Footcare for Adventure Racers
Foot care can be the difference between a successful race and a painful disaster. Unlike typical running events, adventure racers must be prepared to trek in soaking wet shoes through mud and uneven terrain.Avoiding Foot Problems
The first step in proper foot care is having appropriate shoes and insoles for adventure racing. Most racers use a trail running shoe for races, which provide more support and are more durable than standard street running shoes. Shoes must fit properly (see links below for fitting advice). Your feet will swell during races. For multi-day events, participants often have a second pair of shoes a half size (or more) larger than their standard shoes to accommodate this swelling. (In one race a participant was observed cutting open the toe box of his shoes and repairing with duct tape to accommodate swollen feet – not an ideal solution, but it appeared to work.). Some racers love moldable inserts, such as Sole Custom Footbeds, which you heat in your oven and then insert in your shoes while they cool, allowing them to mold to your foot shape.
Socks matter too. Choosing a sock that works for you is an important consideration. For shorter races, many participants simply use biking socks, but for longer events, a full length sock is required. Some use socks with individual toes to reduce toe blisters, while other racers use standard running socks to compete.
Most long distance racers will use some type of foot lubricant to help avoid blisters. While there are specific products like Body Glide on the market, many racers use a petroleum jelly like Vaseline (but be careful as it will discolor clothing and damage wetsuits!). Racers in longer races often wrap their feet, using either Leukotape or duct tape. Foot wrapping is a bit of an art form, and something that should never be tried for the first time at a race. Each foot wraps a little differently, and the phrase “tape cuts” are not something you want to learn the meaning of in the middle of an outing.In addition to race day preparation, some racers take more drastic measures to toughen their feet up for racing. There are numerous techniques to expedite callous formation before race day, from running without socks, to soaking your feet in solutions that cause callous formation. Only multi-day racers will likely consider these tactics!
Once Problems Start
Even if you do everything right, sometimes problems happen. The most common issue is blisters. Here's what to do to treat blisters and hot spots.
Although blisters are by far the biggest foot care issue for adventure racers, it is also important to understand that for multi-day races, your feet will swell. Ideally, you will have larger shoes to change into in the transition area. In the rare race where you will be away from a TA for multiple days, you'll likely want to start with larger shoes, but include an oversized insert, like the 3.2 mm versions available from Sole. As your feet swell, you switch to a thin foot bed, like these. If you are racing and you find your foot has swollen beyond your shoe size and you have not prepared for this all is not lost. You can cut the toe box of your shoe away from the sole and use duct take to re-seal leaving extra space. Although a crude solution, it is surprisingly effective.
More Information on Foot Care for Adventure Racers
The links below provide substantial information on keeping your feet happy during a race. Also, ultra-marathoners tend to be the thought leaders on foot care. Every ultra-marathon site is likely to have thoughtful pointers on keeping you moving pain free.
General Tips
Vonhof’s website
Adventure racing footcare by....you guessed itFoot Toughness/Blisters
Discussion of blister prevention
Article on blister preventionShoes
General information on buying shoes
More information on how to buy shoes
Basic information on types of feet
Sole Custom Footbeds Website – manufacturer of heat molded footbeds
Socks
Injinji Tsoks website