feet problems

[Kim Lee]

I have a friend who is asking me questions about problems she is having with her feet.  I told her to get signed up on the blog and ask for herself, but she isn't quite up to doing that YET.  So I will post her concerns and maybe someone out there could give me something to go back to her with.  She is almost 6 feet tall, lean, (like in the the men's fat percentage category, probably like 10% body fat).  She is running on a treadmill at about a 7 minute pace.   She has toenails that fall off consistently and blisters, (silver dollar size), that form on the insides of her foot by her arch.   She buys good shoes and has had them fit at Runner's Corner.  Her shoes are a size bigger than she normally wears with other shoes.  She did say she hasn't ever felt like buying running socks were important.  That could be one cause.  She said her feet aren't shaped weird and she doesn't have flat feet.  I think it might have something to do with only running on the treadmill, maybe pushing forward someway in her form, but I really know nothing to tell her.  If anyone has had problems or has answers for this, I would love to hear them.

[Dave Holt]

I used to get a lot of blister problems until I sucked it up and started buying real running socks.  Like you said, maybe some of the cause.

[Sasha Pachev]

Is she a national class runner? Can she race a half marathon at 5:40 pace? If not, she should not be running 7:00 pace on her regular runs, this is too hard.
If she can run 7:00 on a treadmill, she should do it in a race, she'd win a prize.
I would guess what is happening is that all the sweat is accumulating on the body and ends up on the feet. When running outside, even in the heat there would be a way for the sweat to be blown off, but on a treadmill it all goes down to the feet. Also, the humidity of the immediate surroundings from the sweat is a factor. My first recommendation is to get off the treadmill. If that is absolutely not an option, then get a fan, and get moisture-wicking socks.

[jtshad]

I would definitely say that performance socks are a must, running in cotton socks is a sure fire way to get and keep blisters.  You can pick up moisture wicking socks everywhere...I just bought a whole bunch at BigLots, 3 pair for $2!!!   As for the toenails, again the socks  could be the culprit.  Also, maybe she should look into different shoes to help with both of these issues as the ones she is running in don't appear to be helping her.

My 2 cents worth.

[James Winzenz]

I definitely gotta agree with the socks!  Socks are not all that expensive, and they last quite a while.  The other thought I have is regarding the shoes.  blisters on the arch indicate some sort of friction in that area.  Could be the brand of shoe has arches that are a bit too high for her.  With toenails that fall off, this could also go back to the socks, or could be that the shoes have a narrow toebox, or that her shoes are possibly even too big, and her feet are sliding in the shoes and banging against the front of the shoe.  Lots of possibilities here.  First thing is to get good socks, if the symptoms remain, she needs to look at the shoes she is wearing and consider alternate brands/models.

[Jon Allen]

I don't know what type of shoe she has, but I always had problems with blisters at the front of my arch back when I had Reebok's.  I knew of others with the same problem.  Does she wear Reebok?

I agree about the tech socks.  I bought 6 of them about 5 years ago and they are still working great.  And I won 3 more this summer- so many, I don't know what to do with all of them!

[Kim Lee]

Hey, thanks to all of you who have taken time to give me some tips.  As I have read these to my friend we have come up with a plan.  1st, new socks!  2nd, she has 3 pair of shoes that she rotates, (none of them Reeboks).   She is going to try one at a time for a week or so and see if one of the pair is the culprit.  3rd, we are wondering if she needs to buy only 1/2 size bigger instead of a full size bigger.  She could be sliding back and forth a lot which makes a lot of sense for the toenails and the arch blisters.  She is thrilled with the response, thanks for your help!  If we solve the problem we will have to let you know.

[James Winzenz]

Sounds like a good plan with shoes, once she goes out and gets some good socks.  I have liked wrightsock before - double layer socks that are supposed to help with blisters, several other brands do the same thing now.  I also got some Nike Elite Running socks for my birthday last year, which I absolutely love.  With regards to the shoe size, usually the manufacturer will list how much bigger to buy them, although I think it is just a reference.  For example, I wear the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7, and the recommendation is to size 1/2 size up, which I do.  They fit just right for me, and I have enough room in the front of the toebox.  I would tend to go with the manufacturer's recommendation for the shoe size and size up from regular shoe size accordingly.

[Craig Green]

Kim-

Even with good socks, I have dealt with blistering over the years, primarily due to my gait (heavy forefoot striker). Like your friend, my running style has me pushing off my toes more than average person. That could be her problem as well. I now carry a can of Aquaphor or some other type of blister shield with me and apply it before indoor, hot, fast, or otherwise intense runs. So have her try some blister shield on the feet before the run. Also, if your friend slowed down (per Sasha's suggestion) she would probably have less blistering issues.

Running outside would also do wonders in terms of being cooler and providing some variation in the incline/terrain so that she's not always hitting the ground exactly the same. Running outside is also going to give her a more natural feel of running and make it easier to control her pace according to feel. I'm sure we could all go on a long thread about the advantages of running outside vs the treadmill...