Running Sockless!

Bambaata

With the tri season about to start I thought it would be an idea to run without socks over last weekend as i will be expecting to do this after the swim/bike fo the tri's. I last about 6km before i started feeling sore! When i got home after the run i found the insides of both my feet had been rubbed raw and had burst blisters from the constant rubbing against the side of the runner. I believe it was the Mizuno logo stitching on the inside of the runner.

How do people get around this? I don't really want to be trying to put on socks over wet/cold/numb feet if i can help it. Has anyone else experienced this problem? I tried putting a plaster over the area of the runner causing the trouble but it didn't last long. I'm going to try a better plaster when i get to the shops this evening but it got me thinking that i certainly couldn't be the first to experience this.

Aside from that they were very comfortable. However I'm thinking I'll spend that 20 seconds putting them on at Valentia until i find a way around it!


Sorry I should probably have put this in the Tri-newbie thread. Mods feel free to merge, i cant seem to be able to delete it

--amadeus--

Ahh, we'll leave it here for a while, there aren't that many tri threads around so it makes a nice change!

nerraw1111

All I can say is Ooooooouch! I was squirming reading that.

I always thought you needed specific tri runners in order to run without socks? Otherwise, blister city.

hunnymonster

I've found the engo blister prevention patches very useful if it is just one spot that rubs.
http://www.likeys.com/acatalog/info_1403.html

liamo

I've run sockless a couple of times and ended up with blisters each time.

The amount of time I saved by going sockless was pretty small and the saving may have been eroded by the discomfort during the run anyway.

If I was at a level where I was actually competing I'd probably get a pair of tri-specific shoes (as already mentioned by nerraw1111) but I'm not.

Lock laces for the shoes and plenty of talc for the socks. That's good enough for me.

tunney

you don't need tri specific shoes. thats just marketing.

if your shoes are comfy then they should be grand - if you can't run sockless in a pair of runners then you can get more comfortable runners.

Plenty of talc in the shoes, runners as well as bike shoes, as you feet can get wet on the bike from rain and relieving yourself.

If you skin is just super soft harden it up. Some recommend a bucket of wet sand, some alcohol on your feet, some htfu.

Personally I've found if the shoe is comfy then there is no problems.

Bambaata

hunnymonster wrote: »

I've found the engo blister prevention patches very useful if it is just one spot that rubs.
http://www.likeys.com/acatalog/info_1403.html

Thanks HM. I might give these a go. Luckily it was only 1 place that irritated me so these should do the trick.

SucCes09

I had a similair thought on the sprint on Loughrea last year, ran sockless and received some serious blisters from it... Have not looked at doing that since...

Would it be best to try toughen the skin up by running sockless and gradually increase the miles?

MrCreosote

SucCes09 wrote: »

Would it be best to try toughen the skin up by running sockless and gradually increase the miles?

I've done this. Got blisters at the start, but if you don't pop them the skin underneath hardens up nicely.
Personally find it really hard putting socks on wet feet...