For Blisters: Moleskin vs. Leukotape vs. Blistoban?

[Curtis B.]

I'm curious as to people's preferences for various blister treatments. I'm prone to blisters on the balls of my feet and between small toes as a result of my muscular structure (according to the specialist I just saw last week).

I've used moleskin forever, with varied results depending upon how early I've caught the blister.

I've read here of people using Leukotape over the top of hot spots and blister and just assuming that once it is on, it isn't coming off before the end of the trip because removal tends to tear off the top layer of the blister.

What about Blistoban? It is supposed to absorb moisture from the blister and it has a flexible bubble top layer that acts as a sheering layer.

What are your thoughts and preferences?

[John S.]

Try a sock liner for those ball of feet blisters.

Toe blisters can be prevented with toe socks such as injinji brand.

Most here probably use leukotape or duct tape for blisters.

[Jennifer McFarlane]

I've always worn liner socks and those definitely minimize blister issues- usually none.
This year, I switched to trail runners and used just thinner wool socks with hydropel.
It worked great until we hiked for 4 hours in rain and hail. My shoes were loose but my feet were so cold I didn't feel the blister forming.
Once I had the blister, I cleaned it and put one of Bandaids "blister bandaids" on it. We use these types of dressings a lot for wound care (in the hospital) and you pretty much put them on and leave them on until the area heals. I've also used them successfully for small burns and when I get a crack in my fingers that is too big to successfully fill with super glue.

[peter vacco]

inquiring minds need to know, on the ball blisters, how thick are the callouses ?
one side or both.
have you tried that hydropel for the between the toes issues ? it works wonders on that sort of thing.

cheers,
peter v.

[Tom Clark]

If you frequntly get blisters in those areas on 1-5 day hikes, you might just want to tape them up with Leuko tape at the start of the hike, rather than waiting for a blister to start. What's the down side???

[Diane Pinkers]

Leukotape was the only thing that stuck to my feet. Moleskin, duct tape, forget about it, even applied to dry feet, within a mile I was sitting down and taking my shoes off to fish out the pieces of tapey stuff that had migrated and was busily forging blisters in other places.

My boyfriend and I left the leukotape on for a day or two, but after that it will get rather loose and bunchy. My main problem with it is that the adhesive is so aggressive it taped my sock to my foot. Hard to get the adhesive washed out. It also caused a blood blister in one location on my big toe from adhering to the sock, and pulling too much.

This year, I'm wearing Injinji toe socks, with Hydropel. I haven't been hiking as much, but I've had no blisters. Wearing toe socks without hydropel=wear areas between my toes where the toes sort of pulled tight and created a sawing problem. Toe socks + hydropel=happy feet. Wore this combo for 26 miles into and out of Enchanted Valley in wet conditions, so fairly confident that's the magic trick. And, hydropel avoided the wet pruney feet problem too. Tried toe sock liners with thin merino socks over top=too warm feet. Might be the combo for winter.

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