The Right Socks Can Prevent Blisters
If you’re experiencing blisters on your feet after training or competing, your socks might be to blame.
“I look at the sock…from the perspective of moisture control and not wanting [sweat] to be dripping on your feet and not being able to evaporate,” says Dr. Stephen Pribut, a member of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. And since moisture is one of the two major causes of foot blisters (the other is friction), Pribut urges athletes prone to this injury to dump their cotton socks and try out synthetic material that wicks away moisture. “Cotton loses its shape [and] loses its thickness when it’s wet,” he says. “Synthetics don’t; they retain 80 to 90 percent of their thickness. Also, cotton doesn’t dry [well]. You could hang it up and it would take hours. Coolmax dries."
For more information on foot health, visit the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine website at aapsm.org.
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The Right Socks Can Prevent Blisters
If you’re experiencing blisters on your feet after training or competing, your socks might be to blame.
“I look at the sock…from the perspective of moisture control and not wanting [sweat] to be dripping on your feet and not being able to evaporate,” says Dr. Stephen Pribut, a member of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. And since moisture is one of the two major causes of foot blisters (the other is friction), Pribut urges athletes prone to this injury to dump their cotton socks and try out synthetic material that wicks away moisture. “Cotton loses its shape [and] loses its thickness when it’s wet,” he says. “Synthetics don’t; they retain 80 to 90 percent of their thickness. Also, cotton doesn’t dry [well]. You could hang it up and it would take hours. Coolmax dries."
For more information on foot health, visit the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine website at aapsm.org.