If you are new to show skating, be ready for the infamous "rehearsal foot syndrome." Blisters, corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, ripped toenails, no toenails, jammed toes, "skater's heel," bone spurs, plantar fascitis, ankle pain, heel pain, joint pain, etc...basically, be prepared for a nail technician's nightmare, with no rest from the torture until after opening night of shows.
PREVENTION is key here: only a magician or a miracle can alleviate the pain from already oozing blisters in tight, sweaty skates worn for 8+ hours in near-freezing temperatures. Blisters will not heal quickly in that environment. Your best defense is to avoid getting them in the first place. Here's what I do to prevent/treat blisters during rehearsals week:
- DO NOT BREAK IN NEW SKATES DURING REHEARSALS WEEK. If you do, it will hurt. You will regret it. This happens every year. Don't do it. Bring your old skates, and wear those during rehearsals. Then, once shows open, start breaking in your new skates on open ice sessions before/after the shows.
- Bring a prepared "to-the-venue-for-my-feet" bag. Mine is pre-packed before arriving on tour, so I don't even need to think about it before the rush of rehearsals begins. It's ready to go once I arrive, and I leave it at the venue once rehearsals start. In it: about 100 band-aids (cloth fabric, not the plastic kind because those will rub off in your skates), Neosporin, moleskin, fabric medical tape, baby powder, soothing peppermint spray (I use Peppermint Cooling Spray by the Body Shop), Bunga pads, gel toe pad/ring, metatarsal cushion or gauze pads, Band-Aid's blister bandages (will need to be covered with a fabric bandage, or stuck to foot using fabric medical tape to ensure it stays on and doesn't get rubbed off by skates), nail clippers, extra socks, and rolled gauze.
- Why baby powder? If you dump a bunch of it into your skate boots before putting them on, or roll your feet around in it before putting them into your skates, baby powder will absorb moisture; thus, preventing blisters caused by sweaty skin/tights rubbing up against boot leather.
- DRY YOUR SKATES OUT. I can't express this enough. I stuff newspaper or dryer sheets into my skates at night, to absorb moisture and prepare them for the next day. I also have a "ski boot dryer" I use to more rapidly dry my skates out between shows on three-show days. Moisture in skate boots=fungal infections and blisters.
- Some of the skaters use odor masking foot sprays. I do not use a foot-deoderizer, since I believe it is more effective and healthy to prevent the moisture and bacteria build up that causes food odor before I put my skates on, rather than dousing my sweaty feet and skates in chemical deodorizers after skating. However, if you are interested in a foot-deoderizer, opt for a spray can, so you can easily travel it in your tour lock-box instead of having to travel it in your personal luggage.
- DO NOT BREAK IN NEW SKATES DURING REHEARSALS WEEK. If you do, it will hurt. You will regret it. This happens every year. Don't do it. Bring your old skates, and wear those during rehearsals. Then, once shows open, start breaking in your new skates on open ice sessions before/after the shows.
- Bring a prepared "to-the-venue-for-my-feet" bag. Mine is pre-packed before arriving on tour, so I don't even need to think about it before the rush of rehearsals begins. It's ready to go once I arrive, and I leave it at the venue once rehearsals start. In it: about 100 band-aids (cloth fabric, not the plastic kind because those will rub off in your skates), Neosporin, moleskin, fabric medical tape, baby powder, soothing peppermint spray (I use Peppermint Cooling Spray by the Body Shop), Bunga pads, gel toe pad/ring, metatarsal cushion or gauze pads, Band-Aid's blister bandages (will need to be covered with a fabric bandage, or stuck to foot using fabric medical tape to ensure it stays on and doesn't get rubbed off by skates), nail clippers, extra socks, and rolled gauze.
- Why baby powder? If you dump a bunch of it into your skate boots before putting them on, or roll your feet around in it before putting them into your skates, baby powder will absorb moisture; thus, preventing blisters caused by sweaty skin/tights rubbing up against boot leather.
- DRY YOUR SKATES OUT. I can't express this enough. I stuff newspaper or dryer sheets into my skates at night, to absorb moisture and prepare them for the next day. I also have a "ski boot dryer" I use to more rapidly dry my skates out between shows on three-show days. Moisture in skate boots=fungal infections and blisters.
- Some of the skaters use odor masking foot sprays. I do not use a foot-deoderizer, since I believe it is more effective and healthy to prevent the moisture and bacteria build up that causes food odor before I put my skates on, rather than dousing my sweaty feet and skates in chemical deodorizers after skating. However, if you are interested in a foot-deoderizer, opt for a spray can, so you can easily travel it in your tour lock-box instead of having to travel it in your personal luggage.
Keep your feet dry and give them extra attention during rehearsals week. You don't want to be out for the opening week of shows because your bloody blisters got infected. GROSS!! And, yes, the picture above is of my sad, angry feet after my first week of rehearsals on tour ;-)
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