What socks to wear to prevent blisters

[Krischaser]

Last time I went to Disney I got bad blisters. Trying to prevent that this time. I bought mole skin. Now looking for socks to help. Some say toe socks so toes do not rub and others say Bombas are great too. I have hokas and on cloud shoes along with flip flops that are cushioned. I do not want any blisters this time. Any tips?

 

[CarolynFH]

I had the same problem years ago because my feet sweat a lot, so I invested in wicking socks made especially for walking (padded in different places). I bought low-cut walking socks from Thorlo and as well as several pairs of Smartwool crew socks. I also began bringing 2-3 pairs of shoes so that I could wear a different pair each day, and they had time to dry out between wearings. I haven’t had blisters since then.

 

[fla4fun]

I put cloth adhesive tape on my feet anywhere I am prone to blisters, the type that has the smooth almost shiny surface. The sock moves against the tape instead of my skin and I don’t get blisters anymore. I get really bad ones on the balls of my feet if I don’t tape them up. I never found a specific type of sock that made any difference in my case. Changing shoes doesn’t really help me either as it’s the way I walk that causes the problem. Good luck in your quest for happy feet!

 

[focusondisney]

We use Body Glide on our feet every morning which helps us more than anything else. They have a foot glide product, but we didn’t find it as effective. We’ve used the large size, but there’s a smaller .8 oz that may be a little easier to use on feet. We’ve found it at Dicks, Amazon & the Fit2Run store at Disney Springs.

 

[Toolulu22]

I use the Body Glide (and there other versions) not just for Disney, but anytime I wear new shoes. Bomba’s are my favorite socks in general- and I just wore them all day at Epcot. I didn’t even use Body Glide, but had it with me. I can’t remember the last time I had a blister.

 

[DCL58]

I love Wrightsocks. Haven’t had any blisters since I started wearing them. And I walk miles every day - even when not at Disney.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

They make Bunga pads for ice skating that might help. They’re gel on the inside. You can move the sleeve. Amazon.



On our past several trips my feet were ok with just my no name everyday socks and Skechers stretchy walking shoes when chilly (which I’ve also worn for work), and otherwise, when warm, my regular flip flops.




We did all get bad blisters one year when we I bought Crocs sandals for everyone, so i can relate to how awful that is. I always keep moleskin in my wallet, too, just in case (helpful to have small scissors, too).

 

[Pea-n-Me]

On our recent trip I noticed someone walking around World Showcase in high heeled/spiked boots!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Running socks with wool work good for me. I recently bought some Hanes running socks and they have been good as well. I use a generous amount of foot glide/body glide on my feet too. I also alternate shoes daily as well.

 

[Ensusieasm]

Last time I went to Disney I got bad blisters. Trying to prevent that this time. I bought mole skin. Now looking for socks to help. Some say toe socks so toes do not rub and others say Bombas are great too. I have hokas and on cloud shoes along with flip flops that are cushioned. I do not want any blisters this time. Any tips?

Wear older socks that you’ve become used to that have been washed a few times, instead of new socks. Socks that you are used to can be a major source of irritation.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

Double sock. Athletic socks with wicking. Make sure at least one pair is thinner as two thick socks doesn’t work as well.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Puma socks for the win. I get them at Costco. Also using a foot stick on areas that may blister really helps.

 

[EACarlson]

Wool hiking socks if the temp is 70 or below. I prefer Darn Tough, but Smartwool or similar would work also. Hotter than that and I go with Under Armour. It was 85+ and I did 30k steps in the Under Armour socks and HOKA Bondi 8 shoes with no issues.

 

[Mle8308]

Depending on where you get blisters, my sister got them between her toes, tried all sorts of expensive socks. She bought toe socks on Amazon and they worked!

 

[bluezy]

I wear Bomba socks and Hoka shoes. I've never gotten a blister, but I do use Body Glide (or something similar) on my feet if it feels like an area is starting to rub. I think I had to do that a few days on one trip. I also never wear brand new shoes (or seriously old shoes) to Disney. I buy 2 new pair of Hokas (different styles) about 6-8 weeks before our trip and make sure to wear them each numerous times before we get there.

 

[badiggio]

I use wicking socks and hokas,but what did the trick for me was using anti-perspirant on my feet.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

On our recent trip I noticed someone walking around World Showcase in high heeled/spiked boots!

That was in an episode of Modern Family. Gloria, played by Sofia Vergara, wanted to wear heels to DLR. Her husband keeps telling her to wear something comfortable, which she won't.
Halfway through the day, she's afraid to admit her feet are in pain but he can tell, so he buys her a pair of fluffy slippers to wear. She loves them and wants another pair in another color.

 

[princesscinderella]

My stubborn middle daughter wore her brand new doc martens she got for Christmas to universal when she was a pre teen against my advice that she was going to get blisters. She insisted that she would not get them. We didn’t even make it to the Harry Potter area at IofA before she had them on her calf and ankles. An expensive pack of band aids later she hobbled around the park the rest of the day. My sister recommended she get hydrocollid bandages for the blisters and leave them on until they healed. They work great. I buy it by the roll for really cheap on Amazon as compared to a few band aid brand ones for 5x the price that you can cut to any size you need. They are waterproof and work great to prevent blisters or protect ones that form. It’s also the same thing as the expensive pimple patches that are marketed to teens. I will never buy a regular bandaid again.

There’s a bunch of different size rolls available, here’s an example.

https://a.co/d/02DhXM7t​

 

[bnf0522]

I had good luck on my last trip with Balega Hidden Comfort socks as well as Footjoy golf socks. Blisters are no joke...hope the advice here can be helpful!

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

IMHO, it’s the shoe and not the sock that should be the main focus, and that the brand of shoe doesn’t really matter. Fit matters. So does material. Shoes with good padding at the sole, and that overall fit a little loose at the beginning of the day are the answer for me, as all feet naturally swell during walking / as the day goes on. (If the shoe “fits like a glove” at the beginning of the day, it’ll probably be too tight as the day wears on.)

Friction, heat, moisture: that’s the combination that causes blisters. Loose enough, well-ventilated shoes eliminate the first two.

For me, plain, 100% cotton crew socks work great. Depending on where the blister(s) form (e.g., heel versus top of toe) would help guide if a full length sock is needed, or if a no-show would work. I’ve never used wicking socks other than for winter sports, and even then often wool, so my experience with synthetic socks is limited. Synthetic blends or full synthetic in “regular” socks do not work well at all for me, as they cause my feet to sweat and they retain the moisture.

Unless walking 100 yards or less from the room to the pool, I would avoid flip flops like the plague.

Anecdotally, an above-poster put a picture of some ugly (to me) sketchers walking shoes. I bought a pair of those and brought them, never worn (so not broken in) as an emergency back-up on our most recent trip. I wore them the overwhelming majority of the trip and they were amazing. They got a little wet on Tiana’s and dried pretty quickly. Speaking of - again, moisture contributes to blisters. I’d recommend carrying a dry pair of socks to change into, in case feet get wet on Kali River, a downpour, etc…