Why do I blister on the outside of my right foot only?

miker

Chapter Presidents
Jul 26, 2010
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After I run 5+ miles bf, I end up w/a large blister about 1/2 the size of my thumb on the sole of my foot on the outside.

Blister.jpg


As you can see from the picture, I'm getting blisters on top of blisters! These never really puff up, but eventually they will come off. But it seems like they are deep blisters. Maybe they're called something else?

When I ran shod, I always tended to run on the outside of my foot. I "hoped" that bfr would correct this part of my form. When I run bf now, I "think" I'm keeping my knees bent, fast cadence, feet landing under my center of gravity, etc. But obviously I'm doing something wrong. :-(

Someone mentioned (forgot who, sorry) that if you were getting blisters on the outside of your foot, that you were twisting your hips too much and so the foot came across and thus rubbed on the outside.

This makes sense, because if you look at yourself running in place, your feet are 6" or so apart. When I run, it feels weird to run with each of my feet on the outside of the lane lines on a running track. But I've been working on trying to keep some space between my feet as they land. I thought this might help with some long-standing hip issues as well.

Then I understood Ken Bob to say that I "should" be rotating my hips. So now I'm really confused. Is bfr like running in place, with feet apart, or is bfr running with feet aligning on a central line?

I don't get blisters on my toes, heels or on the outside of my left foot, only the right.

Has anyone else had this happen? Or does anyone have any ideas what I am doing wrong (or what I need to change)?

Thanks in advance for any advice. :)
 
Thing is, what do I do about

Thing is, what do I do about it? Since this is not a concious action, I don't know what I'm doing wrong. How did you solve your overpronating?
 
Deep tissue blister.  You are

Deep tissue blister. You are grinding in, but why? Can you take a video of your running?
 
My understanding, and I'd

My understanding, and I'd have to go back and check, but I believe Ken Bob says you should be running along a central line not with your feet apart - like running on the paint on the edge of the road. I don't know if that would correct the problem you're having, but it would be better form overall.



- Just checked Ken Bob's book... and yes, your feet should be tracking along a single line not two parallel lines. If you have his new book - p. 83 under Step 5 about your hips natural rotation and feet tracking in straight line.
 
I've been meaning to ask Ken

I've been meaning to ask Ken Bob about that. What about a woman who has wide hips due to having babies? I think this practice of running on a straight line may come easier to men than some or most women who have had children.
 
Okay, okay, work with me on

Okay, okay, work with me on this (please). I think this is my last hurdle to running bf all the time. And I apologize for being so dense, but I figure eventually I'm due for an "aha" moment! :~

So, if running bf is like running in place, then you run with your feet spread apart some. But once you start moving forward, you can bring your feet closer to the same line. Kind of like bicycling (I guess). 'Cause it feels really strange to try and run with my feet spread apart. Even just the width of a lane line on a track feels very odd.

If I overpronate, I need to run more on the "inside" of my feet. Is this correct? But if my hips swivel to allow the feet to run the same line, wouldn't I have a tendency to run on the outside edges of my feet more? Or rather, wouldn't the outside of my feet rub more, which would lead to blistering. Since this only happens to my right foot, is it normal to pronate differently with each foot?

I've been trying to run with my feet spread just a little, and I feel it in my hips. Like they're trying to swivel and I'm not letting them. It hasn't caused any problems (yet), but I don't want to do something that will hurt me down the road.

TJ, I may be able to get the wife to video me running. I'll think about how to set that up so maybe you all can share your thoughts on my running style.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations/advice.

Cheers,

miker
 
pb, me too! 'Cause right now

pb, me too! ;-) 'Cause right now I have the barefoot angel (BFA) on one shoulder and the podiatrist devil (PDD) on the other. The BFA keeps holding out this picture of what it will feel like when it all comes together, while the PDD keeps telling me that orthotics/shoes can fix this for me. :-
 
I have had blisters in the

I have had blisters in the same place. I do not know how I changed my form to prevent them.

Recently I have run on gravel/ chip seal it correct form problems.

Sore feet run correctly.
 
No.  You aren't the only one

No. You aren't the only one with that problem but my blister doesn't get that big. I'm only up to 2 mile barefoot runs. Sometimes with no issues at all. Sometimes with a little blistering in that area. When I feel some friction in that area I think at my foot, "stop that". Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Ok, ok, so I'm not a lot of help. But, you aren't the only one.
 
Barefoot TJ wrote:I've been

Barefoot TJ said:
I've been meaning to ask Ken Bob about that. What about a woman who has wide hips due to having babies? I think this practice of running on a straight line may come easier to men than some or most women who have had children.

TJ did you talk to him? I should read his book. It seems like there are a lot of things he says that I would disagree with. This being one of them.

To me running on a line seems like a nice way to cause a hip issues or worse a stress fracture.
 
I'm still a Baby-Bird, but I

I'm still a Baby-Bird, but I noticed this on both my feet when I was concentrating on landing on my 4th toe pad first. TJ said to listen to my feet, so this morning I was landing center of the balls of my feet. Not intentionally...that just seemed the most comfortable. I didn't feel any sliding or skin rolling from flattening out. That's the best I can descrive what it felt like.

-Jonny
 
So proud of you, Jonny. 

So proud of you, Jonny. You're doing well.

Abide, no. I haven't had the chance to ask him, or when we do talk I forget.
 
pbarker wrote:In Ken Bob book

pbarker said:
In Ken Bob book the 123 landing technique helped me to reduce abrasion as my foot expands against the ground after landing.

Yeah, I just got his book 2 weeks ago and was totally using his 123!! I'm still reading it, but I attribute his technique to no blisters on my big toes this time...I don't quite have it down pat yet. I did end up with an itty bitty, didn't even know it was there blister on the instep edge of the balls of both feet, and the dime size one on the right heal and that's it! I'm amazed!! I didn't walk funny or have any major pain yesterday or this morning. Feet feel strong, and I can't wait to get out there again! I'm running the 5K we signed up for for the 18th barefoot! Can't wait!! My first BF race!!

-Jonny