blisters, athlete's foot

[svgreengoddess]

howdy, i'm new to this forum and fairly new to barefooting (mainly walking with a few minutes of jogging). i seem to be prone to blisters between my toes, which may or may not be athlete's foot-hard for me to tell. anyway, today i went for a short barefoot walk on a trail with lots of very small pebbles/grit which made the blisters much worse. i'm just curious how folks deal with blisters when barefooting on a trail with debris? i have been using tea tree oil when i remember.

thanks susan

 

[SaraLord]

Hello Susan, welcome to the

Hello Susan, welcome to the BRS! If you have athletes foot, going barefoot will definitely help clear it up, but I'm not sure going BF or the gravel would cause the blisters. Are they round and raised with fluid in them? I occasionally have toes that rub together, making a small raw spot where they touch - is there any chance this is what you are experiencing? Likely some other BRS members will weigh in on this. My first thought would be to get some athletes foot powder/creme to exclude this as the source of your problem.

Good luck!!

Sara

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Blisters between the toes? 

Blisters between the toes? That's a difficult area to get blisters. Since you're mostly walking, it's hard for me to question your form. As long as I have been doing this, I haven't gotten any blisters "between" my toes. Your toes must rub a lot. I hope some of the others will have some insight as well.

Welcome!

 

[svgreengoddess]

thanks sara and TJ. the

thanks sara and TJ. the blisters were basically already open when i discovered them with the skin worn away. i'm thinking it probably is athlete's foot and treating it as such. what's tough is with my work i can't be barefoot except at lunch so my poor feet are stuck in shoes and sox most of the day.

susan

 

[Abide]

When shod I used to have

When shod I used to have athletes foot similar to what you are describing. Spend as much time as you can barefoot and unshod even in socks and it will go away.

It may take a few months though.

 

[stomper]

sv, welcome.I notice that

sv, welcome.

I notice that you say you are new to barefooting and also that your toes are rubbing together. While it doesn't necessarily help ease the discomfort right now, one thing you should know is that over time (say, a period of months) going barefoot will cause your toes to separate. Whatever rubbing is happening right now will likely decrease.

Some people on this forum put band-aids or duct tape on "hot spots" or blisters. Not sure if that makes sense for your uncomfortable spots BETWEEN toes, but you'll have to judge. Another preventative thing to do, when you're healed up a bit, is put vaseline or "body glide" between your toes, whether you're wearing shoes or not. So they still touch, but they slip more.

Good luck!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Can you wear open-toed

Can you wear open-toed sandals to work? That should help more air to get to those areas to help them to heal quicker.

 

[svgreengoddess]

i wish i could wear open toed

i wish i could wear open toed sandals, but not allowed even when in the office. out in the field i'm doing either weights and measures inspections where toe protection is required, or agricultural inspections at nurseries, farms, ranches walking on uneven often rocky or muddy terrain where i also need good foot protection.

i have a wide toe spread to begin with, coupled with a narrow heel, so it's been a struggle to find the right shoes! since getting into the whole barefoot/minimilast shoe thing i'm really noticing how heavy and clunky most of my shoes are! it will be easier in summer when it's not muddy where i go, and i can at least wear keen sandals or the like.

 

[Abide]

Boots are bad for that. Do

Boots are bad for that. Do you use foot powder?

 

[GuySako]

You should try Defense Soap

You should try Defense Soap for athlete's foot. This soap is used by fighters and wrestlers to protect them from the skin infections they encounter. Athlete's foot is caused by the same fungus that causes ringworm and jock itch. (Tinea)

Tinea likes to grow in damp dark areas. Walking barefoot will definitely help keep your feet dry and out of the dark.

 

[svgreengoddess]

i've been using tea tree oil,

i've been using tea tree oil, and a natural foot powder-can't stand the smell of some of the powders out there. haven't heard of defense soap, will give that a try. good news is warm dry weather is on its way for the bay area, finally! that will help i know.

susan