Shoes and blisters

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  • May 20, 2019 at 1:23 am #921225
    creadinger
    Participant

    On a recent long ride I got a very painful raw spot/blister on the outside of my pinky toe. It was only on my left foot for some reason. Maybe my feet are different sizes.

    Initially I think that my shoes are a little too big because I rode with thin summer socks for the first time and I maxed out the ratchet to tighten them. With thicker wool socks it’s not like my feet feel awesome, but nothing painful like this.

    So, I think my shoe may be a little bit too big especially after it stretches after a couple of hours of riding. I was thinking I’d get thicker insole, or a second one to take up more space, but doing a little reading it seems like most pinky toe blisters are from a toe box that is too tight. This seems like conflicting information.

    I’m curious to hear if anyone dealt with issues like this. What was your solution? Thicker insole? Just always wear a wool sock, even in summer? Loosen the small strap for toe box?

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Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
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  • May 20, 2019 at 2:49 am #1098727
    n18
    Participant

    My guess is that thinner socks have less padding, and so more rubbing against the shoe. Perhaps getting cheap socks, then cut the front part and wear it over the thinner one might help, but nothing beats sandals in the hot weather.

    May 20, 2019 at 11:28 am #1098732
    Judd
    Participant

    I have this problem. Any time I wear thin cycling socks for a long ride I get hotspots or blisters. I’ve stopped wearing them and use lightweight wool socks that have some cushion in the toes and heels. I don’t find them to cause any problems with overheating.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    May 20, 2019 at 12:28 pm #1098733
    LeprosyStudyGroup
    Participant

    I’ve been given advice to loosen my shoes a bit after a few hours in the saddle because blood begins to pool in your feet and they swell which may cause them to rub and bruise in places that are usually fine. It’s not something I naturally think to do and usually by the time I notice something is going wrong it’s a bit too late anyways. The sweet spot may be socks with a bit of cushion like you guys are saying and actually not over tightening the straps.

    May 20, 2019 at 2:30 pm #1098737
    creadinger
    Participant

    @LeprosyStudyGroup 190867 wrote:

    I’ve been given advice to loosen my shoes a bit after a few hours in the saddle because blood begins to pool in your feet and they swell which may cause them to rub and bruise in places that are usually fine. It’s not something I naturally think to do and usually by the time I notice something is going wrong it’s a bit too late anyways. The sweet spot may be socks with a bit of cushion like you guys are saying and actually not over tightening the straps.

    Yeah, I’m sensing some counter intuitive ideas in this, but I think you all are right.

    Thicker socks for more padding as said above, and after a few hours I do need to tighten the main strap, but maybe I should loosen the lower 2 straps near my toes. My instinct Saturday was to tighten them all which probably made it worse.

    The thought of wearing a wool sock in the heat of summer makes me a bit queasy though. Ugh…

    May 20, 2019 at 2:54 pm #1098740
    huskerdont
    Participant

    You could try a thicker poly sock with a bit of fluffy soft pile on the inside. And if you’re not against the concept, cycling sandals are pretty awesome in the summer. They probably break a bunch of Velominati rules though if you’re doing road rides. (One comment I got once was “What is this, the company picnic?”)

    May 20, 2019 at 3:25 pm #1098743
    creadinger
    Participant

    @huskerdont 190874 wrote:

    You could try a thicker poly sock with a bit of fluffy soft pile on the inside. And if you’re not against the concept, cycling sandals are pretty awesome in the summer. They probably break a bunch of Velominati rules though if you’re doing road rides. (One comment I got once was “What is this, the company picnic?”

    I’m not against sandals or judgmental about anyone who wears them but I do like the protective qualities of shoes. My feet are REALLY sensitive to the sun, and I’ve kicked up all kinds of weird crap from the roads over the years (rocks, sticks, roadkill, etc…) that just bounce off my shoes. You can’t avoid hitting EVERYthing. And on really tight turns, my shoes scrape the supports of my fenders. Now that would hurt!

    Speaking of weird stuff that happens – Not my feet this time but just on Saturday night outside of Thurmont, a freaking bat flew right into my chest! WTF

    May 21, 2019 at 1:37 am #1098705
    Judd
    Participant

    @creadinger 190877 wrote:

    Speaking of weird stuff that happens – Not my feet this time but just on Saturday night outside of Thurmont, a freaking bat flew right into my chest! WTF

    I love this. I had one divebomb into my leg. Definitely the weirdest thing that’s happened to me in a bike just ahead of the time I dozed off on a ride.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    May 21, 2019 at 12:21 pm #1098710
    DrP
    Participant

    @creadinger 190877 wrote:

    Speaking of weird stuff that happens – Not my feet this time but just on Saturday night outside of Thurmont, a freaking bat flew right into my chest! WTF

    Just be thankful it didn’t bite you. A cycling friend in Ohio was bitten by a bat on his commute home one day (late fall, I think, dark in any event). Had to go for the rabies shots. He was not amused.

    May 21, 2019 at 2:48 pm #1098718
    Emm
    Participant

    @DrP 190897 wrote:

    Just be thankful it didn’t bite you. A cycling friend in Ohio was bitten by a bat on his commute home one day (late fall, I think, dark in any event). Had to go for the rabies shots. He was not amused.

    Honestly, if you so much as touch a bat on accident and can’t say for certain where you touched it, rabies shots aren’t a bad idea. Their teeth are TINY, so you can’t always tell if you’ve been bitten.

    https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/bats.html

    May 23, 2019 at 3:31 pm #1098777
    creadinger
    Participant

    @Emm 190900 wrote:

    Honestly, if you so much as touch a bat on accident and can’t say for certain where you touched it, rabies shots aren’t a bad idea. Their teeth are TINY, so you can’t always tell if you’ve been bitten.

    https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/bats.html

    Thanks for that insight. I’m gonna go with I’m ok this time because it was chilly and I had my jersey and reflective vest all zipped up. It would have had to bite through 2 layers of clothing in an instant with tiny teeth. Given the amount of bugs we had to deal with out in farm country we need more bats!

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