(No -- this is NOT my blister!  Just a photo I found.)

I have run for years without getting blisters, and concluded that I was blister proof. Then, after about 5 miles yesterday I felt a sore place on my foot. It got worse until, at the end of my 8 mile run, I wasn't exactly hobbling, but I was certainly hurting.

What happened?

First, a little history. I am just getting back into long runs after a layoff caused by a pulled hamstring. I ran a 10K a week ago and found that my conditioning was terrible, but finished without any problems.

Yesterday, I was running strong, my breathing had settled down, and I felt great. Except for that stupid blister. Clearly, something was different.

I run in heavy Thorlo socks, and since I started using them I had no blister problems (until now). Yesterday, the sock on my left foot felt harsh, as though the fibers were hard and brittle, rather than soft and flexible. I decided it might be a good idea to discard that sock: presumably they do eventually wear out!

Time for new socks.

Then I felt in my shoe, and found there is a slight wrinkle on the liner at about the point where the blister started. However, I found the same thing in the other shoe, and my right foot felt OK. Hmmm.

Finally, it dawned on me. Once again, I had broken one of my well-thought-out rules. I ran in the same shoes as the day before!

I believe very strongly in switching shoes every time I run. The reason is simple: if I wear the same shoes, I subject my feet, legs and the rest of my body to the same stresses. Changing to different shoes, preferably from a different manufacturer, avoids that problem.

Maybe it doesn't need to be a different manufacturer: what's important is the last. Since I don't know what last they are using, though, switching manufacturers is more likely to insure that I have a different last. At least, that's the theory.

So how to avoid blisters?

  1. Wear thick, synthetic socks and throw them out when they start to feel rough.

  2. Wear good shoes and change them for each run.

  3. Use at least two pairs of shoes from different manufacturers.

I see the blister as a warning: I was lucky not to have injured myself in another area that would take longer to repair. A hamstring or ITB injury would be very possible. What probably saved me was that I was running slow and easy, and not pushing myself.

Enjoy your blister-free running!

PS - you can get Thorlos and running shoes at discount prices from the store I use.  (Right now, they have 10% off everything and free shipping.)

PPS - Here is a picture of me near the end of the Capitol 10K last week