Whether you are at work or at play, a man or a woman, nothing leaves you limping like a foot blister. Though poorly fit shoes can be the culprit, it is often a sock that’s rubbing the skin wrong and raw.
It may sound too simple, but to avoid blisters, you must pick the right sock for your activity and the shoes you will be wearing. Proper athletic socks are essential for sports activities.
The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) has found that the factors necessary for friction blisters are shear force, pressure and moderate levels of moisture. All of these forces can be mitigated by a proper sock system, according to the Academy. Investigators looked at the role of fiber and sock construction techniques in the prevention of foot blisters. They determined that synthetic, i.e. acrylic fiber, socks produce fewer and smaller blisters than cotton fiber socks. Acrylic socks kept the foot dryer when compared to cotton.
U.S. Military research has also shown that synthetic sock materials tend to cause fewer blisters. A study performed on 357 marine recruits revealed a 69% prevalence of blisters during a four-month period of training. Blisters serious enough to warrant medical attention occurred in 24.4% of all trainees. The Military took more steps to protect their soldiers’ feet and studied various sock systems. The standard military issue sock is a 50% cotton — 50% wool cushion-sole sock.
In a 1992 study of 357 marine recruits, the use of a CoolMax® liner with a heavily padded terry design outer sock using a wool/polypropylene blend significantly reduced blisters compared to a single layer sock (40% vs. 69%). Another study of 1,079 soldiers one year later tested five sock systems on blister frequency and acceptability by soldiers. Synthetic fiber socks significantly outperformed the standard wool sock. Adding a CoolMax® liner to the wool sock significantly reduced blisters.
Also, they found that by comparing single, extra-thick acrylic padded socks to double layer sock-systems, the double-layer system tested much better.
The AAPSM also suggests that socks be designed specific to the shoe, rather than the activity. The foot’s movement and stresses vary greatly, yet in creating a sock to mitigate those stresses resulted in a sock with very similar features, despite the foot stresses of various activities.
For athletes, shoe designs are just as important as the socks worn. AAPSM knows that design in the upper sock portion and fiber composition can be varied greatly to meet the specific demands of each sport.
The following table shows AAPSM recommendations meant to ease chafing between the foot and footwear, keep the feet warm, and wick sweat away from the feet:
- Thin or Thin Double Layer Outdoor(liners): Cycling, Running (racing), Skiing
- Padded or Thick Double-Layer: Jogging, Skiing, Hiking, Tennis, Basketball
- They also suggest wearing socks of these fibers:
- Acrylic: Golf, Tennis, Hiking
- Acrylic/Wool: Outdoor-Cold
- Acrylic/Thermax®: Outdoor-Cool
- Acrylic/CoolMax®: Outdoor-Warm
- CoolMax®: Running, Cycling, Liners
- MicroSafe®: Therapeutic Hosiery, i.e., Diabetes
To further reduce the risk of foot blisters, make sure you pick a pair of socks that is well-constructed and fits properly. The statement “one size fits all” on the sock package gets many people into trouble with blisters. In fact, sock size is generally 1 ½ larger than your shoe size. If you wear a 10 shoe, your socks should be size 11 ½.
Sock experts may also suggest wearing socks with a flat, non-irritating seam across the toe, instead of a tube sock that may bunch around the toes. Reinforced heals and toes will add durability to those areas, while a fully cushioned bottom provides comfort.
Hopefully this will help you wear socks that prevent blisters, and be comfortable everyday.
Technorati Tags: socks that prevent blisters
Posted by blogger as Articles, Sock Buying Tips at 9:49 PM UTC