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New shoe season, aka blister season, is upon us ladies. And while you’re enjoying your brand new pair, it’s likely that somewhere on your foot a blister is starting to form. Maybe it’s on the ever-so-popular heel… or maybe it’s somewhere you would NEVER expect, like on the bottom of your foot! Yes, this can happen and it just happened to me. While breaking in a brand-new pair of loafers, I got a super painful blister on the bottom of my foot. I could barely walk for days. Luckily, the interwebs is rife with helpful solutions to any problem, so I was able to find exactly what to do…
READ MORE: How To Prevent Blisters Using A Product You Already Own
The answer is to let it breathe and to wear athletic tape (which is breathable!). Band-Aids and socks are a BAD idea. Why? Because moisture of any kind is really bad for blisters, so if you have one on your foot you want to air it out (like, say, wear backless loafers if you have a blister on your heel). Wearing socks, shoes or Band-Aids directly on the blister causes moisture to form throughout the day, which will only delay your blister from healing correctly.
I get it, though–airing out your foot during boots season is tough. Especially if the blister is on the bottom of your foot, which means you’d have to go barefoot to truly air it out. You’ll need to inevitably put something on–and the answer is athletic tape! I discovered this from a runner’s blog… apparently blisters at the bottom of your foot are a common problem in that community. Athletic tape is perfect because it’s sweat resistant and breathable.
READ MORE: How To Not Get Blisters From Running Shoes
Just cut a small piece to go directly over the blister. You can even shower with it on–as long as the blister isn’t open. If it’s open, you need to put Neosporin on it and take the athletic tape off at night to avoid infection. I found some athletic tape for you on Amazon, in case you need to grab a roll (it’s a good multi-purpose item to have in your home!):
Clever Training Kinesio Athletic Tape ($14.99)
Here are three more popular tactics for dealing with blisters at the bottom of your foot that I also picked up on the running forums.
1. Ice it. Icing helps the pain, it might not necessarily do anything to heal the blister–but hey, the pain is half the battle.
2. Use New-Skin. If the blister is broken, you’ll want to spray New-Skin Liquid Bandage Spray Antiseptic on it.
3. Do NOT pull the skin. You can drain the blister using a tiny sterilized pin (make sure to clean the area with alcohol after), but you should absolutely NOT rip or pull the skin. You need that protective barrier to heal the blister.
READ MORE: How To Break In Your Flats Without Getting Blisters
So, there you have it–some helpful tips for dealing with a blister at the bottom of your foot!
[Photo: Pink Peonies]
