How do I Deal with Horrible Blisters??

Duct tape! First of all, if you're getting blisters on the bottoms of your toes you might be wearing shoes that are too big or not tying them tight enough. Sounds like you're basically clawing with your toes when you run.

Anyways, wrap duct tape 360 degrees around your toes that are affected. you have to make sure it wraps around far enough to overlap(couple times even), otherwise it'll fall off. Also, do this as long before you actually run as possible. If you really let it set before your feet start sweating it'll stay better. This is the only thing that will stay on when you sweat. Also, the slick outside of the tape means the tape slides/rubs on your sock/shoe and not your skin. I once had really bad blood blisters develop on my big toes from running barefoot on the beach, couldn't even walk, the duct tape allowed me to race a 1500m the next day without pain. It hurts to take off in the end, but it's worth it to run without pain.

I've also heard that the chemicals in duct tape illicit an immune response and actually help your body fight infection and heal faster. Not sure if it's true, but it makes sense.

Band-Aid has a very good product called Active-Flex. You can find it with the other band-aids in stores. It's not cheap as far as band-aids go, but it's the best I've used. They tend to get even stickier when they get wet. You're not supposed to use ointments with them. Great for heel cracks, blisters, and cuts in general.

Another option for really big blisters is cyanoacrylate glue, or CA for short (i.e. Superglue or Krazy glue). It might sting a little, but you can lay it on for a tough barrier to protect the sensitive skin underneath. It wears off, or you can peel it off after a few days. They actually use more skin-friendly versions of this in some surgeries instead of stitches to minimize scarring (Dermabond is a cyanoacrylate glue). Band-aid's liquid skin is another one of these medical-grade CA glues, in case you have reservations about using krazy glue.

...and as the previous poster mentioned, tape can work on your toes, but I would be careful. On some occasions, I've taped one toe only to have the tape cause an even worse blister on the toe next to it.

Ice the blisters and the areas where you get blisters nightly. Rub an ice cube on the spots. It thickens and toughens the skin. Not a complete cure, but very helpful in prevention.

OK. I don't have the blisters on my toes, just big blisters on the balls of my feet underneath my toes.

Should I put the duct tape straight on the skin? Or first put band aids or athletic tape with guaze underneath?

Try different socks, preferably made out of nylon, cotton soaks up liquids and causes blisters (walmart sells some, but avoid anything that says crew). Also try alternating shoes, different shoes have different pressure points on your feet, which should make it possible to run with old blisters. As the previous posters said taping is pretty effective for most people, in addition to using talc powder. Hope this helps.

For me, the big thing was changing shoes. After a decade of personally keeping the BandAid company humming, this year I finally found a pair in which I don't get blisters, and my feet are singing happy songs (it also doesn't hurt that I can get these shoes only $40 a pair). I also have found good success with good-quality wool socks. My favorite is Injinji (the toe socks), but SmartWool is good, too.

I have had bad experiences with duct tape and BandAid's blister bandages, since I seem to be allergic to some aspect of the adhesives. If you have active blisters, there's also the danger of peeling off nasty sections of skin when you remove them, so beware.

2nd skin burn pad - get them in the first aid/bandaid section of a drug store (I found them only at Rite Aid). Cut them to shape, or just slap them on and tape over them.

Try them once, and you wont believe how you can get through a run pain free.

The ONLY thing that has allowed my athletes to run without pain, and without making the blisters worse.

I you have a trainer - check to see if they have second skin in stock. Or check a running store for the 2nd skin product.

Then figure out why you are getting blisters. In theory, your feet should callous, making the chances of blistering less in the future.

straight on the skin, it's the only way it'll stay, I've tried putting down a layer of new skin liquid or medical tape and that doesn't work. Just remember "quick and painless"..if you have hair on the top of your foot like me then you might want to put a piece of papertowel over the hair before you wrap the tape around. This will prevent the pain of taking the tape off but compromises the sticking. You'll have to decide how far you're willing to go with it. once you've ripped all the hair off your foot the first couple times though, you'll be good to go.

have you figured out WHY you are getting these blisters? Sounds like they are chronic...