Need best foot wear to walk 42 miles in 2 days without causing in blisters underneath my feet. Suggestions?

Question

Last year I undertook this walk in July with a group of people in Corpus Christie, Texas. During the walk on the first day it rained causing our socks to get wet, also resulted in huge blisters underneath my feet. I want to avoid that this year. What kind of foot wear (hiking shoes, inner soles) can I buy to avoid the agony I went through last year. The walk was very enjoyable and very spiritual. I don't want to miss it. Walking terrain - walk along the sides of freeways and inner streets. It is a hoot. Passer bys waving and honking at us. Volunteers provide us drive vehicles with food, water and other refreshments for walkers. We start the walk at 4:30 am the first day and walk for 22 miles. Stop at a church the first night and bunk down in a school classrooms next to the church. The next day resume walk at 5:00am to reach the destination around 3:00pm.

I am seeking steps I can take to reduce the pain I went through last year, eventhough, I had a blast. Thanks.

Answer 1

I'm a backpacker and I had to learn the hard way about blisters. I understand the pain. When I backpack, I use liners. These are like a nylon sock that goes on before the regular sock go one. My regular socks are a wool blend or a polyester blend. Cotton socks can cause blisters.

I replaced the inserts in my hiking boots with some thick inserts I purchased from a sporting goods store. This gives extra padding for the feet. If you are going to walk often, and for long distances, I would suggest in a good pair of hiking boots. Tennis shoes are usually not designed for long walks.

Answer 2

Too late to buy something now, you need to break in hiking boots before wearing for long hikes. Should buy a pair of boots now to start breaking in for NEXT year. Blisters are caused by footwear that doesn't fit correctly and moisture causes other problems. Buy some Gore-Tex socks to wear over hiking socks to keep feet dry