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Socks causing friction blister
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

I’m hoping someone might be able to help with a sock related question.

I’ve been wearing Falke SK2 socks and on my holiday last year they caused very bad blisters across my lower calf in a horizontal line. I only wear 3/4 base layers and the sock doesn’t appear to be bunched up. I actually don’t feel any rubbing pain while skiing, it’s only when I take the boot off that I realise how much they’ve been rubbing and my legs are red. I used to wear smartwool socks but they seemed to irritate my skin. Related, perhaps?

Yesterday, I went to an indoor slope and the socks rubbed again. It wasn’t long enough to cause any blisters but was in the same place.

I have a large calf so not sure if it’s my boot that is too tight on the calf and it’s cause the socks to rub?

I’m going away in six weeks so hope to get it sorted before then. To add, my current boot, Dalbello Kyra 85 has been causing numbness in one of my feet so could be a boot issue?

I did see a specialist who punched the liner out last year, which did help but thinking maybe I need a whole new boot. From what I’ve read here already, it sounds like they could even be too big? I don’t think I could ski with all the buckles done loosely and it could be I’m doing the buckle too tight.

I’m based in Essex so any bootfitter suggestions around here/London would be welcomed.

Thanks all.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

@Lulu22, Hi and welcome snowHead

I've had a look at the socks and they seem to have a lot of shaped panels (this is not a criticism of the socks). Do the changes in the sock align with your blisters? I suspect it's a boot problem, but possibly exacerbated by this particular sock design on your particular foot.

Blisters usually mean you have movement between the foot/leg and the boot, perhaps because it is too big or the shape is not right. Numbness in the foot can be too much pressure on top of the foot/lower buckles too tight. Take a picture of the leg so that you can check the exact point of contact with the boot fitter if the marks have healed by the time you see someone. It may be that you need a boot designed to accommodate a larger calf, but the fitter will be able to advise on that.
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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?

@Lulu22, I suspect the boot fit is the actual issue and not the socks. I wonder if the boots are too big as you suggest?

Have you done a shell test? Text below from here https://theskimonster.com/blog/posts/ski-boot-fitting-how-are-boots-supposed-to-fit/#:~:text=Shell%20fitting%20is%20done%20to%20make%20sure%20that,the%20space%20behind%20your%20heel%20and%20the%20shell.

To shell fit, take the liners out of the ski boots. Put your feet in the boots with a ski sock on, and put your toes all the way to the front so they are just touching. What we want to measure is the space behind your heel and the shell. If you have more than 2cm (a little less than an inch) behind your heel your ski boots are too big. If you have 1.5 - 2cm of space behind your heel it's the right size. (Everyones fingers are different sizes, never been a fan of the '1 finger/2 finger fit rule.')

Personally I'd recommend you ring and book an appointment here https://www.solutions4feet.com/recreational-skiers/ski-boot-fitting

I travel from Leeds to visit them!


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 16-01-23 11:39; edited 1 time in total
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Scarlet wrote:
@Lulu22, Hi and welcome snowHead

I've had a look at the socks and they seem to have a lot of shaped panels (this is not a criticism of the socks). Do the changes in the sock align with your blisters? I suspect it's a boot problem, but possibly exacerbated by this particular sock design on your particular foot.

Blisters usually mean you have movement between the foot/leg and the boot, perhaps because it is too big or the shape is not right. Numbness in the foot can be too much pressure on top of the foot/lower buckles too tight. Take a picture of the leg so that you can check the exact point of contact with the boot fitter if the marks have healed by the time you see someone. It may be that you need a boot designed to accommodate a larger calf, but the fitter will be able to advise on that.


That's a good idea for checking if they match the sock, I will have a look to see. I will also look at getting some socks with less shaped panels. Thanks for the suggestions.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

kitenski wrote:
@Lulu22, I suspect the boot fit is the actual issue and not the socks. I wonder if the boots are too big as you suggest?

Have you done a shell test? Text below from here https://theskimonster.com/blog/posts/ski-boot-fitting-how-are-boots-supposed-to-fit/#:~:text=Shell%20fitting%20is%20done%20to%20make%20sure%20that,the%20space%20behind%20your%20heel%20and%20the%20shell.

To shell fit, take the liners out of the ski boots. Put your feet in the boots with a ski sock on, and put your toes all the way to the front so they are just touching. What we want to measure is the space behind your heel and the shell. If you have more than 2cm (a little less than an inch) behind your heel your ski boots are too big. If you have 1.5 - 2cm of space behind your heel it's the right size. (Everyones fingers are different sizes, never been a fan of the '1 finger/2 finger fit rule.')

Personally I'd recommend you ring and book an appointment here https://www.solutions4feet.com/recreational-skiers/ski-boot-fitting

I travel from Leeds to visit them!


@kitenski, I haven't tried the shell test, I will do this tonight to check the sizing.

I have seen lots of suggestions for that shop so think it may be worth the trip there! Thanks for your help.
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I suspect it's the boots, too. I once was getting similar problems, but it only seemed to happen when I had to skate. This was on downhill skis, so I only had to skate on the flat, or up very small inclines, but it turned out that my shin was moving too much inside the boot. New boots solved the problem. Are your current boots "female" ones? Women have bigger calves than men, so that can be useful. Doesn't mean they have unicorns. wink

Worth going to Solutions for Feet.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
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pam w wrote:
I suspect it's the boots, too. I once was getting similar problems, but it only seemed to happen when I had to skate. This was on downhill skis, so I only had to skate on the flat, or up very small inclines, but it turned out that my shin was moving too much inside the boot. New boots solved the problem. Are your current boots "female" ones? Women have bigger calves than men, so that can be useful. Doesn't mean they have unicorns. wink

Worth going to Solutions for Feet.


@pam w, They are a female boot and they extended the cuff too but the liner seems to narrow quite quickly towards the bottom. I also have quite narrow feet with a high instep and often find the wider calf boots also have a wider foot! I have booked in with Solutions for feet in a couple of weeks so fingers crossed they can help. Thanks for the help Very Happy
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!

@Lulu22, welcome to snowHeads! snowHead

As others have suggested it could well be a boot problem, best to get that checked out. In the meantime (and for anyone experiencing rubbing/blister problems) then for temporary relief Compeed is your friend!
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Well one very simple change you can make is - buy some different socks, start the week on them and see if you get the same blisters.

While there can be many causes it can also be as simple as those socks just not being right for you. I can remember one trip where one of the (exprienced) borders was all over the place and in all sorts of discomfort but couldn't work out why as he was using the same board and boots as the last time he skied. And it couldn't be his socks as they were nice new, expensive ones... Next day wearing clean, old socks and he was pain free and back to normal.
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I once skied with an elderly beginner who was wearing kind of rugged walking socks - as we discovered when he complained about some rubbing on his shin and the pattern of the ribbed knitting was imprinted in his leg. We found him a pair of ordinary thin socks, and the problem disappeared. When I forgot to take socks one day when I drove to ski, I wore my ski boots with bare feet. Felt a bit odd to start with, but was fine. That was in Val Thorens and not being used to 3 Valleys prices I was more bothered about having to pay an absurd price for a bowl of "French onion soup" with about two little bits of onion per euro.
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@Lulu22, sA others have said book to go and see Solutions for feet. They will give you an honest appraisal of what the problem is - if its the socks they also stock a good range of socks Very Happy
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

Thank you everyone for all the replies - they've been really helpful. On inspect of the socks, it does appear the lining of the shapes matches up with the lines/blister on my leg! Something so simple that never occurred to me! I will purchase some new ones that have no patterns/shapes on them.

I've booked into Solutions for feet at the start of Feb to help with the numbness from the boots so fingers crossed they can help before my trip away Very Happy
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