Run Run Away

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I bought a pair of Thorlo running socks today, as recommended by someone else.  The most expensive socks I’ve ever purchased!  The salesperson was telling me how the material wicked sweat away.  I told him I was buying the socks because of blisters.  He asked me what kind of shoe I run in, and I told him, and he told me I’m not supposed to run in cross trainers, and no matter what socks I wore I’d get blisters.  Both of my pairs of "runners" are cross trainers. Looks like you’re hearing that cross trainers may have too think a sole which does not allow the foot to bend properly because it is hindered by the sole often being too thick or rigid. Should I be buying real "running" shoes, or should I see how the socks work out?  Would real running shoes fix this arch-support problem? I’d go for the regular running shoes.  For me the thinner the soles, the better.

This sounds like great advice to me.  Regular running shoes are constructed to deal with the demands of running.  Cross trainers, IMHO, don’t feel quite right, perhaps because of the sole. Of course, there’s no guarantee that regular running shoes won’t cause blisters, either.  I just bought a new pair of shoes (Adidas Response). The sales clerk was knowledgable and the shoes felt great on my feet at the store.  I did a short run in them with no problem, but when I went on my regular run, I noticed after about 4 miles that I’d developed a blister on my instep just behind the ball of my big toe.  I put on a blister plaster, changed socks, and went for another run.  Now I have a blister on the other foot!  I’m going to call the store to see if they’ll accept a return on the shoes (first shoes I’ve bought from a sporting goods store in years). I don’t think that this is a general problem with Adidas shoes, but I think that it’s my problem with this model.  I guess what I’m saying is that a shoe that fits one person’s feet might not work for another person’s.

Response:

Back to my march in place and notice that you land ball heel.  If you lean from  the ankle and keep lifting your feet in place you’ll see that you begin to move forward with gravity and all you do is lift your feet up and down…and you move forward. I don’t understand this part.  Is there something I’ve missed reading?

No.  I’m continually repeating on rec.running about running being like marching in place.  Lift your knees and your foot lifts off the ground. When you put it back down, the ball touches first. I bought a pair of Thorlo running socks today, as recommended by someone else.  The most expensive socks I’ve ever purchased!  The salesperson was telling me how the material wicked sweat away.  I told him I was buying the socks because of blisters.  He asked me what kind of shoe I run in, and I told him, and he told me I’m not supposed to run in cross trainers, and no matter what socks I wore I’d get blisters.  Both of my pairs of "runners" are cross trainers.

Looks like you’re hearing that cross trainers may have too think a sole which does not allow the foot to bend properly because it is hindered by the sole often being too thick or rigid. Should I be buying real "running" shoes, or should I see how the socks work out?  Would real running shoes fix this arch-support problem?

I’d go for the regular running shoes.  For me the thinner the soles, the better. — In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer – rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975

Response:

I have been running for approx two months, approx two to three times per week, and have just increased my distance from 4.2 km to 5.8 km. I have two pairs of running shoes, one is an Adidas (can’t find any markings on it with respect to model) and one is a Nike "Air Fly." (Sorry about the lack of info, I bought these shoes on different Boxing Days, for just wearing around, since I never intended to run.) When I run with the Adidas I get blisters on both insteps, and when I run with the Nikes I get blisters on my right instep. After looking at the shoes the problem seems to be the poor integration of the convex part of the bottom of the shoe that fits into my instep, with the rest of the bottom of the shoe.  The edge between the convex part and the rest of the bottom is much more noticeable in the Adidas than in the Nike.  As a result I have been running in the Nikes since my second run.  In both pairs I get my blisters where my foot meets the front part of this convex part of the shoe. I’ve been putting masking tape on the blister-prone areas on my feet (this is what I do for my ice skates and inline skates and it works well there) but as my run distance increases, how to tape my foot is becoming sort of a black art.  The tape rubs off easily, and the blisters come back.  Usually the tape is rubbed towards the back part of my feet.  I’ve tried creative taping, which is mostly scientific and trial and error, but it’s only a partial solution most of the time, and I still get blisters. How can I prevent these blisters?  My running route is mostly hilly (can’t help this, it’s my neighbourhood).  I wear regular sport or work socks when running.  The solution I would prefer is a recommendation of some kind of inexpensive tape, rather than buying an expensive pair of shoes or putting some kind of lotion on my feet/shoes. I got a blistered nipple once but solved that by not wearing a t-shirt with a stitched logo on it.  :) Kevin — Kevin Chu URL:   http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Horizon/6871/

Response:

Try "Mole skin".  It is available in the foot department at most pharmacy’s.  It will act as a second skin.

Okay, I’ll check this out.  What do you think about shipping tape?  I think the problem with the masking tape is that it comes off too easily.  But then again, I don’t want glue on my foot for a couple days after a run.  :)  Which rules out hockey tape…. I would highly recommend purchasing a pair of Thorlo running socks.  The down side to this purchase is that they run about a half size bigger than your current sock.  This relates to a new pair of shoes.  Keep it in mind when you are ready for new runners.

I don’t understand what you mean here.  Is Thorlo a material or brand name?  With a pair of Thorlo socks, would I need a shoe that’s half a size bigger than what I currently wear — is that what you mean? I had the same problem running with cotton socks.  I stepped up to a better pair of shoes and a good pair of socks and my blisters ceased.

Okay thanks, it’s good to know I’m not a mutant.  :) Kevin — Kevin Chu URL:   http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Horizon/6871/

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been putting masking tape on the blister-prone areas on my feet (this is what I do for my ice skates and inline skates and it works well there) but as my run distance increases, how to tape my foot is becoming sort of a black art.  The tape rubs off easily, and the blisters come back.  Usually the tape is rubbed towards the back part of my feet.  I’ve tried creative taping, which is mostly scientific and trial and error, but it’s only a partial solution most of the time, and I still get blisters. How can I prevent these blisters?  My running route is mostly hilly (can’t help this, it’s my neighbourhood).  I wear regular sport or work socks when running.  The solution I would prefer is a recommendation of some kind of inexpensive tape, rather than buying an expensive pair of shoes or putting some kind of lotion on my feet/shoes.

Try "Mole skin".  It is available in the foot department at most pharmacy’s.  It will act as a second skin.   I would highly recommend purchasing a pair of Thorlo running socks.  The down side to this purchase is that they run about a half size bigger than your current sock.  This relates to a new pair of shoes.  Keep it in mind when you are ready for new runners.  I had the same problem running with cotton socks.  I stepped up to a better pair of shoes and a good pair of socks and my blisters ceased.  I also run on hilly terrain.  Hope this helps…….Keith I got a blistered nipple once but solved that by not wearing a t-shirt with a stitched logo on it.  :)

 Thank God for 100 mile an hour tape.  :-0 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Kevin — Kevin Chu URL:   http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Horizon/6871/

Response:

Try "Mole skin".  It is available in the foot department at most pharmacy’s.  It will act as a second skin. Okay, I’ll check this out.  What do you think about shipping tape?  I think the problem with the masking tape is that it comes off too easily.  But then again, I don’t want glue on my foot for a couple days after a run.  :)  Which rules out hockey tape….

Mole skin is designed for exactly the purpose you outline. Runners, hikers, etc all use it.  When I was fighting forest fires, moleskin was always the first thing to go into my kit. I only wore my boots on fires, and the moleskin was necessary to prevent blisters until I got used to them again. It stays put until you peel it off, and doesn’t leave much, if any, residue behind. Mike "TriBop" Tennent http://www.gate.net/~wbrunner/ WebRunner Running My Model Railroad ‘98 Ironman Canada IronVirgins Site

Response:

Back to my march in place and notice that you land ball heel.  If you lean from  the ankle and keep lifting your feet in place you’ll see that you begin to move forward with gravity and all you do is lift your feet up and down…and you move forward.

I don’t understand this part.  Is there something I’ve missed reading? Heel strikers decelerate with every step, the reason for blisters being that the shoe stops but the foot within the shoe slides.  The slide would be okay if the sock and foot slide together…the reason for the sock.  If there is a little piece of stitching, or glue or convex arch support, it stops the sock from sliding over it and the foot slides 60 to 90 times a minute over the sock against the piece stopping the sock.  Blister time.

I bought a pair of Thorlo running socks today, as recommended by someone else.  The most expensive socks I’ve ever purchased!  The salesperson was telling me how the material wicked sweat away.  I told him I was buying the socks because of blisters.  He asked me what kind of shoe I run in, and I told him, and he told me I’m not supposed to run in cross trainers, and no matter what socks I wore I’d get blisters.  Both of my pairs of "runners" are cross trainers. I tried to remove the insole from the Adidas shoes but they’re glued in there and I’m not keen on tearing my shoes apart.  For the Nikes, part of the convex part is caused by the insole and part by the rubber sole parts. Should I be buying real "running" shoes, or should I see how the socks work out?  Would real running shoes fix this arch-support problem? Kevin — Kevin Chu URL:   http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Horizon/6871/

Response:

Try "Mole skin".  It is available in the foot department at most pharmacy’s.  It will act as a second skin. Okay, I’ll check this out.  What do you think about shipping tape?  I think the problem with the masking tape is that it comes off too easily.  But then again, I don’t want glue on my foot for a couple days after a run.  :)  Which rules out hockey tape…. Mole skin is designed for exactly the purpose you outline. Runners,

hikers, etc all use it.  When I was fighting forest fires, moleskin was always the first thing to go into my kit. I only wore my boots on fires, and the moleskin was necessary to prevent blisters until I got used to them again. It stays put until you peel it off, and doesn’t leave much, if any, residue behind. Mike "TriBop" Tennent  http://www.gate.net/~wbrunner/

I would do what I’ve been doing for years.  I strip out the guts of any of the shoes which I purchase and put in a Spenco neophrene insole which has no instep cookie or any pice in the arch area.   More than likely I would say that you are a heel striker when you run. When you  touch down  with the heel the shoe stops and your natural pronation is stopped by the cookie pice you’re speaking of, and your foot slides over that piece causing the blister.  Stop the friction and you stop the blister. Back to my march in place and notice that you land ball heel.  If you lean from  the ankle and keep lifting your feet in place you’ll see that you begin to move forward with gravity and all you do is lift your feet up and down…and you move forward. Heel strikers decelerate with every step, the reason for blisters being that the shoe stops but the foot within the shoe slides.  The slide would be okay if the sock and foot slide together…the reason for the sock.  If there is a little piece of stitching, or glue or convex arch support, it stops the sock from sliding over it and the foot slides 60 to 90 times a minute over the sock against the piece stopping the sock.  Blister time. I gave up on sock almost 20 years ago, for all my running and marathoning. The issue is making sure that the shoe and the foot within are moving at the same speed so there is no or minimal deceleration. — In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer – rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975

Response: