# Help with blisters



## Soccer_newbie (Apr 25, 2018)

Do you guys have any tips on preventing blisters?  My DD gets them on the inside/bottom of her big toe and the bump right below the big toe.


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## coachsamy (Apr 25, 2018)

Get her some good fitting shoes. Take her to a local  soccer store and have her try different high end models and see what fits best. Then if they don't have a sale, you might be able to find them cheaper online, but at least you know the type of shoe.


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## ItsCalledSoccer (Apr 25, 2018)

I remember someone advising against wearing two pairs of socks as they rub together and cause blisters.


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## younothat (Apr 25, 2018)

Shoes and socks...blisters






The two pair of socks not all that practical for soccer but i know players that use Glide Skin protector anti-Friction Cream


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## Nefutous (Apr 25, 2018)

ItsCalledSoccer said:


> I remember someone advising against wearing two pairs of socks as they rub together and cause blisters.


There are thin silky socks that wick mosture. They are meant for
hiking and worn under regular wool hiking socks. My son’s friends have had good results with them for hiking.


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## Not_that_Serious (Apr 25, 2018)

i use to pitch and get blisters. i use to resort to crazy glue to get an extra layer of skin and so it wouldnt break open. healed once i stopped pitching. ive always read up on anything related, especially being a big baseball fan. This article is probably best article ive read on the issue:

https://sports.vice.com/en_ca/article/8qy8ev/twisted-blister-rich-hill-and-baseballs-biggest-little-injury

I dont recommend going Nolan Ryan and shaving skin away. This is also the hand and not the foot but the premise is the same. Friction sucks. Rubbing + Moisture = recipe for hurt


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## zebrafish (Apr 25, 2018)

In terms of hiking I've had a lot of problems with back of heel blisters even using hiking socks and double pairs of socks
On a recent trip, an experienced hiker told me to put single layer of white athletic tape over problem area (all the time, before any problems happened) and this worked wonders. By doing this, friction happens on the tape and nothing is rubbing directly on the skin
This might work for your kid -- but it might be difficult in big-toe area, I'm not sure. Might be worth a try.


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## Not_that_Serious (Apr 25, 2018)

zebrafish said:


> In terms of hiking I've had a lot of problems with back of heel blisters even using hiking socks and double pairs of socks
> On a recent trip, an experienced hiker told me to put single layer of white athletic tape over problem area (all the time, before any problems happened) and this worked wonders. By doing this, friction happens on the tape and nothing is rubbing directly on the skin
> This might work for your kid -- but it might be difficult in big-toe area, I'm not sure. Might be worth a try.


hah, thought just reminded me of using duct tape on the heels of a kid who had blisters. he said it helped, or at least got him through the game. but couldnt imagine it being a permanent fix. i feel for kids with reoccurring issue, no fun.


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## LASTMAN14 (Apr 25, 2018)

Soccer_newbie said:


> Do you guys have any tips on preventing blisters?  My DD gets them on the inside/bottom of her big toe and the bump right below the big toe.


Here are a couple things I've done personally. I know someone said that wearing two pairs of socks has its limitations but I've been doing it most of my playing career. Though its a proactive response and not a reactive one. Also, this is pricey option, but often blisters develop because of the time/friction spent wearing a specific shoe. Switching shoes at halftime. It may sound odd, but another thing I've done to prevent blisters.


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## Soccer_newbie (Apr 25, 2018)

LASTMAN14 said:


> Here are a couple things I've done personally. I know someone said that wearing two pairs of socks has its limitations but I've been doing it most of my playing career. Though its a proactive response and not a reactive one. Also, this is pricey option, but often blisters develop because of the time/friction spent wearing a specific shoe. Switching shoes at halftime. It may sound odd, but another thing I've done to prevent blisters.


Hmmm...interesting.  I've never heard of switching shoes.  
DD tried the double socks before but she didn't like it.


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## Soccer_newbie (Apr 25, 2018)

zebrafish said:


> In terms of hiking I've had a lot of problems with back of heel blisters even using hiking socks and double pairs of socks
> On a recent trip, an experienced hiker told me to put single layer of white athletic tape over problem area (all the time, before any problems happened) and this worked wonders. By doing this, friction happens on the tape and nothing is rubbing directly on the skin
> This might work for your kid -- but it might be difficult in big-toe area, I'm not sure. Might be worth a try.


That's a lot of work to do all the time but maybe she'll be willing to put in the extra effort if it will prevent it from occurring in the first place.


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## Soccer_newbie (Apr 25, 2018)

younothat said:


> Shoes and socks...blisters
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I will try to look for the foot one and maybe that will work for her.  Thanks.


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## Soccer_newbie (Apr 25, 2018)

Nefutous said:


> My 14 year old dd just started suffering with blisters in the exact same spot this season. The worst one is between the big toe and the next toe. I have read extensively on line and talked to sales people at stores for runners, soccer players and hikers. I have bought new shoes and made sure that the most experienced salesperson checked the fit.  She also gets them now when running in her tennis shoes which previously did not cause a problem.
> 
> We have tried not only the glide skin mentioned above but also Body Glide Foot Anti Blister, Hike Goo, Petroleum Jelly, Lamb’s Wool Padding (you are suppose to only need a little bit and wrap around the toes) and 2nd skin Blister Kit.  We have also changed her insoles but nothing has helped too much.  At practice I have her wear socks made for hiking from REI. I also make sure she takes off her cleats immediately after practice and games so her feet and shoes dry out. I am hoping it is just a phase. Good luck.


Oh man, I feel for you.  Good luck!


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## Soccer_newbie (Apr 25, 2018)

Nefutous said:


> There are thin silky socks that wick mosture. They are meant for
> hiking and worn under regular wool hiking socks. My son’s friends have had good results with them for hiking.


Do you know the brand?


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## pewpew (Apr 25, 2018)

Boots need to fit properly and be laced up tight to prevent slippage inside thus leading to blisters.
A few years ago my daughters feet were hammered from long sweaty days at a week long GK camp. I invested in Trusox. Expensive at $40 a pair but she's never had a blister since (knock on wood) and they last awhile. She won't wear anything else while playing.
Or maybe just try changing socks halfway thru game or practice. Keeps the feet drier by changing out of the sweaty socks which is only part of the problem. My .02


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## LASTMAN14 (Apr 25, 2018)

Soccer_newbie said:


> Hmmm...interesting.  I've never heard of switching shoes.
> DD tried the double socks before but she didn't like it.


I first did it by chance. My boots were making my feet blister. Swapped them out at half time. Been doing it ever since. It manipulates the feet by offering a new feel which inhibits further blistering. Now I do it every time I play.


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## Nefutous (Apr 25, 2018)

Soccer_newbie said:


> Do you know the brand?


REI has them as Silk One Liners although there are various brands made specifically to prevent blisters and chafing.


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## Nefutous (Apr 25, 2018)

pewpew said:


> Boots need to fit properly and be laced up tight to prevent slippage inside thus leading to blisters.
> A few years ago my daughters feet were hammered from long sweaty days at a week long GK camp. I invested in Trusox. Expensive at $40 a pair but she's never had a blister since (knock on wood) and they last awhile. She won't wear anything else while playing.
> Or maybe just try changing socks halfway thru game or practice. Keeps the feet drier by changing out of the sweaty socks which is only part of the problem. My .02


Trusox is a good suggestion unless your team does not wear white or black socks.

True, slippage is part of the problem. Unfortunately many people cannot find cleats that fit properly due to wide toe box and or narrow heal.  Orthotics only help so much with this. To help prevent slippage you can tie a knot in the laces at the second hole and then continue to lace them up.  This will help keep the toe box area tighter.


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## pewpew (Apr 25, 2018)

Nefutous said:


> Trusox is a good suggestion unless your team does not wear white or black socks.


The full length only comes in black or white. You're correct. But you can get crew length in over 10 different colors. 
What you do is put either length you choose on with your shin guards. Then you take your team color sock..cut them at the ankle..slide those on over..tape the slipped on team sock at the ankle. Bam!! Done deal. Lots of pros do it this way. I think they might even show that on the website but I didn't look.


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## pewpew (Apr 25, 2018)

If you search different ways of tying shoe you'll find ways of securing the cleat tighter around the ankle. 
(Or for example skipping the first holes at the beginning to give more width around the foot/toebox area.)
That's how I found the double slip knot for my kid. Being a GK she can't be tying her shoes over and over during a game. Easy to learn. Done right they won't come untied yet are easy to undo.


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## 46n2 (Apr 26, 2018)

Theres several stores that cater to runners, Id stop by one of them and see what they recommend.  Runners high in Long beach is amazing, and they can custom make insoles too.


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## Ken (May 1, 2018)

pewpew said:


> The full length only comes in black or white. You're correct. But you can get crew length in over 10 different colors.
> What you do is put either length you choose on with your shin guards. Then you take your team color sock..cut them at the ankle..slide those on over..tape the slipped on team sock at the ankle. Bam!! Done deal. Lots of pros do it this way. I think they might even show that on the website but I didn't look.


Another believer of Trusox here. My dd was getting what she called, "inception blisters", which were basically blisters on top of blisters. Once we went with Trusox, they went away. She's been doing the cutting or "Ronaldo" method of wearing her socks and hasn't had any problems in games. At $40 bucks a pop, it can get expensive, but we wouldn't have it any other way. We have the ankle socks, the mid-calf and the full size. Unfortunately, the full-size only comes in the cushioned thickness, which she wasn't a fan of, but it all works.


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## Nefutous (May 5, 2018)

pewpew said:


> Boots need to fit properly and be laced up tight to prevent slippage inside thus leading to blisters.
> A few years ago my daughters feet were hammered from long sweaty days at a week long GK camp. I invested in Trusox. Expensive at $40 a pair but she's never had a blister since (knock on wood) and they last awhile. She won't wear anything else while playing.
> Or maybe just try changing socks halfway thru game or practice. Keeps the feet drier by changing out of the sweaty socks which is only part of the problem. My .02


Tried the Trusox socks for the first time today in a game.  While she still developed a blister on the ball of her foot that wrapped up in between toes, it was a huge improvement. Turf fields seem to be worse for her so that will be the true test in a few weeks.  But definitely worth the money. Thanks for the recommendation.


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## Nefutous (Aug 4, 2018)

I just wanted to update everyone in case it might help someone in the future.  We went to a second doctor that noticed the sensitivity my dd has to bug bites/she had a blister on the top of her foot from a spider bite.  This led to the realization that her blisters on the bottom of her feet from playing sports is due to an autoimmune/T-cell issue.  Not sure the ramifications or work around but at least it is a start.


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## pewpew (Aug 4, 2018)

Glad to hear the socks while not 100% improvement..did help somewhat. Try liberal use of foot powder before putting socks on as well to help combat against moisture. 
Hope the doc can help out with the others issues your DD is facing. Good luck to you guys!!


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## atvahc (Aug 5, 2018)

Nefutous said:


> There are thin silky socks that wick mosture. They are meant for
> hiking and worn under regular wool hiking socks. My son’s friends have had good results with them for hiking.


This is what we did for my son, who was very prone to blisters.  We found very thin no-show type socks that he wore under his soccer socks.  He would also apply a glide stick directly to his foot under the socks.  His problems were generally on his heels/achilles area.  This technique got him through years of soccer.  He's U18 now and still playing. Hope this helps.


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## Nefutous (Aug 5, 2018)

Thank you both for your suggestions. Yes we have tried everything listed on this thread plus many more including custom running shoes, orthotics etc. Just jogging 2 miles the other day made her feet burn. Something changed with her body chemistry in the last year or two to create the problem. We have Dr visits lined up for the next few weeks. Hopefully it is something that can be effectively dealt with.


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## Surfref (Aug 5, 2018)

I used to get them between my toes and on the bottom of my big toes while refereeing.  I wrap all of my toes with medical paper tape.  I no longer get blisters.  The tape is 1/2 inch paper tape that I get off Amazon.  Comes in a scotch tape type dispenser.  As for other foot blisters try a runners glide that you can get at Road Runner Sports.  Also make sure the socks fit tight.  A lot of heal and ball of the foot blisters are caused by poorly fitting socks or shoes.  Spend the extra money on good cleats and if the team socks don’t fit tight then go buy a pair that does.  If playing a tournament, shoes and socks should come off after each game and clean socks on for the next game.


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## Nefutous (Mar 6, 2019)

After months of seeing doctors and being told that my DD needs to learn to run so she is not so hard on her feet, she was diagnosed with both Raynaud’s and Perniosis/Chilblains. 

Basically both are conditions that when your toes and/or fingers are exposed to cold, they turn blue and/or red and swell up.  It has to do with the constricting of blood vessels which when they heat up again results in blood pouring into the surrounding tissue. (This is an oversimplification but I am sure you get the idea).

In December she woke up with swollen bright red toes. We thought she had been bitten by a spider because she has a strong reaction to bug bites.  But the swelling and redness persisted for over two months.  I researched conditons and went back to the doctor asking if she has Raynards. At first I was told no.  But at a follow up visit when her feet almost looked normal, her toes turned blue in a matter of a few minutes. This led to multiple blood tests and return visits to the dermatologist and rheumatologist, both of whom confirmed the diagnosis.

Both are rare diseases and it is rare for them to present with blisters, like in my DDs case. All that can really be done is to keep the toes warm and dry. Luckily for us her condition does not appear to be associated with more serious underlying illnesses.

I guess the moral is that parents know when there is something wrong and to be persistent.


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