Third, I’ve now learnt that by placing these patches on my heel before I go for a walk I never get heel blisters in the first place, which my beloved Berghaus boots (link to my review) are prone to giving me. Sure, it means spending an extra couple of quid each time I go for a long walk, but they stay on for up to a week meaning one pair could last an entire holiday. Second, the glue doesn’t last as long as Compeed patches and I generally got two days max use out of them before they peeled off, although in the long run these KT Tape plasters still work out as the cheaper option. I’d say the material in these plasters is more durable than Compeed patches but they’re also more noticeable, so if you’re a lady wearing open shoes this probably isn’t the product for you.

Heel pain relief ✔ Help relieve severe heel pain and discomfort from your sore hurting heels, heel spur treatment, bone spurs, aching feet, aches, stress fractures, bruised, and sprained feet. They can even help with sharp extreme heel soreness and swollen ankles Second, they contain a special hydrocolloid gel (which provides moistness) to encourage new skin growth and I have to say whenever I’ve had a blister they always seem to heal faster in a Compeed patch than when I just leave them open to the air, admittedly because whenever I do that the fluid bubble inevitably pops too early. Remember that the fluid that fills the blister bubble keeps infection at bay, so popping it yourself will prevent your body’s natural protection and you could introduce bacteria into the wound. It’s that last point that sees me purchasing new boxes of Ballotte heel protectors every month as they’re great to use with running shoes, but note that your feet will get a wee bit sweaty if you wear them all day and if you use them a lot they’ll start tearing after a week or so.Before doing any prodding and poking make sure your hands are thoroughly cleaned with soap and water and preferably give them an additional rinse with antibacterial gel.

Each patch has a hard-wearing but very smooth coating so your foot doesn’t suffer from shear friction which is the biggest cause of foot blisters. Problems occur when the bubble bursts and all the lovely, gooey liquid seeps out leaving the exposed and undeveloped new skin vulnerable to all manner of airborne nasties. When the upper layers of skin on a foot are damaged through abrasion, the body’s response is to protect it under a sterile fluid-filled bubble. This we already know. The fluid acts like a bandage, preventing bacteria from entering the wound and reducing the risk of infection. Once in position though, you can say goodbye to blisters. In fact, they’re so effective I suspect shoe manufacturers will eventually start including something similar in the soles of all their shoes. So how do you know if a blister becomes infected? It’s sometimes difficult to notice the difference between an infected and uninfected one as even uninfected fluid bubbles can feel very sore and look red and inflamed, but there are a few tell-tale signs to be aware of.If you feel the blister needs to be drained consult with your GP who will be able to release the fluid with a sterilized needle while keeping as much of the skin intact as possible. They will also cover the blister with a protective ointment and cover the wound with a dressing which will help prevent bacteria from entering it.