320 km Hiked, Zero Blisters: Tony’s Success Story
Meet Tony
We’re excited to share an incredible story of perseverance and success from one of our patients, Tony, who we helped prevent blisters by prescribing custom orthotics.
Tony and his wife, Rose, are avid long-distance hikers who have explored some of the most beautiful trails around the world, over the past few years, they’ve conquered 350 km in Spain and 420 km in France. However, despite their love for hiking, Tony’s experiences were marred by painful and debilitating blisters. These blisters not only caused physical pain, bleeding, and even infections, but they also took a toll on Tony’s mental well-being, nearly ruining these much-anticipated trips.
When Tony came to us at Waikato Podiatry, he was at his wit's end; Tony had tried and failed with online suggestions about blister treatments and prevention. He had already committed to their next big adventure—walking the rugged Cornish coast in the UK (here's the link if you fancy a trip!) —but he feared that blisters would once again spoil the journey. In fact, Tony was so despondent that he considered this to be his last hiking trip if the blister problem couldn’t be solved.
Prevent Blisters with Orthotics for Hiking
We started by addressing the basics:
- Proper foot care
- Managing hard skin build-up
- The importance of selecting the right socks
- Appropriate footwear selection
- A thorough Gait Analysis to understand how Tony’s feet moved during hiking
- Factoring in the impact of loading of his pack
- Suggestions around managing training variables
- Specific training underload
All of these will help to prevent blisters with orthotics for hiking.
Treatment Plan
Based on the assessment, we recommended a specific type of hiking shoe that would better suit his feet and the demands of long-distance walking.
To further prevent blisters, we prescribed Tony a custom set of soft orthotics. These aren’t just for athletes—orthotics are tailored to modify foot mechanics in a way that benefits each individual. Once placed inside his shoes and the wearing-in procedure was followed, the orthotics began working, providing the support and protection Tony needed. Read this blog to learn more about our orthotics.
Tony was a model patient, diligently following our advice and making the necessary adjustments. Tony had the foresight to come to see us in the clinic six months before his trip, to ensure there was time to implement and embed the required changes. The results speak for themselves.
Tony's Testimonial.
In his own words, Tony shared:
"I am happy to congratulate you on your expertise in foot management.
The shoes you recommended are exactly right for the trail. We are walking on all surfaces imaginable including horribly rocky tracks that we know as wilderness tramping tracks. The shoes can handle all surfaces and are 100% comfortable at all times.
My feet never get tired or sore probably due to the inner sole you made for me.
And most importantly no blisters this time. Such a relief!
We are at Falmouth today which is 320km from where we started in Bude. Only 180km to go. Our starting fitness level was just right as the first three days were the hardest so far. We were exhausted at the end of each day but recovered enough to get going the day after. As expected our fitness improved dramatically over the first week. We notice it most walking up the steep side of each headland (usually 50 to 100 vertical metres) there are of course hundreds of them along the coast. We now walk up fast, feel it in the legs a bit but recover instantly when we reach the top. It’s a great feeling.
Thank you for your expertise and advice. You have been a big part of our success.
Life is good. Tony and Rose Dickens."
Tony’s story is a testament to the impact of proper foot care and the difference it can make. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or just someone dealing with foot pain, know that there are solutions out there to prevent blisters with orthotics for hiking. At Waikato Podiatry, we're here to help you every step of the way.
https://waikatopodiatry.co.nz/Providing the people of Waikato with a centre of podiatry excellence
