How to keep your feet smiling at music festivals

We all know that the weather in the UK is utterly unpredictable. So even if your music festival falls during the summer months, that’s no guarantee of beach-like sunshine.

Given that festivals often take place in fields, rain equals mud – and lots of it!

Wearing wellies to a festival is a classic “look”. But rubber wellies have a terrible tendency to chafe your feet and legs: from your toes to the back of your foot to your calves – and especially when things get hot and sweaty inside of the shoe.

The most important thing to do when sporting wellies is to wear socks; and the thicker the sock, the better. If you’ve got the longer wellies and your sock isn’t high enough to fold over the top, you can protect your leg from chafing against the rubber, commonly known as “Welly Leg”, by applying the Compeed® Anti Blister Stick to the exposed area, which will help to reduce the friction and blistering.

If your shoe is still digging into a part of your foot through the sock, try sticking on one of our blister plasters that’s best suited to where the aggravation is.

Top tip: bring more socks than you need. Once socks get wet, they become more of a hindrance than a help. And, once your feet are wet, they’re more at risk of blistering. Bringing extra pairs means that you can change one out for another as suits.

Easier to manoeuvre than the wellie, and still remarkably waterproof (though maybe avoid jumping into the very deep puddles!), hiking boots are both in vogue and highly practical. Plus, the added comfort will help to give you that little extra pep-in-your-step while you wander through the fields at all hours.

However, you’ll want to make sure you’ve broken in your boots before you put your faith in them at a festival.

Although a pretty reliable type of shoe, after miles of walking and boogying to the beat, even trainers can become a little uncomfortable.

If your trainers get wet, it can lead to friction. What’s more with the heat of all that movement causing your feet to swell you might find your toes pushing up against the shoe more than normal. Your little toe might start feeling like it’s on fire from rubbing against the fabric. If so, try out our blister plasters for toes to protect those little piggies.

If your trainer doesn’t offer you much overall support and the sole of your foot begins to ache after standing around, Compeed®’s Sports Underfoot Blister Plaster has got you covered. It’s been specially designed to fit the ball of the foot to protect against rubbing and give you that extra cushioning.

Depending on whether your trainers are leather or fabric, you might want to think twice before bringing them to a festival though. If they can’t be easily wiped or washed, then you may end up going home with a ruined pair of shoes.

Ok, seriously. Taking heels to a festival that’s covered in uneven terrain is just a no-go. The last thing you want is your six-inch stiletto getting stuck in the mud too. Trust us, leave them at home.

If you plan on entering the moshpit at a festival, we might suggest you cover up your toes. There’s nothing worse than someone standing on your toes, let alone a stampede of people. Plus, festivals are notorious for having bits of broken glass dotted around the place. The last thing you want is your festival experience being turned into a gory mess.

If you do take your favourite pair of flip flops, just remember to save them for the campsite and away from the big crowds.

From corns to calluses to bunions and blisters, Compeed® is here for you. Whether you want to stand around looking fabulous or get right in with the crowd, if your shoe starts to let you down, our range of plasters can help.

Compeed® plasters offer a wide variety of specialist solutions to help prevent blister development or speed up the healing process of a range of sizes and shapes of blisters. Our plasters are designed to protect your blister and create an optimal healing environment and provide instant pain relief and deep cushioning.

Due to the compact size of our kits, they can easily be thrown into your purse or backpack. If you really want to travel light with just a few things, take some plasters out from the case and put them in your wallet or pocket.

Whichever shoe you opt for in the end, may your festival experience be unforgettable and blister-free!