Sure, we have plantar fasciitis, fungal or ingrown toenails, metatarsalgia (ball of foot pain), ankle sprains, stress fractures, and Achilles tendinitis. Those things happen to some of us. But the most common foot related issue among hikers is blisters. And the worst case scenario for blisters is infection that, if left untreated, can lead to cellulitis or even sepsis. So, this and every other related discomfort is why we pay close attention to the prevention and treatment of blisters.
Case in Point
I was hiking the Colorado Trail. This older lady, trying to keep up with the younger ones, developed some blisters. I’m not talking about a small cute little blister. Not this lady. Her blisters covered nearly the entire back of her foot on both of her feet. It was an open sore, oozing fluid, by far the worst case blister I had ever seen. And she thought she could just “air it out” or soak it in a creek. She had made up her mind that she would just rest a day and get back on trail with her trail family. Everyone in the hostel that day felt compelled to do an intervention. We coerced her into seeing a doctor. Obviously, It was serious. She went to the doctor, and was instructed to not wear a shoe for a while, and treat it daily with fresh, clean dressings and antibiotic ointment until it was healed. she wasn’t returning to the trail any time soon.
Causes and prevention of blisters?
The repetitive cadence of hiking causes friction, moisture, and heat on our feet. These conditions are what sets up an environment that makes blisters possible.
Among the contributing factors are: inadequate foot conditioning, improperly fitting shoes, shoes that don’t breath well, shoes that are severely worn or damaged, socks that don’t fit well, socks made of inappropriate fabric, worn or otherwise defective socks, dirty feet, and stressed feet. Any combination of these factors while hiking can result in blisters.
What do we need in our socks?
I’m going to only talk about socks in this article and bypass the discussion on shoes and conditioning. The assumption for this article is that the reader has properly fitting and breathable shoes and maintains proper physical conditioning. Those topics are important, but would make this article way too long for a blog post.
It took me about a year and a half of trying to figure out what combination of things worked for me. And it’s important to say here that everyone is different. There are many factors. I’ll just take you down my personal road of discovery.
The first thing I did was get the right size breathable shoes.
The second thing was to take a look at my socks. I studied all the qualifying attributes of various fabrics for wicking, moisture absorption, evaporation, durability, and even sustainability. I looked at various blended fabrics to understand how natural fibers and synthetic fibers could work together. There’s quite a bit of science in all this.
Then I discovered some studies that ran tests to help us understand the function of different fabrics and fabric combinations. Like most studies, they point out that much more study is needed. But a recurring theme for effective blister prevention and reduction of blister severity was the double sock system. This is, where there is some sort of inner liner between the skin and primary sock. The theory is that double layers reduce abrasion and friction on the skin, and proper sock fabrics wick moisture away from the skin, keeping feet cooler and dryer.
The Two Sock System
Two ways to go about this double sock system. The first is to, obviously, use two socks on each foot.
The first sock should be a thin polyester blend liner sock. This sock will wick moisture from the skin to the outside of the sock. To help prevent blisters between toes, toe socks are often recommended. A popular brand is Injinji.
Then the primary sock is worn over the liner sock could be either a merino wool blend or a Coolmax polyester. Either of these are effective, but there are many factors at play here. Too many to detail in article (moisture regain, swelling properties, water transport, heat transfer, friction coefficient, etc.). Because everyone and every type of field condition is different and each type of fabric has strengths and weaknesses, there no one-answer to which is best for everyone in all conditions.
A popular merino wool sock for hikers is Darn Tough. They also make a Coolmax sock.
The final part of this system is the shoe. If the shoe is breathable it will complete the path to pull moisture from the foot. If the shoe does not breath, this two sock system for blister prevention will be compromised.
The Double Layer Sock
Recently I connected with WrightSock. They have Double Layer® socks that are designed to perform like a double sock system, reducing skin friction and wicking moisture.
WrightSock offers synthetic and merino blended fabric options. This piqued my interest because it’s the same type of system I had been using for years, with one nice advantage: it’s one sock instead of two.
Essentially, we still have two socks here but they are sewn together. The inner layer is a moisture wicking layer much like the two sock system. And the outer layer can be either merino wool or a Coolmesh material that is very similar in function to Coolmax. Both Darn Tough and WrightSock socks come with guarantees.
Darn Tough’s guarantee is centered on durability and WrightSock’s guarantee is focused on performance. It’s hard to go wrong with either one.
Bottom Line
Every hiker should take action to prevent blisters. And because the science suggests that we reduce friction, moisture, and heat, either one of these two sock or two layer systems should be effective for just about anyone.
References:
Socks and Your Feet (American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine)
The Influence of Sock Composition on the Appearance of Foot Blisters in Hikers
Does wearing two pairs of socks help?
Cutaneous Friction Injuries and Blister Prevention in Athletes
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