“Got blisters? You’ve got the wrong shoes.”

Really?

This one piece of off-the-cuff advice REALLY grinds my gears. Because these people haven't even looked at your shoes. Or your feet. Or where your blister is.

It's useless advice (on its own).

If you get this advice from someone, ask them “What is it about these shoes that’s causing my blisters?” Ask them to be specific. Are they:

• Too big
• Too small
• Too narrow
• Too wide
• Too old
• Too new
• Too stiff
• Too flexible
• Wrong stitching
• Bad upper material
• Wrong tread
• Is it the heel pitch
• Or the insole
• The laces
• Wrong colour

[Okay, I'm joking with the last one].

But seriously, without looking at your shoes, feet or blister, they won’t be able to tell with any certainty what the issue is.

Without knowing this, how do you know what features to avoid?

Without knowing this, who’s to say the next pair won’t have the same problem?

The reality is, shoes get the blame far too often. In my next post. I'm going to burst this bubble with the story of a fellow that drove 7 hours to see me about his blisters.