Blisters on Long Walks: How to Save Your Feet When You Are Walking 40–50 km Every Day

When you walk forty to fifty kilometres a day for five or six days in a row—whether it is a pilgrimage, charity walk, yatra, or trekking challenge—your feet are under almost continuous load.

Every step creates small shear forces between:

• The skin on your foot
• Your sock
• The inside of your shoe

Over tens of thousands of steps, those shear forces can cause the top layer of skin to separate and fill with fluid. That is a friction blister.

Research in runners, hikers, and ultramarathon participants shows:

• Foot blisters are among the most common injuries in endurance events.
• Blisters have been reported in up to 39 percent of marathon runners and more than 70 percent of participants in multiday ultramarathons and long hikes.

When you walk long distances on consecutive days, the risk goes up even more because:

• Feet swell, making shoes tighter.
• Skin stays moist for hours from sweat or rain.
• You are often tired and less likely to stop early for foot care.

The good news: with some planning, you can dramatically reduce blister risk and also treat them well enough that you can keep walking.

A friction blister needs three main ingredients:

• Shear and rubbing – your skin wants to move one way, your sock or shoe holds the outer layer still, and the layers of skin slide over each other.
• Moisture – sweat or water softens the outer layer of skin, so it tears more easily.
• Repetition – thousands of steps in the same pattern on the same pressure points.

On long walks, this typically happens at:

• Heels
• Balls of the feet
• Tips and tops of toes
• Sides of the big toe
• Under the arch if the insole rubs

Anything that increases pressure or rubbing at those points—poor shoe fit, laces too tight or too loose, wrinkled socks, debris in the shoe, steep downhills—raises your risk.

For multi-day walks of forty to fifty kilometres per day, your shoes are almost as important as your training plan.

Key points:

• Get half a size bigger than your normal casual shoe to allow for swelling, especially in hot weather or when walking downhill for long periods.
• Make sure there is enough space in the toe box so your toes are not hitting the front on descents.
• Run or walk at least fifty to one hundred kilometres in those shoes before your event so you know where potential hot spots are.

Poor fit and hard seams are classic causes of blisters in long-distance runners and hikers.

Studies comparing different sock fibres show that synthetic or acrylic blend socks reduce blister risk compared to cotton, because they move moisture away from the skin and create less friction.

For multi-day long walks:

• Choose synthetic, acrylic, or wool-blend socks that wick moisture.
• Avoid pure cotton socks, which hold sweat and keep skin soft and more fragile.
• Consider double-layer socks or toe socks if you often get blisters between toes.
• Test your socks and shoes together on long training walks, not just short ones.

Your skin does adapt to repeated pressure by forming thicker outer layers. That is good—but only up to a point. Very thick, hard callus can crack or form blisters underneath.

Before your multi-day walk:

• Build up your distance gradually over weeks so your feet adapt.
• Keep callus modest by using a pumice stone once or twice a week after soaking your feet.
• Keep the skin supple with a simple moisturiser at night—but avoid heavy creams right before walking, which can make skin too soft.

• Trim toenails straight across and not too short, to avoid nail trauma and infection.
• Deal with corns, fungal infections, or cracked heels before your event; these weak spots turn into blister zones when you push mileage.

Think of prevention in three layers: fit, friction, and moisture.

Feet swell during the day, so:

• Adjust laces at rest stops—often a little looser over the toes and snugger over the midfoot works well.
• If you feel pressure on a particular spot (for example top of the foot or side of the big toe), adjust your lacing pattern to redistribute pressure.

Uneven pressure is a common source of hot spots that later become blisters.

Evidence suggests that protective dressings and tape can reduce blister incidence when applied before long-distance events:

• Hydrocolloid plasters placed over hot spots or high-risk areas can reduce the development of new blisters by protecting skin from shear forces.
• A randomised trial in ultramarathon runners found that pre-taping with paper tape on blister-prone areas reduced new blisters by about forty percent.

For multi-day walking, this means:

• Identify your usual trouble spots during training (for example back of heel, under ball of foot, side of little toe).
• Consider taping those areas with thin paper tape or applying hydrocolloid pads before you start your long walking days.
• Use a thin lubricant (petroleum jelly or commercial anti-chafing stick) on areas that rub, especially between toes, but remember it may need re-application after several hours.

Long days mean your feet will get wet from sweat, rain, or river crossings. Wet skin blisters much more easily.

Practical moisture control on a forty to fifty kilometre day:

• Change socks at least once during the day if conditions are hot or wet.
• At breaks, take off shoes and socks and let feet air-dry for a few minutes.
• Use moisture-absorbing powders sparingly; if your feet get wet later, these can clump and irritate the skin.
• Use gaiters or higher shoes in muddy or sandy terrain to limit grit getting in.

A hot spot is the earliest sign of a blister: a small patch of skin that feels burning or tender but has not yet filled with fluid.

Experienced ultra runners and long-distance hikers know that this is the moment to stop, even if you hate breaking rhythm.

When you feel a hot spot during your walk:

1. Stop as soon as you reasonably can.
2. Remove shoe and sock, clean off grit or sand.
3. Dry the area gently.
4. Apply protective dressing:
   • A piece of tape, hydrocolloid plaster, or moleskin cut with a hole in the centre (a “donut”) to offload pressure.
5. Put on a fresh sock if the old one is damp.

These simple steps can prevent a small hot spot from becoming a blister that forces you to limp for the next three days.

Even with perfect preparation, blisters happen. The aim is to treat them in a way that:

• Reduces pain
• Prevents the blister from tearing further
• Reduces risk of infection
• Allows you to walk the next day

Guidance from podiatry and first aid sources generally agrees on a few core principles.

• Clean first: Wash your hands if possible. Clean the blister area with water or a gentle antiseptic wipe.
• Protect the roof when you can: The blister “roof” (top layer of skin) acts like a natural dressing.

Whether you drain a blister depends on its size, location, and how much it affects your walking.

If the blister is small, not too painful, and not on a high-pressure point:

• Do not puncture it.
• Cover with a padded dressing or hydrocolloid plaster.
• Add a donut-shaped pad around it if direct pressure is painful.

This is often enough if you catch things early.

On multi-day walks, you may get a large blister under the ball of the foot or heel that makes every step agony. In that situation, controlled drainage is often more practical than pretending it is not there.

Many clinical and first aid guides suggest:

1. Clean the area thoroughly.
2. Use a sterile needle or lancet if possible.
3. Make one or more small punctures at the edge of the blister, not in the centre.
4. Gently press fluid out while keeping the blister roof in place.
5. Dry the area and apply an antiseptic if available.
6. Cover with a cushioned dressing (for example hydrocolloid plus tape over the top) and possibly a donut pad around it.

The blister roof continues to protect the raw skin underneath while new skin grows.

Important: If you see pus, spreading redness, or feel increasing throbbing pain, this may be infection and you should seek medical help as soon as possible.

Sometimes the top skin tears off on its own inside your sock. That leaves a raw, weeping patch that is very painful.

In that case:

• Carefully trim away any dead, loose skin (do not rip it).
• Clean and gently pat dry.
• Cover with a non-stick dressing or hydrocolloid plaster, then secure with tape.
• If you are continuing to walk, consider extra padding around the area.

These injuries take longer to heal, so daily dressing changes and cleanliness in the evening are critical.

If you plan to walk forty to fifty kilometres every day for five or six days, make foot care part of your schedule, not an afterthought.

• Check your feet before socks go on. Look for skin cracks, areas of redness, or yesterday’s healing blisters.
• Pre-tape or pad known hot spots.
• Put on clean, dry socks that you have already tested in training.

• At planned rest breaks (for example every ten to fifteen kilometres):
  • Remove shoes for a few minutes, let feet air-dry.
  • If socks are sweaty or wet, change them.
  • Deal with any hot spots immediately with tape or padding.

• Wash or wipe feet gently and dry carefully, including between toes.
• Inspect for blisters, macerated (white and soggy) skin, or cracks.
• Treat existing blisters with the approaches above.
• Elevate your feet for a while to reduce swelling.
• Lightly moisturise non-blistered skin overnight if it is very dry or cracking.

This fifteen to thirty minute daily ritual can be the difference between completing all six days and dropping out on day three.

You can usually keep walking with:

• A small, well-padded intact blister
• A drained blister that is clean, well dressed, and not too painful

You should strongly consider stopping or seeking medical help if:

• Pain from a blister forces you to change your walking pattern significantly (limping or twisting your foot)
• Redness spreads beyond the blister edge or the area feels hot and throbbing
• There is obvious pus or a foul smell
• You have fever, chills, or feel unwell

Untreated infected blisters can lead to cellulitis and deeper infections which are far more serious than a missed walking day.

• When you walk forty to fifty kilometres a day for several days, foot blisters are one of the biggest threats to finishing your journey.
• Blisters are caused by friction, shear, and moisture. Shoe fit, sock choice, and foot swelling all matter.
• You can significantly reduce risk by:
  • Using synthetic or wool-blend socks instead of cotton
  • Pre-taping hot spots or using hydrocolloid pads on high-risk areas
  • Managing moisture and changing socks during the day
• Treat hot spots early. A few minutes spent on foot care during the walk can save hours of misery later.
• Learn basic blister drainage and dressing techniques before your trip so that, if a big blister forms, you can manage it safely and keep moving.

If your goal is to walk forty to fifty kilometres every day for nearly a week, think of your foot care kit—socks, tape, plasters, lubricants—as important as your backpack or walking poles. Strong legs are useless if your feet cannot tolerate the next step.