Taking Care of Your Feet

Before You Leave

Foot care begins months before you leave, unless of course, you are a regular long-distance walker. By the time you set out on your camino adventure, you will want your feet and walking shoes to be deeply intimate with each other (read more here), and for your feet to be tough enough to deal with the rigours of long distance walking. The camino, with its ever-changing terrain, will play havoc with your feet, and the right foot care is essential. Below, you will explore:

1. Foot Coverings
2. Foot Protective Care

1. Foot Coverings

Wear In Your Hiking Shoes

It is vital that your footwear (hiking boots/shoes or trainers) are well worn in before you leave. Your feet need to adjust and mold themselves into the shoes or boots; they need to befriend them, become familiar. Like any human relationship, your feet and footwear will go through phases as they get to know each other. There will be friction, necessary adjustments, compromises. Try to wear on the camino, the same brand as socks as you'd wear in your training sessions before you leave. Don't present any unnecessary surprises to your feet or shoes. There'll be drama enough once you start walking; its best to reduce the discomfort beforehand as much as you can!

Your Socks

Choosing the right socks helps a great deal. Be careful of those with ridges sewn into them; they rub at your feet and can make your toes sore and blistered. Many people buy ordinary woollen socks and their feet are perfectly happy; some prefer to wear more 'technical' socks that combine wool with moisture-wicking synthetic fibres. These keep the feet drier and can be worn for longer. Others wear moisture-wicking liners inside their socks as these help keep feet clean and dry too. Whatever you choose, carry about three or four pairs of socks with you, and change them halfway through your daily walk, or whenever your feet feel sweaty and wet. If you want to, in very hot weather you can give them a quick rinse through in water. Peg the wet socks (clean or not, it doesn't matter) to your rucksack to dry them out as you resume your walk. This way, if you need to keep changing them, you’ve always got a dry pair.

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Protect Your Feet From Grit: Gaiters or Tube Socks

Some hikers wear gaiters, which are protective against grit and stones getting into your hiking shoes. These could keep your feet warm in the winter, but might make you feel hotter in the hot summer weather. Getting grit in your shoes is a pesky business however, and small stones can roll around causing friction that leads to blisters, so you might want to consider buying a pair. You could make your own by buying a light pair of tube leg warmers (the footless kind) and covering the top of your shoes and ankles with them.

2. Foot Protective Care

Sweaty and Wet Feet

Moist feet (from wet weather, or sweat) are prone to skin breakage, and should be aired regularly. Take regular breaks if your feet get sweaty, and take off your shoes and socks. Change your socks and hang the damp ones on your rucksack. If you find yourself in wet conditions, always make sure your shoes are dried by morning. Stuffing them with newspaper helps to absorb a great deal of the water. 

Taping Your Feet

Walking long distances on the camino puts a lot of pressure on foot muscles and tendons and on the skin. Wrapping the feet snugly with duct tape or medical tape can help prevent rubbing which leads to blistering, and it can take pressure off the muscles and tendons. Your feet will cope a lot better with some support of this kind, and you can feel around your feet for blister or pain 'hot-spots' and wrap the tape accordingly. When you wrap your feet, create a good support, but ensure that you do NOT cut off your blood circulation. Test out your comfort levels, and make sure you can actually FEEL your feet! If they go numb or you get pins and needles, then you know that you have tied them up too tightly.
Picture
Wrapping my feet with medical tape prevented rubbing and later, duct tape around my foot arches made them feel less painful when walking.

Cutting Your Toe-Nails

Making sure that your toe-nails are always kept the shortest length possible, will help minimize damage to the toes. Toes tend to take a bashing, especially when walking down-hill, and many pilgrims find that their toe-nails eventually go black and then fall out. Don't worry though, they also tend to grow back later on.

Dealing With Blisters

There are different stages of blistering, and here are some suggestions as to how you can deal with blisters as they develop:

1. As soon as you feel one developing, stop right away and deal with it. Where you feel soreness (a 'hot-spot') you can rub some vaseline or antiseptic ointment, then tape up the spot. This will stop further friction.

2. Where blisters develop fully, you should clean the area gently with an antiseptic tissue. Then you can take a sewing needle (make sure this is clean too) and pierce the blister, allowing it to drain. Clean the area again once it is drained, and dress the blister with Compeed, or another similar type of dressing. (If you haven't got any Compeed, you could dress the blister with some antiseptic cream and a non-adhesive tissue, and tape the whole area).

3. Tape the area, so it does not move around, causing more friction.

4. Take the dressing off when you arrive at your destination. Let the air get to it so healing can occur naturally. Cover with Compeed again the next day.
Photo used under Creative Commons from puzzlement