Foot care: how to prevent and treat blisters

What causes blisters?

Friction plus moisture. Shoes that are too loose or too tight, damp socks, and your foot sliding around inside your shoe all rub the same patch of skin over and over. Many pilgrims don't stop because they run out of energy—they stop because their feet hurt too much to walk.

How to prevent them

Well-fitted shoes, dry socks, and stopping the moment you feel a hot spot.

• Shoes: Make sure they fit well and are already broken in. Official guidance from Galicia specifically warns against starting the trail in new shoes. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) also recommends breaking in new shoes gradually by wearing them for short periods until they feel comfortable.
• Socks: The NHS recommends wearing thicker, moisture-wicking socks for exercise; if your feet sweat easily, change your socks often.
• Take your shoes off at midday breaks: Let your feet air out and put on a dry pair of socks.
• Toenails: Trim them short and straight across before you start. Your feet slide forward on downhills, and long toenails can easily jam against the front of your shoes.

What to do if you get a blister

Keep it clean, cover it up, and don't pop it yourself. What the NHS recommends:

1. Keep it clean: Wash the area gently and pat it dry.
2. Cover it up: Protect it with a soft bandage or padded dressing. A pharmacist can recommend hydrocolloid dressings, which help ease pain and speed up healing.
3. Don't pop it yourself: If a blister has already burst, wash your hands first, let the fluid drain, and cover it up—never peel off the dead skin or pick at the edges.
4. Remove the cause: Until it heals, try not to wear the shoes that caused the blister. That's hard to do completely on the trail, so at least change into fresh socks, adjust your lacing, or pad the rubbing spot before you keep walking.

When to get medical help

When there are signs of infection, or when it hurts too much to walk.

• The blister feels hot, is filled with yellow or green pus, or the skin around it is red: it may be infected, so don't wait to get it checked.
• It is severely painful, or blisters keep coming back in the exact same spot.

Pharmacies (*farmacias*) in Spain usually have a green cross outside, and the pharmacist can give you advice. In an emergency, call 112—the call is free and answered 24 hours a day, year-round.

Beyond blisters, what else commonly hurts?

• Calves and knees: Keep your daily distances shorter for the first few days, and slow your pace on downhills.
• Soles of the feet: Stretch your calves and the bottoms of your feet at the end of each day.

Key points

• Prevention: well-fitted broken-in shoes, moisture-wicking socks, and stopping as soon as you feel a hot spot.
• Treatment: keep it clean, cover it with a dressing, and don't pop it yourself.
• Visit a pharmacy or doctor if you see pus, redness, or heat; call 112 in an emergency.

In CaminoGO

You can filter landmark categories on the map to find nearby pharmacies and hospitals. Checking “Today's walk” before you set out each morning shows you where to find supplies and pharmacies along the way, as well as any long stretches without services.