Blister advice required

[Bonzo]

HI,

I bought a new pair of Meindl Caracas walking shoes last week. All felt good during the fitting.

However, after walking 2-3 miles on easy flat ground I felt the rumblings of a blister on my right heel. There were no issues with my left heel. I refitted the shoe and carried on but the blister worsened and after 4-5 miles I'm now the proud owner of a Compeeded right heel.

I can't remember the last time I suffered from a blister during many years of long distance and hill walking so this has come as a bit of a surprise.

I've got the option of returning the shoes and getting a wear-related refund but do people who usually suffer from blisters find that continued wear of shoes\boots eventually works and that any initial problems go away.

Do I give up on the shoes now or give them time to bed in?

Cheers,

Sean

[Sack the Juggler]

Meindl are pretty good boots / shoes, but fit is different for everyone, so maybe they are not for you?

However before you take them back, speak to Meindl and let them know of the issue, as they might be able to help?

also walking with a small blister will usually lead to a large blister, so best let the blister heal before giving them another go.

[Bonzo]

Just to add that my main boots are Meindl and I've had no issues whatsoever with them.

[Mal Grey]

Hey. You're probably suffering from heel rub due to the heel moving up and down inside the shoe. The solution is to stop the heel moving in the first place. Try lacing the shoes differently, I find in some shoes I have to be quite particular with the last couple of lace holes, or either the heel moves or there's too much pressure on the top of my foot. Loosen the laces right off, put your foot in, and give the shoe a quick downward tap of the heel onto the floor, to make sure your foot is at the back. Then lace slowly and progressively upwards, cinching the laces so they are snug but not too tight. I sometimes have to lace the last two (or sometimes its the one before last on higher fit shoes) a little tighter than feels immediately comfortable, but once walking they're fine. There are also lace patterns that help "lock" the right lace holes, have a google, as I can't remember what they're called myself!
Another thing that can change things is a different insole which either lifts or drops your heel a little to help it fit the "heel cup".
Another thing that helps is wearing a thin liner sock under a more padded outer sock, though in a lighter shoe like these I prefer only one pairs. In boots, its always two. Any movement should then happen between the sock layers, rather than the sock and your skin.

Of course, it is possible that these shoes simply don't fit your heels well. If so, you would be better exchanging them. Most Zamberlan boots used to fit me perfectly, but one pair simply never did, so it can differ within a brand.

[Bonzo]

Thanks guys - Once the blister has healed I'll give the shoes another go and make sure nothing's amiss fit and sockwise.

[Gordie12]

Good luck with the blister problem Bonzo.

I tend to find if I get a heel blister from a boot no amount of wear makes a difference so they have to head for the boot cemetery (the cupboard under the stairs).

[jacob]

About the lacing Mal is talking about, here's a nice overview of different lacing techniques for different footproblems.
It is in Dutch, but the images are self explainatory I'd say:

https://www.wandel.nl/wandeluitrusting/wandelschoenen/veters-strikken-kan-voetproblemen-voorkomen.htm

[Alteknacker]

....
Another thing that helps is wearing a thin liner sock under a more padded outer sock...

Or wearing 1000 mile socks. Since wearing these I've never had a blister. I normally wear approach shoes, but I also have boots for winter walking, and the same applies.

[Jon and Jen]

I can recommend engo blister prevention patches. I'm prone to blisters and was having extreme trouble both with my soles and my heels when I bought a pair of mountain warehouse boots. (I know, I know) I was determined to get some value out of them so did some research and an Australian guy had written a paper on a military blister study and had found the use of PTFE patches stopped the rubbing. Bought some engo patches off amazon and hey presto, got a few hundred miles out of the boots with not so much as a hotspot. I did a review of them on the equipment forum. Just search for engo. HTH

[Jon and Jen]

I can recommend engo blister prevention patches. I'm prone to blisters and was having extreme trouble both with my soles and my heels when I bought a pair of mountain warehouse boots. (I know, I know) I was determined to get some value out of them so did some research and an Australian guy had written a paper on a military blister study and had found the use of PTFE patches stopped the rubbing. Bought some engo patches off amazon, stuck them in the boots where they rubbed and hey presto, got a few hundred miles out of the boots with not so much as a hotspot. I did a review of them on the equipment forum. Just search for engo. HTH

[mynthdd2]

I lace my boots tight at the top and looser all the way down so that with movement the lace tension reaches a sort of upper foot shape profile.....seems to work as never had blisters yet (tho its correlational rather than anything else)

[rgallie]

I second the lacing advice, I have arthritis in my feet, that means I have to buy boots a size too big and sometimes they fit and sometimes they are too big

The solution (for me) for stopping blisters was in the lacing and it worked, I'll have a look when I get home how they are laced but I can walk 15 miles in boots a size too big for me with minimal movement inside and no blisters what so ever.

[Sack the Juggler]

there is a long distance walking race here on the island called the Parish Walk. The full race is 85 miles and it has to be completed in 24 hours, but only about 10% finish the whole race.

Most people stop at or before Peel (32.5 miles) which has a cut off of 9 hours, and that is usually my target, as it makes a decent days walk and its a bit like a folk festival type of atmosphere on the route to that point. Also its a nice pint in the Royal near the finish line.

I have tried all kinds of training shoes for this walk, and different socks, compeed, etc, but I always ended up with a blister or several, until 2016, when I read a study on how ultramarathon runners avoid blisters, and the answer was.... paper tape, Just simple microporous paper tape from boots for about 70p a roll, wrapped around my big toe, and layered across ball of foot and heel = no blisters!

Ok, I realise that this is not really solving the OP's question about his new boots (as this is an extreme blister situation), but thought I'd share for those who have blister issues on epic hikes.

[nick70]

there is a long distance walking race here on the island called the Parish Walk. The full race is 85 miles and it has to be completed in 24 hours, but only about 10% finish the whole race.

Most people stop at or before Peel (32.5 miles) which has a cut off of 9 hours, and that is usually my target, as it makes a decent days walk and its a bit like a folk festival type of atmosphere on the route to that point. Also its a nice pint in the Royal near the finish line.

I have tried all kinds of training shoes for this walk, and different socks, compeed, etc, but I always ended up with a blister or several, until 2016, when I read a study on how ultramarathon runners avoid blisters, and the answer was.... paper tape, Just simple microporous paper tape from boots for about 70p a roll, wrapped around my big toe, and layered across ball of foot and heel = no blisters!

Ok, I realise that this is not really solving the OP's question about his new boots (as this is an extreme blister situation), but thought I'd share for those who have blister issues on epic hikes.

Hi STJ

Can you advise where you get this paper tape please? I have tried all options, from foot cream, 2 pairs of socks (thin liner pair), 1000 mile socks, different boots etc.

I would be keen to try this tape you alk of. I'm at stage now that I'm thinking of booking an appointment with podiatrist, but this sound promising.

I haven't tried the different lacing yet, so will give this a go also.

[nick70]

About the lacing Mal is talking about, here's a nice overview of different lacing techniques for different footproblems.
It is in Dutch, but the images are self explainatory I'd say:

https://www.wandel.nl/wandeluitrusting/wandelschoenen/veters-strikken-kan-voetproblemen-voorkomen.htm

I had a look at link. That seems to show methods for lacing if you get blisters at certain areas, but my question is this. What if you get blisters at various different areas? Recently whilst out walking I got one at an area I have never blistered before. So as far as I can tell this would only work if you were getting blisters only at the same area all the time. I however seem to get them at various different points of feet all at one time.