Blisters.... they do my head in, or rather, my feet!
So far, the best thing I've found is either Bodyglide or Compeed stick and a gel toecap on each third toe.
I looked on an ultra running website (Runfurther) and found they all swear by "Engo"...blister prevention. So, I ordered a large pack for £12.99 and waited in anticipation to see what they would be like.
I came home today and they had arrived. Opening the pack up, I looked in disbelief and I have to say, a bit of dismay. They were thinner than a piece of card but seemed as hard and rigid. Where was the cushioning? I found it hard to believe these were going to be my blister free answer.
Now...do I use them on my marathon shoes? If they work, they last 300 miles (as long as a pair of trainers for me)...if they don't, it's a painstaking time consuming effort to get them off with the aid of a hot hairdryer.
In for a penny, in for a pound... they went on the marathon pair. What a palaver trying to get them in the right spot. I chose to put one on each shoe at one of the "hotspots" and leave the other area free to see what the difference was over 6 miles. I wasn't convinced they would work!
The run was quite good and I wanted to run faster than I should so it was an effort to slow down. The place where the engo patch was, on each shoe, was surprisingly fantastic... I couldn't feel a thing.... and the opposite side of my foot with no patch was just as irritatingly painful as it always is. The only thing is, I forgot to use the compeed stick, which really made a big difference too.
I got back, and put another patch on the other side of the shoes straight away. I will run again tomorrow in them to make sure I have them in the right spot. I can't believe the difference with something that just looks like a bit of Blue Peter sticky back plastic. Hooray!
Hi Cabbey,
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving our ENGO Blister Prevention Patches a try, and especially for writing about them.
We agree that the product looks too simple to be a miracle cure... but it sure does work! The ultra-thin, low friction patches work incredibly well at relieving painful foot rubbing that leads to blisters and calluses. It sounds like you had a good experience!
If you're having trouble applying the patches inside your shoes, we recommend loosening the shoe laces to open up the shoe. If you initially just peel half the protective backing from the adhesive, it'll provide a tab to hold as you apply the patch.
If you have any questions, visit http://www.GoENGO.com for more information or to contact us directly.