How to Stop Shoes Rubbing on Your Little Toe
Blisters on your little toe are painful and frustrating. If left without proper treatment, they can potentially lead to more serious ailments such as impetigo, cellulitis and even sepsis. In this article, we outline some of the causes of blisters on your little toes, what to do prevent them, and how to treat them if they've already formed.
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Blisters on your little toe caused by shoe rubbing are painful and frustrating
What's Covered in this Guide?
- Our Recommended Blister Prevention Products
- Help, It's Too Late! How Can I Help My Blisters Heal Quickly?
- Solutions for Different Types of Blisters
- What's the Best Product for Recurring Blisters?
What Causes Toe Blisters?
The three main causes of toe blisters are:
- Poorly fitting shoes that are too tight, too loose or too rigid
- Athletic activities such as sports, running or hiking
- Physically demanding jobs that require you to be on your feet
- Foot conditions such as bunions and corns
The first thing to do if you’re getting blisters is to ensure you have the correct size shoes, but even the best fitting shoes can take time to break in. The next step is to ask what products could help prevent blisters from forming on your little toe.
Our Recommended Blister Prevention Products
Silipos Gel Toe Caps
Our Verdict: Made of soft fabric and lined with mineral oil, the lightweight Silipos Gel Toe Caps cushion and protect protect the skin against impact, pressure friction from shoes while simultaneously releasing moisture-rich mineral oil that gently hydrates, softens and conditions the skin. When placed on, these cut-to-size caps offer the barrier you need between your little toes and shoes, therefore preventing any friction and blisters from occurring.
Why We Love it...
✔ Soft and comfortable toe caps protect skin from shoe rubbing
✔ Fully lined with medical grade mineral oil gel to surround, soothe, moisturise, and protect
✔ Fits all toes and can be cut to size
✔ Latex-free and hypoallergenic for sensitive users
✔ Stretchy to suit all users
✔ Washable and reusable
✔ Also relieves painful ingrown toenails, corns, hammertoes, and toe tips
Customer Verdict: "Work well to prevent rubbing" ★★★★★ Pam
Supplier Guarantee: "Digital Caps are a soft, comfortable, and stretchable fabric cap fully coated with Silipos gel. The gel slowly releases a medical grade mineral oil to help soften and moisturize the skin. Digital Caps are ideal for relieving pressure and friction on the affected toe or finger. This product is washable and reusable."
Silipos Digit Gel Pads
Our Verdict: The Silipos Digit Gel Pads are another useful aid to keep your little toe guarded and protected from shoe rubbing in order to prevent blisters. These protect the toes from friction and abrasion inside footwear and are excellent if you are after a more inobtrusive solution. Like the previous product mentioned, these pads also contain a medical grade mineral oil gel that releases conditioning oils onto the skin to help soften and moisturize.
Why We Love It...
✔ Guards little toe and cushions to prevent shoe rubbing and blisters
✔ Available in various sizes and easy to slip on during those busy mornings
✔ Lightweight and able to fit inside all shoes without feeling bulky
✔ Medical grade mineral oil gel pads releases conditioning oils onto the skin
✔ Latex free and hypoallergenic for sensitive users
✔ Washable and reusable
Supplier Guarantee: "Protects toes and fingers from friction and abrasion [and] helps to alleviate footwear pressure on toes. Slip the digital pad over a toe placing the gel pad directly over the affected area to ease discomfort immediately."
Silipos All Gel Tailor's Bunion Cushion
Our Verdict: Although designed for primarily for treating bunions, the Silipos All Gel Tailor’s Bunion Cushion also helps prevent constant contact with shoes in order to prevent rubbing and friction in and around the little toe. Ultimately, the Silipos Gel Cushion allows you to position a soft layer between your little toe and your shoe, creating a barrier that stops friction and irritation in their tracks.
.jpg "2TOMS BLISTER PREVENTION POWDER")
Why We Love it...
✔ Prevents friction in little toe area and constant contact with shoes
✔ Creates a barrier that stops friction in its tracks
✔ Coated in Silipos gel which helps to soften and moisturise the skin
✔ Made with antimicrobial to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and fungus
✔ Minimises perspiration and foot odour
✔ Washable and reusable
✔ Latex-free and hypoallergenic for sensitive skin
Supplier Guarantee: "Antibacterial All Gel Bunion Shields are soft, flexible all gel shields that cushion, protect, and reduce pressure. The thin design fits most footwear. This product is washable and reusable."
Help, It's Too Late! How Can I Help My Blisters Heal Quickly?
If you're reading this blog and your little toes are already suffering with blisters, it can take up to a week of rest to heal – a week that work or athletic training schedules rarely allows. If blisters aren’t rested and allowed to heal, they can become infected, potentially requiring medical treatment. Thankfully, there are products that have been designed specifically to allow you to continue your daily activities without making blisters worse.
What Products Are Best for the Different Types of Blisters?
There are different stages of blisters that each require different forms of treatment.
Hot Spot Blister - 2Toms Blister Prevention Powder
This is the initial stage of the blister where an irritated red patch begins to form on the skin. In the event a red patch is beginning to form, the 2Toms Blister Prevention Powder is excellent for not only preventing blisters from the get go, but will also prevent the hot spot becoming a bubble blister. Catching blisters at this stage is best for a speedy recovery and helps to avoid scarring.
Why We Love It...
✔ Prevents initial blisters from getting worse
✔ Highly transportable and easy to carry for on the go use
✔ Travel size single-use packets fit easily into pockets
✔ No stains, no grease and no animal products used
When Is This Product Not Suitable?
✘ When blisters are broken or popped
Supplier Guarantee: "BlisterShield creates an almost friction-less surface on the foot, reducing heat build-up and blister formation. When applied to the foot, this remarkable powder repels moisture...keeping skin dry and blister-free for lengthy periods of activity."
Bubble Blister - Silipos Full Gel Toe Caps
If the roof of the blister is raised, but still intact, you may need more comprehensive protection to allow the blister to heal without bursting. In this case we recommend the Silipos Full Gel Toe Caps, which will protect your toes from increased pressure and friction that will eventually make your bubble blister burst. For the little toes, it is recommended you select the small/medium size.
Why We Love It...
✔ Beneficial for corns, blisters and ingrown toenails
✔ Features a mineral oil gel that cushions and moisturises
✔ Conforms to the shape of the toe to provide excellent comfort
✔ Travel size single-use packets fit easily into pockets
✔ Washable and reusable
✔ Made from a clear, non-toxic and hypoallergenic gel
When Is This Product Not Suitable?
✘ When blisters are broken or popped
If you do decide to pop the blister, ensure you swab it with antiseptic. Cover the blister with a soft plaster or padded dressing to protect it from infection until it heals.
Infected Blister
If your blister has progressed to the stage of being infected, we recommend you seek medical advice as infections can cause fevers, chills and sepsis. Contact your GP immediately if there are red lines extending away from the blister as this indicates the infection is spreading.
What's the Best Product for Recurring Blisters?
Sidas Foot Protection and Care Kit
If blisters are a regular occurrence in your daily life, we recommend getting a full kit with all the relevant treatment options included. The excellent value for money and the comprehensive collection of blister treatments makes the Sidas Foot Protection and Care Kit a fantastic choice. This product is great for athletes, hikers and anyone else who experiences blisters often.
Why We Love It...
✔ Prevents blisters from the get go or prevents initial blisters from getting worse
✔ Highly transportable, easy to carry blister prevention pack
✔ Includes anti-friction cream, gel protectors and toe wraps and more
✔ Includes six single-use sachets for on the go use
✔ No stains, no grease and no animal products used
✔ Prevents and treats foot injury
When Is This Product Not Suitable?
✘ When blisters are broken or popped
How Can Shoe Insoles Help Prevent and Treat Blisters?
By absorbing sweat and keeping your feet dry insoles for blisters help reduce friction, preventing the conditions that cause blisters. They also assist by preventing the spread of bacteria, this ensures that if blisters do form, they are far less likely to get infected. Check out our extensive range of blister prevention insoles here.
