By: Sonia Wee
With the return of boot season, we can’t help but be excited that we can pull out our favorite booties, slides, or knee highs now that the chillier weather is here. The only problem? Ten minutes in, and your feet are killing you, which definitely takes the fun out of the fall season.
Whether your old boots are too small, you get too many blisters, or they just aren’t comfortable enough, all these factors destroy the joy that comes hand in hand when you finally get to put away the sandals and break out your boots.
Boots are like babies–they require nurturing, and in order for them to be your best friend, you have to take the necessary steps to keep your feet pain free! You need to carefully work them through a series of procedures to make them more user friendly, and here at Equal Time, we’ll show you how.
________________________________________________________
Winter is coming. You’ve outgrown your old pair of boots, and you’re desperate for another. Getting your feet accustomed to new shoes can be tough. If you, like many, tend to suffer from blisters every time you slide on a new pair of boots, here are some tips to breaking them in as fast as possible!
To Minimize Pain…
Wear your new boots in the morning when the weather is cooler. Your feet should be at its original, and often smallest, size at this time of the day. Do some gentle trekking across campus to encourage your boots to adjust to the shape of your feet. Your shoes should feel softer and more flexible overtime.
In the afternoon, when temperatures are usually warm, your feet tend to expand, so switch them out for an older and more worn in pair in the afternoon.
To Save Money…
Why spend more money when your shoes become too small when you can use this trick to help widen them, without spending any money? Here’s how it works!
Place a sealed bag (a sandwich bag should do the trick) of water inside the toe box, and put the shoes into the freezer overnight. Water expands when it freezes, which will allow water to expand inside your boots as it freezes, and helping to to expand the toe box area slowly. In the morning, wiggle the ice out of the shoe, or break it to get it out. Do not leave it to melt inside the shoe. To prevent contamination, be sure to put your boots in a bag before putting them in the freezer. This method works as well as a wooden foot stretcher.
To Give More Support…
Wear insoles! Insoles are super important to give you a comfortable shoe, especially if your boots do not fit quite right. Always buy a larger insole, because you can trim it down if need be to the right size, and test our a variety of insoles, which you can buy pretty cheap at any drugstore, to find what fit works best for you.
To Keep the Blisters At Bay…
Cover blister prone spots on your feet with medical tape or bandages to lessen the impact. Sometimes, bandages alone aren’t enough.
An old hack that we love involves sprinkling some cornstarch over blister prone areas to keep the area dry, which will prevent rubbing. An alternative to this is to stick some Scotch Magic Tape (the ones that are frosty on the roll) over rough spots inside your boots, usually the heel or toe box area, to help reduce friction.
Make sure to steer clear of wearing cotton socks, because they tend to retain moisture, or foot sweat, which then softens the skin, and makes it more prone to tearing or chafing.
To Do Damage Control…
In the unfortunate case of a broken blister, or painful chafe, the first thing you want to do is to rinse it, and then apply antiseptic to prevent getting an infection. Your aim now is to reduce as much friction and pressure on the vulnerable area.
In the case of larger, deroofed blisters, Compeed and Elastoplast blister cushions are trusted brands that contain hydrocolloid Active-Gel to help relieve pain and absorb moisture. They work best when left on for two to three days. Order these blister cushions on Amazon, or pick them up at select Walgreens and CVS drug stores.
To Nab a Quick Fix…
When wearing pointy-toed boots, it’s common to find your pinky toe smushed, which can be painful. To relieve discomfort, buy a pair of gloves from the dollar store, and cut off the top portion of the glove where the fingers usually go. You should be left with five mini finger puppet like inserts, and a fingerless glove. Wear a mini finger insert over either your pinky and/or fourth toe, to lessen the abrasion between the two.