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Do New Soccer Cleats Give You Blisters? 8 Ways to Protect

Do New Soccer Cleats Give You Blisters? 8 Ways to Protect

Soccer injuries often come in different forms; some are mild while others are catastrophic and can keep the player on the sidelines for several weeks. Inasmuch as there is no sport without injury scares, the frequency of injury in contact sports is always high.

Aside from injuries sustained from colliding with other soccer players on the soccer pitch, the wrong-fitting soccer gear can also cause injuries. Sometimes even when soccer gear seems like the right fit, constant friction with the interior walls of the shoe can lead to blisters.

New soccer shoes can cause blisters on a soccer player’s feet particularly when essential precautions are neglected before wearing them to a soccer match. To avoid preventable injuries while playing soccer, a soccer player must take note of a couple of important factors.

Blisters can be very painful and uncomfortable even after receiving treatment. No soccer player ever wants to experience the discomfort of blisters because they might look trivial but can stop you from actively participating in soccer for a while.

In case you bought new soccer shoes and you are scared that they might cause you blisters when used. This article is written to guide you while using your new soccer shoes to make sure they don’t cause blisters.

Keep reading to find out all the helpful information to prevent blisters.

a person has blisters on the feet

Do new soccer cleats give you blisters?

To know if new soccer cleats can give you blisters, we need to understand what blisters are. From our research, we discovered that blisters occur from an accumulation of body fluids such as blood or clear pus below the top skin.

Blisters are common in soccer and we are sure that a good number of professional soccer players have encountered them at some point in their soccer careers.

Foot blisters remain one of the most common soccer injuries, probably because science hasn’t figured out a way to minimize the friction that occurs between the feet of soccer players and their shoes. Hot spots usually occur before blisters and they are early warnings for the possibility of blisters.

The constant rubbing of the foot’s skin against the walls of the soccer cleat usually creates hot spots on the skin which naturally graduate into blisters if immediate preventive measures are not taken.

Many soccer players often think that thick socks are enough to prevent blisters but that is not always the case. Thick socks alone may not be enough to prevent blisters on the toes—if the toe area is narrow and press on your toes.

New soccer cleats have more chances of causing blisters than old ones because their inner walls are still new and somewhat hard unlike those of already used soccer cleats. The longer you use a new soccer cleat, the higher your chances of getting blisters.

kid wearing neon green soccer cleats

When new soccer shoes haven’t been broken in yet, your foot will require time and a lot of friction to properly fit into it. New soccer cleats aren’t usually designed to perfectly adapt to the original shape of the foot of a soccer player.

To properly break into new soccer shoes without hurting yourself, there are a couple of easy shoe-stretching tricks you can do by yourself. A new soccer shoe might be alluring and very attractive but you must be careful about its probable effects on the foot.

A lot of soccer players often wear new soccer shoes directly to training and matches without even allowing their feet to adapt to the inner layers of the shoe. This set of soccer players is usually the ones that mostly complain of blisters and other foot injuries.

We will take out time to look at some reasons why new soccer cleats often give you blisters while using them for the first time during training and soccer matches. Knowing these reasons will help you a lot in preventing blisters from ever occurring while playing soccer.

Friction

Friction is the most common causative agent of blisters on soccer players. Do you know what friction is or why it is often held responsible for causing blisters? Keep reading and you will find out.

Friction can be described in simple terms as the difficulty experienced in moving one body over another. Friction is relatively responsible for heat, wear, and tear. It exists anywhere that there is a resistance between the two bodies rubbing on each other.

Friction exists between the feet of a soccer player and the walls of the new soccer cleats when the player is sprinting or walking on the pitch. Friction rarely exists when a player is stationary.

a foot wearing new soccer cleat

The faster a player runs on the soccer pitch, the more friction is generated between the new soccer shoe and the player’s feet.

A new or wrong-fitting soccer cleat can increase the level of friction that occurs between the inner walls of the cleat and the player’s feet thereby increasing the chances of getting blisters.

Friction usually increases the heat on the foot which irritates and burns up the skin causing blisters to occur, the most common parts of the foot prone to friction include;

  • The big and pinky toes
  • The heel
  • The top part of all the toes

Bad style of play

Some soccer players often don’t take caution when on the soccer pitch and play as if their feet are made of stone. These soccer players are the most prone to blisters among their teammates.

When you play carelessly on the soccer pitch even with new boots, you expose yourself to injuries of all kinds ranging from blisters to major fractures. The weight of your body can be badly balanced in your new soccer cleats thereby forcing the foot to rub continuously at a particular angle.

four soccer players chasing a soccer ball

A badly balanced soccer player puts undue pressure on the new soccer cleats thereby causing the top layer of their skin cells to wear and tear easily. Aside from a bad body posture, bad playing techniques also include uncalculated tackles, too much sprinting, and inappropriate knotting of the laces of the soccer cleats.

A bad style of play can often cause more than just blisters to a soccer player. It can cost them a victory, their health, and even their entire career.

Sweat

New soccer cleats usually become hot after a short period of use especially when they are tighter than usual. Hot temperatures usually make us sweat profusely and our feet are not an exception.

Sweat secretion on the foot often increases the chances of a soccer player getting blisters. When sweat gets in contact with hot spots on the foot, it makes them soft and malleable thereby increasing the chances of blisters occurring.

kid wearing orange socks and new soccer cleats

Aside from acting as a lubricant that increases the rate of movement between the soccer player’s feet and the soccer shoe, sweat can also soften the skin, making it easier to wear and tear due to friction.

How do you prevent blisters on new soccer cleats?

Blisters are usually not hard to detect as long as you are vigilant about your body. Once you detect a hot spot, you must stop playing and do something about it before it turns into a blister.

Numerous precautionary measures can help you avoid getting blisters while wearing new soccer cleats and we have listed them below.

1. Take note of the turf or field temperature

The turf on a soccer pitch is usually hotter than the temperature of the atmosphere because they conserve heat. Hot turf can quickly increase the temperature of your new soccer cleats while playing thereby increasing the chances of getting blisters.

If you can’t avoid playing soccer on a hot turf field, inserting a heat-shielding insole in your new soccer cleat can significantly prevent the heat from reaching the bottom of your foot.

man wearing soccer cleats in sunlight on the field

A heat-shielding insole can also increase a new soccer cleat’s performance in addition to minimizing the chances of getting blisters.

2. Use tape or padding

It is advisable to protect the parts of your foot prone to blisters and hot spots using padding, moleskin, or tape. This prevents those areas from rubbing directly on the bare surface of the new soccer cleat.

This method can be used before you start a match or immediately after you feel pain from an active hot spot. It is effective but doesn’t last over a prolonged period.

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Dr. Frederick's Original Better Blister Bandages - 12 ct Variety - Water Resistant Hydrocolloid Bandages for Foot, Toe, & Heel Blister Prevention & Recovery - Blister Pads
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Dr. Frederick's Original Better Blister Bandages - 12 ct Variety - Water Resistant Hydrocolloid Bandages for Foot, Toe, & Heel Blister Prevention & Recovery - Blister Pads
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3. Break in new cleats before use

Some soccer players often use new cleats as soon as they buy them, probably because they couldn’t wait to show them off to their friends. It might be irresistible initially but it can cause serious injuries on first use.

To perform at their best on new soccer cleats, soccer players are often advised to break in their new soccer shoes before using them to avoid injuries. There are many ways of breaking in new soccer shoes.

soccer cleats on the pitch

From using boot stretchers to stuffing them or putting water bags in them and freezing them, we have highlighted all the useful techniques you can also apply to break in your soccer cleats here.

4. Use standard cotton stockings

The quality of socks used by soccer players is often neglected because they seem not to have much effect on the nature of the game. You must use high-quality cotton socks with your new soccer cleats because they are designed to absorb sweat and withstand friction.

Using the wrong pair of socks can increase your chances of getting blisters and can even cause your new soccer cleats to damage faster.

adidas Rivalry Soccer Socks (2-Pair), White/Black, Large
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Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

5. Use the right-sized gear

Getting the perfect fitting soccer gear can often be a drag, especially getting the right fitting soccer cleats. Feet sizes are too numerous to comprehend which is why soccer cleats are usually designed with specific sizes in mind.

Cleats that are too small or too large can both increase the chances of getting blisters while on the soccer pitch due to friction. You can pay to get customized soccer cleats if you find it difficult to get your exact size.

A player wears the soccer cleats of the right size

6. Always play on clean and dry feet

Moisture speeds up the risk of getting blisters while wearing new soccer cleats. So, stopping your feet from getting wet is a great way to prevent blisters while playing soccer.

Bringing extra pairs of socks to a soccer match will help you change to dry pairs during a break or halftime. Washing your feet and moisturizing them regularly will keep them in great shape and prevent blisters when playing.

You can rub talcum powder on your feet before wearing socks. It will help them stay dry for a longer period.

7. Use antiperspirant spray on your feet

Antiperspirant sprays can help in preventing the skin from sweating profusely because they contain aluminum salts. Aluminum salts control sweat by blocking some sweat glands from secreting sweat.

The aluminum salt also kills odor-causing bacteria on the skin. Spraying aerosol antiperspirants on sweat-prone areas of your feet like the center of the sole, the heel, and the toe and allowing it to dry before wearing your socks and new soccer cleats can keep your feet dry for a long period.

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8. Cut out round holes on the heels of your new soccer cleat

This method looks extreme regarding the fact that you are literally damaging your new soccer cleats. Many soccer players use this method especially when their heels are most prone to blisters and injuries.

It is a very effective method knowing that once you cut out the holes, your heels will have no place to rub against which means a lesser threat of getting blisters there.

Before resorting to the use of custom-made boots, Philippe Coutinho used to cut the back of his boots. Many other players do so to prevent what is called Haglund’s heel, a medical problem that gets more obvious when soccer players wear new cleats with rigid rear edges.

How to effectively treat blisters?

Since blisters are not major injuries in soccer, they can be adequately treated by soccer players without the help of healthcare professionals.

Below are some of the common and effective steps used in treating blisters caused by new soccer cleats:

  • Wash your hands properly before making contact with the blister
  • Use rubbing alcohol or iodine to clean the blister
  • Take a sharp needle and sterilize it with fire or antiseptic
  • Puncture a few holes on the edges of the blister and allow the fluid to drain properly without peeling the draping skin
  • Apply an antibiotic ointment to it and cover it with a clean bandage
  • Leave for a few days and cut off the bandage
  • If the blister looks worse after a few days, seek the help of a certified health professional

Conclusion

Playing soccer with a new pair of soccer cleats can be a whole lot of fun until you start feeling pains at different angles of your feet. It is important to do something about the pains once you start feeling them if you don’t want to suffer the pains of blisters.

Popping blisters when they occur while playing soccer is not a very healthy idea because it leaves the wound open to an infection which might escalate the whole issue.

Identifying blister-prone areas on your feet and applying Vaseline on them before wearing your new soccer cleats can help reduce the chances of getting blisters to a minimum.