 Poster: A snowHead
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I got some new touring boots last season. I mainly used them for about 3 weeks of lift served off piste before the season was curtailed no problems with the fit. My touring holiday was cancelled but I did manage 3 touring days last season and the last day touring I got a big blister at the back of my right heal after a coupe of hours of uphill.
I was out for a tour yesterday and again a huge blister in the exact same place during the uphill. (For the avoidance of doubt the tour was local within a few miles of my house!). I can feel in the liner that it has become rough and bobbled at the are where the blister occurs. Less so in other parts of the liners.
I did ask last year at the shop I got the boots from and they were at a bit of loss other than to suggest buying a different liner. I have very narrow heals and often find boots difficult to get fitted right but these are absolute fine other than the blister. It’s not the socks, never had blisters with other boots before.
Any ideas for solutions including other liners to try? Boots are Atomic Hawk 120 ultra xtd
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Do you have custom insoles, a little extra volume in the right place may stop your foot moving about as much and stop the rubbing? I have the same boot in the 130 but it has a different liner to yours.
Otherwise perhaps you could just put some preventative compeed over the spot that rubs? I found it very good to protect and already rubbed blister on my instep (with different boots)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Army trick:
Two pairs of socks, the inner pair as thin as possible...cut-off tights or pop-socks work the best.
Honestly, try it. I have never ever had blisters with any boots of any kind when doing this. It really works.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Remove the bobbles. Compeed. Experiment with different 'buckling' regimes to stop your heel moving.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks for the suggestions everyone
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have Sidas footbeds, but I think I will try to use a heel grip or padding to try and reduce movement.
Compeed are great, Put one and went running today - no pain at all.
Never thought of using them preventatively though
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Sounds like your heal is lifting, wet & rubbing = blisters. The rubbing then wears the inside of the liner.
In addition to the above good suggestions I’d say make sure your heel is properly seated by striking your heal on the floor when you put the boots on. The second buckle over the top of the foot should be tight enough so that your heal cannot lift. If this isn‘t possible it might be worth seeing if a boot fitter can do something to secure the heel.
I hope this isn‘t the case but it could be that the boots are too big and now that the liner has started to pack out you are moving about in the boot. I‘d get a good bootfitter to check if the shell is the right size for you before investing in another liner.
Be sure to use the same thickness of socks each time (thin) otherwise the thicker socks pack out the liner and you have movement when wearing thinner socks.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| brownie wrote: |
| Boots are Atomic Hawk 120 ultra xtd |
Funny you should say that. I ave a pair, professionally fitted, and they are dreadful for blisters.
Last time out I used some posh anti blister tape which seemed to help.
Having thought about this I suspect it's the liner at issue. I'm planning to drop Atomic UK an email and see if it's possible to swap liners from another model. If nothing else it might save a couple of hundred grams 
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| Quote: |
Boots are Atomic Hawk 120 ultra xtd
Funny you should say that. I ave a pair, professionally fitted, and they are dreadful for blisters.
Last time out I used some posh anti blister tape which seemed to help.
Having thought about this I suspect it's the liner at issue. I'm planning to drop Atomic UK an email and see if it's possible to swap liners from another model. If nothing else it might save a couple of hundred grams
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Interesting....not heard of issues elsewhere but makes me wonder too
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@brownie, and others, some people sweat more than others and some people do not suffer from blisters at all.
Over the years, of which there are many, I've tried every conceivable method, even to hiking in my touring-boots back in the UK on the grassy South Downs to get a blister in advance of a trip.
Problem is most people only react to a blister once it is too late, the bubble had burst as it were.
I wrote this feature about what to do and prevent blisters, plus get yourself off Amazon some Hypafix tape, which you can lay over the compeed.
https://www.stylealtitude.com/how-to-treat-a-ski-boot-blister.html
I'm currently "nursing" one on each heel (I use different boots), but they are not open Vesouvious craters, and I'm still able to tour in no discomfort, when the compeed dressing eventually comes off and if I'm careful I'll have decent hard skin callouses for the rest of the season. Though in the warm temps of Spring and again sweating like a pig they can come back.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Great article - thanks for sharing
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You know it makes sense.
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I am a devotee of Leukotape as directed by a reliable mountain guide. Tape up early, prior to the blister developing then leave it on for the day, week month. Nature will remove it!
One of our issues is that we simply don't do enough to harden the feet off, Weathercams remark about hiking the south downs in touring boots makes sense. Develope the blisters when it doesn't really matter and in so doing you've produced a patch of much tougher skin.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We use those for touring and have found them to be great. Definitely worth a try.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@brownie,
skinning is a brilliant way of creating blisters. You can't have your boots super snug without rerstricting range of motion, you are lifting your heel every stride, your boots don't breath so trap in moisture. Everything is stacked against you.
Like you I have quite narrow heels relative to forefoot and this makes heel-hold a key issue with ski boots for me. With the right fit, I can get good hold while skiing but skinning is much tougher.
I've come to the view that I cannot stop movement so need to take preventative measures to stop that movement making blisters. I'm still experimenting but some sort of dressing (perhaps compeed) on the area that gets effected covered with SMOOTH tape that won't be "grabbed" by a sock seems the best approach for me. I've not done it yet but some people even use duct tape as the top layer. That way the liner/sock slides over the shiny tape without rubbing the skin below.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A long time ago my rugby boots gave me blisters on my heels, what worked for me was to wrap 3 or 4 rows of electrical tape directly to the skin before putting the sock on carefully
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Kinesiology tape is great for preventing blisters and much less expensive than compeed
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| Purplecat wrote: |
| Kinesiology tape is great for preventing blisters and much less expensive than compeed |
Does it stay on even in the sweat drenched environment of a ski-touring boot? Must be difficult to make something that is going to stay on under these conditions but not rip your skin off when you come to taking it off.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have used KT tape for another purpose on my ankle and it stayed on fine skiing
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I have only tried it when wearing my goretex trainers but I've never had it even begin to lift at the edges until I want to remove it.
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Anyone tried liquid skin on touring blisters?
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Just like regular bandages, liquid bandage is useful for treating and preventing blisters. (Andrew Weil mentions musicians using superglue to protect their fingers from stringed instruments.) If all you need to do is reduce friction, but regular bandages keep coming off, slather on that liquid bandage.
Like self-adhesive postage stamps and better cereal box tops, liquid bandage is one of those tiny advances in technology that feels life-changing the first three times you use it, then becomes part of the beige background noise of life. |
https://lifehacker.com/when-to-use-liquid-bandages-instead-of-band-aids-1826485377
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| jedster wrote: |
I've come to the view that I cannot stop movement so need to take preventative measures to stop that movement making blisters. I'm still experimenting but some sort of dressing (perhaps compeed) on the area that gets effected covered with SMOOTH tape that won't be "grabbed" by a sock seems the best approach for me. I've not done it yet but some people even use duct tape as the top layer. That way the liner/sock slides over the shiny tape without rubbing the skin below. |
I have similar problems, and if I skin much more than ~600 vert (less on a hot day) I WILL get blisters, simple as that. Nomatter how many I've already had over the season.
Ducktape works the best out everything I've tried - ideally applied before touring, but if I've been lazy and already developed blisters I put compeed on first to prevent pain later when removing.
I keep meaning to try those Ezeefit sock things too (tried pop socks once, but they ended up sliding down off my heel to under my foot), but they're actually quite hard to find in adult sizes in Europe!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Ducktape works the best out everything I've tried - ideally applied before touring
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THat's what I meant - before I start.
WHat's it like removing the ducktape - I've always been a bit nervous it would take skin with it!
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| I keep meaning to try those Ezeefit sock things too (tried pop socks once, but they ended up sliding down off my heel to under my foot), but they're actually quite hard to find in adult sizes in Europe! |
Most people seem to be happy with those Ezeefit ankle booties but not everyone, one guy on Amazon.com said the seam that runs done the back of the heel made it worse for him.
As for the pop socks, sounds like you need the full monty to keep them up (suspender belt) 
PS Do you happen to know if hinterstoder is crazy busy on the weekends?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Haven't tried it touring, but I will second duct tape based on hiking experience. I am prone to awful heel blisters, but a strip or two of duct tape completely prevents them. Just make sure it's good and smooth with no lifting edges when you put it on. I've never had a problem getting it off after. Preventative Compeed works too, but costs way more.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Sounds like the best solution would be knee length / lace top pop socks held up with duct tape.
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You know it makes sense.
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@DB, yeah, but get the ones without the lace. It’ll get knackered anyway You need the very simple elasticated topped version, and the wider the band the less you’ll have to say goodbye to your circulation.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| jedster wrote: |
| Quote: |
Ducktape works the best out everything I've tried - ideally applied before touring
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THat's what I meant - before I start.
WHat's it like removing the ducktape - I've always been a bit nervous it would take skin with it! |
After a bit of sweat then shower or bath it's really no problem, as long as the skin underneath isn't already hurt!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| DB wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| I keep meaning to try those Ezeefit sock things too (tried pop socks once, but they ended up sliding down off my heel to under my foot), but they're actually quite hard to find in adult sizes in Europe! |
Most people seem to be happy with those Ezeefit ankle booties but not everyone, one guy on Amazon.com said the seam that runs done the back of the heel made it worse for him.
As for the pop socks, sounds like you need the full monty to keep them up (suspender belt)
PS Do you happen to know if hinterstoder is crazy busy on the weekends? |
Good to know - for me it's always the side, between the heel the heel and ankle bones, that gets blistered though, so hopefully will be ok for me.
Re. Hinterstoder: no personal experience as we're back in IBK now, but apparently yes, still getting v busy on weekends (Wurzeralm too, but not quite as bad apparently).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I use something similar when I feel some friction developing. Aquaphor is another skin type cream/gel that works well too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Good to know - for me it's always the side, between the heel the heel and ankle bones, that gets blistered though, so hopefully will be ok for me
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That's the fecker! I'm going to give the duct tape a go next time
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Duct tapes a bit industrial isnt it? I’ve found using Zinc tape quite helpful with blisters and boots, although army not touring.
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@Weathercam,
Have to admit I prefer your skiing pics but glad I'd already had my breakfast before seeing that.
Tend not to get serious blisters but probably because I'm a ski-touring weekend warrior rather than out day after day like you. My multi-day trips tend to be at the end of the season by which time the skin on my heels has hardened.
Do you wait until there's a problem and then start applying the compeed/tape or did you get the blisters despite taking preventative measures?
Find compeed is great - if it stays on. If the compeed starts to peel it's always a difficult decision to take it off on the hill as you can end up taking chunks out of the heel with it.
Have ordered some of that tape and plan to take nail-clippers with me on big trips so that in the event of a compeed/tape coming off at the edge I can trim the edge away and stick some tape over it until I get the chance to look at it after the tour.
Is the cut higher up on your right heel also from ski touring?
Suspect our feet were not designed to be in sweaty touring boots day after day and we lose the oils from our skin. Then the ski hardens and cracks like dry leather. Maybe we should moisturise our feet after the tour. I only shower with a shower gel that contains a micro-moisturiser, the skin on your feet looks a lot dryer than mine.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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That is a real cracker of a blister! Once saw a young Swiss lass up in Rotondohütte with something similar. How she got boots on and skied out I will never know. One life's mysteries!
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FAQ
