Okay--I'm getting ready for my trip to Italy, and purchased a new pair of Mephisto sandals. They fit my feet perfectly.

We took the dog for a walk--probably a total of 2 miles--(NOTHING in comparison to what we'll do in Italy)--and yep, sure enough, got a blister on each foot.

So....I thought....I bet there are SlowTrav folks out there who have time-proven techniques for breaking in their feet so that they can wear their walking sandals, with no socks, without getting blisters.

Guess what I'm asking is, "What is the best way to build up callouses in the right places?"

Fortunately I have a few more weeks to get these blisters converted to callouses...but would love a more "scientific", systematic way of doing it. Do you have one??!!

Claudia,

What style of Mephistos did you buy and where are the blisters?

Ginger

I remember reading once a long time ago about soaking feet in epsom salt solution, but I've never done it.

Bill

Yours is an interesting question and I just googled "toughen feet" and found this.
About Walking

"Tannic acid to toughen: Marathoners and long distance walkers may want to toughen the feet with 10% tannic acid or a tea soak. Apply the tannic acid to your feet, or soak in strong tea, twice daily for two to three weeks.
"

Hi, Ginger

Here is more info than you wanted:


One foot has a blister right on the ball under big toe. The other foot has a long horizontal blister under toes #3 & 4.


I can't wait to hear your customized diagnosis!!!!

This is me by the time I got back home--I couldn't stand stepping down on either foot:

It does not take a long time to get used to walking.
Remember, in the end you will enjoy it instead of considering it a pain.
Many north Americans on their first day in a European city are exhausted from the walking.
Then after a month, they feel great walking a lot every day.

When they get home, among the many things they miss, they miss the walking.

quote:

Originally posted by Fur Kids Mom:
Guess what I'm asking is, "What is the best way to build up callouses in the right places?"

The best way is not so much to buy something (special shoes, medicine, etc.).
The best way is to walk more.

I don't know your lifestyle.
Do you go from your garage to the garage of your work place?
(I still remember my LA friend who got his car out of his garage, drove 4 blocks to the Santa Monica beachfront and then jogged.)

Can you park your car further to give yourself some walk, or will you be mugged?

Do you work in a multi-floor building? Try to climb stairs everyday. Try to take the lift for a lesser number of floors: Get out of the lift systematically 2 floors before your floor.

You said you walked for 2 miles and were exhausted.
If worse comes to worse, remember: you can't walk in a European city for 2 miles without running into lots of cafés where you can rest.

In short: you can't lose.

Americana,

I can walk great distances--I did not mean to imply at all in my original post that 2 miles was a long distance for me--it just happened to be the distance I walked in these particular sandals.

My feet are quite adapted to long walks in other shoes--none of which I want to take to Italy. I'm asking for a technique to get my feet broken-in for these particular sandals.

Fibonacci,

Your info on using tannic acid to toughen feet is very intriguing.... I just checked my bathroom cabinet--Nope! No tannic acid there.

I like the idea of applying it more than soaking in tea twice a day for weeks. (Actually, wouldn't it be a bit more romantic to soak in some high-tannic --albeit a bit more expensive....?)

So, I'll call my local pharmacy and see if this is something one can easily purchase.

(P.S.--I noticed in your profile that you and I took our first trips to Italy in spring of 2001. I'll soon be taking my 6th trip. I'm jealous that you have worked in 9 trips since then!!)

Fur Kids Mom,

My qualifications to speak about blisters is pretty thin. In fact the sum total of my knowledge comes from many miles of hiking on the Appalachian Trail here on the East Coast. The general concensus on the trail is that blisters are caused by ill fitting shoes or damp feet caused by sweating. Many hikers wear what is called a liner sock that wicks moisture away from the foot and we always change socks about half way through the day. This is to help keep the feet dry.

That being said, blisters on the ball of the feet can be caused by the boot/shoe not being tied tight enough. This is especially true on downhills where the foot will tend to slide and grab. Blisters on the bottom and front of the toes can be and usually are caused by curling the toes when walking fast or up hill. The person is trying to grab the sole of the shoe with his toes. I cured this problem by by consciously training myself to let my toes remain relaxed. Some success, especially with heel blisters, has been obtained by rubbing the heel with deoderant. It keeps the heel dry and the skin from softening. Hope this is of some help.

Caludia
I'm jealous that you're going this year and I'm not....

Bill

Footnotes,

I think your advice is right on. I will tighten up the top strap that goes over my toes--and I will give conscious thought to toe-curling. Of course, all of this will be done with moleskin over my active (but intact) blisters. Thanks for the logical explanation!

Oh, I found some tannic acid powder online from a wine-making store--says it's red-brown in color. Somehow, it brings mental pictures of Lucy and Ethel's stained feet from stomping grapes in a wooden vat.

Huh, I never get blisters on the bottom's of my feet so I don't know what to tell you. I get them on the top. I agree it's caused by friction and also heat, so somehow the bottom of your toes don't hit the footbed of the shoes you normally wear. Weird.

Ginger

I am a big fan of tape. It allows one to wear the shoes without getting the blisters. I always get blisters on my little toes, and sometimes on the balls of my feet. I carried a small role of Hansaplast everywhere with me in Europe last year and put it on whenever I felt a blister coming up.

Usually after a week of walking around in the shoes WITH the blister tape, I could walk around successfully WITHOUT the blister tape.

Claudia, your feet look exactly like mine. When you go to Italy, it'll be like my feet are there too.

Vicky

I am not familiar with Hansaplast. Is that an Australian-made product? I'm wondering what it is similar to that I might be familiar with....

OMG, Vicky. Could it be we are twins reared apart??? (you) (me) (We DO look alike!!)

Claudia,
How dopey of me. I did think you meant you were exhausted after walking 2 miles.

In French pharmacies, one can get a kind of small padded wedges - extremely soft in texture - to put between your foot and the shoe, wherever gives the most irritating friction. Do you think that can help?
Can you get that at your local pharmacies? Sorrierst I don't explain well.

Bon voyage.

Works for me! Though even twins probably wouldn't have such exact similarities after half a lifetime, particularly with feet! We'll have to swap other shoe stories someday.

Vicky

Hansaplast is the (Italian) name of the product sold in Australia as Leukoplast.

You can see some examples of Leukoplast tapes here.

Hmmm, bring another pair just in case? Sadly, I got blisters on the bottom of my feet with my SAS shoes that I bought for our RTW trip where we do a TON Of walking. ( My husband had the male equivilent and has had no problems and loooves them).

8 months later and I STILL deal with blisters if I wear these shoes for any length of time. We only use smart wool socks which are suppose to be the best for comfort, wicking, keeping cool in hot and warm in cold and preventing blisters. ( We DO love them).

My husband wants a refund but it is too hard to send them back and I keep hoping they will get better. We both have an orthotic on the bottom, so I wonder if that adds to my problem.

All I can say is thank goodness, I brought along my berkies as a second pair. I thought I would mainly use them as slippers ( I can not go barefoot because of my bad knee) but they have become my primary shoe...even in the winter. I just added socks.

Probably looked real dumb in Paris, but the blisters hurt so bad without them, that I did not even care. No one seemed to even notice and we had LOTS of miles to put in.

So just in case....bring a comfy pair that you can count on too!!


If they fit right, they should not blister. You might consider another pair of shoes as your main pair. I never had to break in my Berkies for blisters and my child and husband never had to worry about blisters with their new shoes.

I walked all over Italy last year, for 4 weeks, with not a blister!! I wore Crocs, in a neutral beige color. They only weigh 6 ounces, never have stinky feet, because of the closed cell resin and rinse off to look good as new each day. They are like walking on a cloud and only $30. They may be worth a try.
http://www.crocs.com/home.jsp

With bare feet, I always use lots of baby powder in shoes. It is the friction that causes the blisters and the talc helps with that. If I get a blister, I only use athletic or sports tape.

You guys are simply the best!!

I cannot stand the idea that my Mephistos don't fit. I had already decided I must pack my worn out Eccos to make certain I have a pair I can wear.

I have been considering Crocs for awhile--however, Vicky and I have narrow feet (right, Vic!? )--and I have wondered how one keeps them on--they seem very, very wide and imprecise from a fit standpoint.

Thanks so much for the picture of the Leukoplast. I think we have something that LOOKS like it--but my husband said it only sticks to itself--so it cannot really be the same thing.

Back to the Crocs--their light weight really intrigues me. Maybe I should get a pair. Are there certain models that might be better for thinner feet, I wonder?

LL Bean has their version of Crocs as does Lands End. I got a pair of the LL Bean slides, and went back for another. You might check out the styles on the web and see if one of them makes a narrower version.

Callie

Claudia,
I agree that once you've made the decision - and then the investment - in something like Mephistos it just hurts to the soul (apparently to the SOLE) that they aren't magical. Someone suggested not buying something new, but wearing a tried and true walking shoe - do that if you can. If you don't have anything, find an independent shoe shop that specializes in foot-friendly shoes. Ask a podiatrist for a recommendation - mine did and those women in that shop make my feet soooo happy!