Stand in a chemist or an outdoor shop and there are half a dozen tapes that all claim to help your feet. For blisters on a hill walk, you only need two. Thin paper tape (the micropore kind) goes on at home, before you set off, on the spots you know rub. Zinc oxide tape, the stiff, sticky strapping tape, is the one you reach for on the hill when a hot spot appears.
Paper tape for skin, zinc oxide for everything else. That’s the short version.
The surprise is that the cheap paper tape most first aid kit lists tell you to throw away is the best-evidenced blister prevention there is. We’ll go through why, what each of the other tapes is actually for, and how to tape a foot so it stays put.
What is the best tape for blisters when hiking?
For preventing blisters, plain paper tape. For dealing with a hot spot once you’re walking, zinc oxide.
They’re good at different moments of the day, which is why it’s worth carrying both. Paper tape is thin, smooth and slippery once it’s on, but it only sticks well to clean, dry skin. Zinc oxide sticks to almost anything and stays put when you’re sweating, but it’s thicker and harsher on the skin when it comes off.
The evidence for paper tape
A randomised trial run by Stanford put plain paper tape on one foot of each of 128 runners in a 155-mile, seven-day desert ultramarathon, and left the other foot untaped. For 98 of the 128 runners, no blisters formed where the tape had been applied. 81 of them got blisters in untaped areas.
That’s a striking result for the cheapest tape in the shop. Two limits are worth being straight about, though. The trial compared tape with no tape, not with zinc oxide or anything else, so it shows paper tape works, not that it beats the others. And the tape went on clean, dry feet before the race, applied by trained assistants. On a sweaty foot halfway up a hill, it won’t stick nearly as well.
That’s exactly why it’s a before-you-go tape.
What about zinc oxide tape for blisters?
Zinc oxide tape is the rigid, white, very sticky sports strapping tape. It’s the workhorse: it holds on wet or sweaty skin, it’ll anchor a blister plaster or a dressing, and it’s what most walkers already have in their first aid kit.
On the hill, it’s the one to use when you feel a hot spot. Its weakness is the flip side of its strength. The adhesive is strong enough to pull at fragile skin when you take it off, so peel it slowly, and don’t stick it straight onto a blister that’s already formed.
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What about Leukotape?
Leukotape P is a brand of rigid strapping tape with a zinc oxide adhesive, so it belongs in the zinc oxide family rather than being something different. It’s very sticky and holds well. Treat it like any zinc oxide tape: good for a hot spot or for anchoring, and kind to nobody’s skin coming off.
Which tapes aren’t worth carrying for blisters?
- Kinesiology tape (the stretchy coloured stuff) is built for movement and support, not friction. It’s not the one I’d reach for for feet.
- Cohesive bandage sticks to itself, not to skin. It’s brilliant for strapping an ankle, useless as blister tape.
- Duct tape is a fair improvised cover for a hot spot if it’s all you’ve got, and it holds well. But it doesn’t breathe and it’s harsh on skin coming off, so treat it as a stopgap rather than the plan.
And blister plasters (hydrocolloid dressings such as Compeed) aren’t tape at all. They’re for a blister that has already formed, not for preventing one. A ring of moleskin or gel padding round a formed blister, a doughnut, takes the pressure off it too.
How do you tape your feet to prevent blisters?
Here’s the method. It takes two minutes at home and saves an afternoon.
- Know your spots. If you blister in the same place every walk, that’s where the tape goes. (And if it’s always the same place, check the boot: a heel that lifts will blister you whatever you stick on it.)
- Clean and dry. Tape won’t stick to damp or greasy skin. Do it at home, not at the car park after the drive.
- Cut it generously. The edges want to sit well clear of the spot that rubs. Round the corners with scissors so they don’t catch on your sock and peel.
- Smooth it flat. No wrinkles. A wrinkle in the tape is a new rub.
- Sock on carefully. Pull the sock on straight rather than dragging it over the tape.
What should you do at a hot spot?
A hot spot is the warm, rubbing feeling you get long before a blister forms. It doesn’t hurt yet, which is why it’s so easy to ignore.
Stop the moment you feel it. Not at the next stile or the lunch stop. Sit down, get the boot off and deal with it there:
- Dry the foot. Tape won’t stick to damp skin.
- Cover it smoothly with zinc oxide, cut generously, no wrinkles.
- Sort out why. Is the sock rucked? Is the lacing letting your heel lift?
Between the toes, tape is fiddly and falls off. A smear of Vaseline or an anti-chafe balm does that job better.
Do you still need the rest of it?
Tape is one part of it. The bigger levers are the boring ones: boots that fit and are broken in, and keeping your feet dry. A thin liner sock under your walking sock moves the rubbing between the two socks instead of onto your skin.
| Tape | What it is | Best for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper tape | Thin, papery, gentle adhesive | Preventing blisters: on at home, on clean dry skin | Wet or sweaty feet, holding dressings |
| Zinc oxide (incl. Leukotape P) | Rigid, white, very sticky | Hot spots on the hill, anchoring plasters and dressings | Sticking straight onto a formed blister |
| Kinesiology tape | Stretchy, coloured | Support and movement | Blisters |
| Cohesive bandage | Sticks to itself, not skin | Strapping an ankle | Blisters |
| Duct tape | Strong, waterproof, doesn’t breathe | An improvised hot-spot cover, emergency repairs | Regular use on skin, if you have anything better |
| Blister plaster | Hydrocolloid dressing, not a tape | A blister that has already formed | Prevention |
Frequently Asked Questions
What tape is best for blisters?
For preventing blisters, plain paper tape, applied at home to clean, dry skin on the spots that usually rub. In a Stanford trial on ultramarathon runners, 98 of 128 had no blisters where the paper tape went on. For a hot spot once you’re walking, zinc oxide tape, because it sticks on sweaty skin.
Is zinc oxide tape good for blisters?
It’s good for hot spots and for anchoring a blister plaster, because it sticks firmly even on sweaty skin. It isn’t ideal for preventing blisters on its own, and you shouldn’t stick it straight onto a blister that has already formed, because the adhesive can tear the skin when you take it off.
Is Leukotape good for blisters?
Leukotape P is a rigid strapping tape with a zinc oxide adhesive, so it works like zinc oxide tape: very sticky, good for a hot spot or for holding things in place. Take it off slowly, because the adhesive is strong.
Should you tape your feet before a hike?
Yes, if you know where you usually blister. Tape those spots at home on clean, dry skin before you set off. Paper tape is the best-evidenced option for this. Don’t tape your whole foot for the sake of it.
Does paper tape work on wet feet?
Not well. Paper tape sticks to clean, dry skin and loses its grip on sweaty or wet feet. That’s why it goes on before the walk, and why zinc oxide is the tape to use on the hill.
Pack it now
Put a roll of paper tape and a roll of zinc oxide in your kit tonight, and if you’ve got a spot that always rubs, tape it before your next walk.
The blister lesson in our Emergency Protocol Course goes further, including what to do when a blister has already formed and you’re still three hours from the car. It’s £27, paid once, and £3 from every enrolment goes to mountain rescue services across the UK.
Ask any questions in the comments below.
