I have written a lot about patching blisters. Many of these patch jobs are what I would call routine. But every so often I get to try something new. Today’s post is about one of those times.
At the TransRockies six-day stage race this past August, a runner came in with a blister in the crease of skin at the base of the big toe.
The photos show my patch job from two angles. After draining the blister and prepping the skin, I started with a two-inch strip of Kinesio Tex tape. I cut the tape so the finished piece was about three inches in length. I rounded each end and made it a small oval on one end with a larger oval at the other end. The tape was applied over a dab of zinc oxide. I applied the tape at the base of the toe to start and then slightly stretched each end of the tape – the small oval end going up and between the big and first toe, and the larger oval side going around the outside of the big toe. The two ends did not touch on top of the toe.
The beauty of this tape job is that the Kinesio Tex tape is soft and easily forms to the curves of the toe. Another plus is that it will not bunch up in the crease of the toe. Try this with another tape, Leukotape, duct tape, Elastikon, or white athletic tape, and you’ll see how those tapes do not form to the curves of the foot and will have creases and folds in the tape.
This tape patch can be done to any toe and any other part of the foot. With care in the skin prep phase, and putting sock on and taking them off, it will stay on for several days. Be sure to rub the tape for 20 to 30 seconds so its adhesive can bond with the skin.
Kinesio Tex tape is available at Zombierunner.com.
