How to Prevent Blisters

In this video, Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist at Northwest Foot and Ankle and the inventor of Correct Toes, answers the following question:

What tape or blister treatments do you recommend for preventing blisters on long runs?

Dr. Ray notes that one of the key strategies for preventing blisters on long runs is to adopt footwear that's shaped like a natural human foot. Other helpful natural approaches include using a wicking sock (such as Injinji toe socks), keeping the inside environment of your footwear dry (by using Dr. Swaim's Medicated Body & Foot Powder), and wearing Correct Toes to help occupy the full toe box width of a foot-healthy shoe.

Note: In this video, Dr. Ray mentions Altra footwear as a good, wide toe box option for athletes and active individuals looking to prevent blisters. Since the original publication of this video and post, Altra, the company, has been purchased by a larger company. Much has changed about the footwear, including seemingly ever-increasing stack heights and a general narrowing of the toe box in models throughout the product line. So, for that reason, we recommend shoes like the Lems Primal Pursuit instead, which retain the foot-healthy design features we've found to be beneficial in promoting optimal foot form and function.