy it. Well, it arrived after we got back and I tried it...my legs rub together sometimes and it isn't fun...works great! It is a bit pricey (like $6 a tube), but I like it and it only takes a little.

I, too, have the problem with overlapping toes, so I know I'm prone to blisters, especially if the shoes squish my toes together. (That is why the CROCS beach were great...my feet could spread like they want to.) I've tried the moleskin a couple of times but I ended up with blisters on the toe next to it...maybe I'm doing something wrong...so I just use bandaids as a preventative - put one where I know I'm prone to get a blister and off I go for the day. When I get back to room, off it goes and into the trash.

 

[beattyfamily]

You are on the right track. I LOVE Bodyglide and it really works for blisters and chafing!

I have a routine and shoes that I wear now that I've learned over the years from here and trying them out myself! Some have worked (sandals, Bodyglide, moleskins) and some haven't (coolmax socks, walking sneakers, antipersperant).

This is what works for me:
I wear Teva Pretty Rugged sandals and sometimes switch off to my Ecco sandals.
I bring Bodyglide and Blistershield and put one on my feet (Bodyglide) and one between my legs (Blistershield).
I bring moleskins just in case, but I haven't had to use them in at least 3 trips but when I did need them, they were a Godsend!
I take motrin everyday for swelling and pain.
I soak my feet every night if possible.
I bring a peppermint cream to put on my feet before I go to bed each night; it really sooths my achy feet!

I switch my shoes sometimes to my Ecco sandals and Reef flip flops around the pool and resort for a change but I mostly wear the Tevas.

I had blisters for 4 trips and now I haven't had blister for my last 3 trips since I started doing the above tips.

You can get moleskins at Walmarts and Stop and shop etc...in the foot aisle.

Good luck!

 

[OKWAnneMarie]

Moleskin is the best when you have a blister (or one is starting to show up). You simply put the moleskin over the blister and you can keep going without the blister pain. It used to be actual skin from a mole, but now i can only find synthetic stuff. It works wonders when you have a blister, you almost forget that you have one. However, it can hurt a lot when taking it off at night - be careful.

I don't think you should put moleskin on a blister. That can really hurt and make the situation worse (your blister won't heal, it will just get worse). Moleskin is meant to prevent the blister. Put it on your feet where you normally develop blisters. Start the very first day and use it every day. It really works. Good Luck. :

 

[SnackyStacky]

Dr. Scholl's made a liquid powder. It was on clearance at Target at one point and I bought about 8 bottles of it. I think they still make it. But I slather that stuff on my feet. I then dump Dr. Scholl's (or the store brand) powder into my shoes. That usually does the trick. If I DO get a blister, what I do:

1.) Sterilize a needle or pin. Rubbing alcohol, purell, or a lighter work well to do this.

2.) Drain the fluid by pricking the skin of the blister. Do NOT tear the skin. Just put a tiny hole to drain the fluid.

3.) Wash the area with warm soapy water

4.) Put moleskin, or Spenco second skin on the blister.

At the end of the day, make sure you soak your feet in warm soapy water to remove the second skin, or the moleskin. Otherwise, you will rip the skin right off the blister. OUCH!

DON'T use bandaids ANYWHERE for blister prevention or treatment. The adhesive is not strong enough to stand up to the sweat, and the band aid will slip off and eventually exacerbate the problem instead of preventing or helping it.

That's always helped. And if I do get a blister, that treatment usually helps it.

 

[Poohbear123]

I went in May for 3 days and I got a Blister on my left foot on the BOTTOM of my toe, on the FIRST day! So, I did what I had done in the past: Pop it, put neosporin on it, a peice of cotton ball, and 2 band-aids on the toe. Worked great, I could walk and feel NO pain. As for the rest of my feet, I would put Powder inside the sock, and inside the shoe, and my feet stayed in one place, and slide back and forth, as my shoes are a little big due to my feet swelling. I found that using Deoderant, it dries my feet out more, and I am prone to blisters that way! Now, if I can only stop my lower legs from getting the "Disney Rash" would be OK. I also bring a LOT of socks and change them twice a day.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Bring different types of shoes, and change them every day. That way blisters will not get larger or more infected as you walk from day to day.

Take a foot bath each night.

Use deodorant on your feet to help with swelling and perspiration.

 

[bdink921]

I was really nervous about getting blisters during our trip, but I had a pair of well worn comfy sneakers and a pair of Bass sandals that I brought with me. I usually wore one pair in the morning/early afternoon and switched to the other after our midday break. It worked really well--I never did get a blister and we sure clocked alot of miles!!