Several weeks ago I provided foot care at the Gold Rush Adventure Race. Last week I wrote of a tape job I observed, and whether is would work of not. Today I’ll share an observation on one racer’s choice of a lube.

The images show two stages of the process. The first image shows our racer cleaning his feet with a wet-wipe. You can see the creases (folds) on the bottom of his feet. These are typical when the feet have been wet for extended periods. Over time, these creases can become painful and if the skin stays wet, can lead to skin separation and splitting.
In this race, the athletes started with a short run, followed with a bike, and then a swim/paddle across a lake. After that, the teams embarked on a long trek fire roads and trails. The problem, as I was told, was the trek started with a river crossing that was also very muddy. This got everyone’s feet wet to start with.
So, fast-forward to the first major checkpoint. The teams came in and transitioned from feet to bike. At this transition area, each racer changes clothes and footwear for the new discipline.
So cleaning one’s feet between disciplines is necessary and always wise. The more you can remove dirt and grit off the feet, and keep them healthy, the better your chances of long term success. Wet wipes are great for this type of cleaning. Tops, bottoms, sides and toes are all important. With clean feet, we are ready for the next step.
In this case, the racer applied a generous coating of Hipoglos. According to Google, this is a Portuguese product has been in Brazil for 70 years. Its common use is for baby’s bottoms to prevent chafing.

The second photo shows its application on the racer’s feet. Squeeze some on and rub it all over. He made sure it gets between the toes and coats every crease in the bottom of the feet. Nothing gets wiped off. Socks go on right over the Hipoglos.
I saw the racer at the next transition area, almost 18 hours later and his feet looked good. He repeated the process again before heading out on the next leg of the race.
Hipoglos is similar to zinc oxide and Desitin Maximum Strength Diaper Rash Paste. In events where there is extended exposure to water, and when one’s shoes and socks cannot be changed, these are good choices. They are great at controlling moisture. They are equally good at controlling maceration. And of course, better to do good foot care early, as was done by this racer, then to try and catch-up after problems have developed.
Zinc oxide is what I use over blisters to control moisture and dry the skin. I have even injected it into blisters to do the same. Lube is good, but many do not protect the skin from excess moisture as well as products designed for diaper rash.
Give it a try.