Wherever I go, people ask: “what running shoes did you wear in the Great World Race?”
To begin, for years I accepted blisters as part of distance running. Not occasional blisters. Persistent, frustrating, why-is-this-still-happening blisters.
As someone with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and particularly fragile skin, I felt like I had tried every solution available. Different socks. Powders. Creams. Gels. Moleskin. Lamb’s wool. Duct tape. Blister pads. Kinesiology tape. If someone suggested a blister prevention method, chances were good I’d already tried it.
Then, embarrassingly close to the start of the Great World Race, I had a realization. Maybe it was the shoes.
The Shoe Change I Never Expected
I don’t have particularly wide feet. In fact, that’s probably why I ignored wide toe-box shoes for so long. But before the race, a running specialist at Paul from The Gear Running Store in Minnesota suggested trying something different: shoes with a wider toe box and a full size larger than what I had traditionally worn. Altra and Saucony.
Like many runners, I initially resisted the idea. Then I tried it.
Breaking a Cardinal Running Rule
There’s a confession I need to make. I didn’t properly break in either pair of shoes before the race. Normally, that’s a terrible idea, especially for someone prone to blisters. But a stress fracture scare had forced me to drastically reduce my running in the weeks leading up to the event.
Despite violating one of running’s unwritten rules, something remarkable happened.
The Great World Race: Seven Marathons. Almost No Blisters.
I still have trouble believing it. Through seven marathons on seven continents, I don’t remember having a single truly problematic blister. To be fair, I was also applying generous amounts of anti-chafing products and blister prevention creams before every race. But those weren’t new strategies. I’d been doing that for years.
The shoes were.
Whether it was the wider toe box, the larger size, or some combination of factors, my feet survived one of the most demanding running challenges of my life with fewer blister issues than I had experienced during many single marathons.
Lessons for Ultramarathon Runners
What did I learn?
Don’t Assume Your Shoe Size Is Correct
Many runners have worn the same size for years without questioning it. I certainly had.
Consider Toe Box Width
You don’t necessarily need wide feet to benefit from a wider toe box, particularly during long-distance events where foot swelling becomes a factor.
Test Your Assumptions
I spent years trying to solve a shoe-related problem with creams, tapes, and accessories when the root issue may have been the shoe itself.
Foot Comfort Matters More Than Fashion
A shoe that looks a little bigger may be a small price to pay for surviving an ultramarathon without losing multiple toenails or developing severe blisters.
The Strange Part
The story has one final twist.
After returning home, I started getting blisters again. Not nearly as badly as before, and certainly less often now that I understood the importance of larger, wider shoes. But the near-miraculous blister immunity I experienced during the Great World Race never fully returned. I still can’t fully explain why.
What I do know is that changing shoes accomplished what years of gels, powders, creams, and tape never could.
For runners training for ultramarathons, stage races, or even their first marathon, that’s a lesson worth remembering. Sometimes the simplest solution is the one you’ve overlooked the longest.
Learn more about Ellen’s journey with The Great World Race at sevenmarathonsbook.com.
ELLEN HUNTER GANS is a 41-time marathon finisher, IRONMAN triathlete, ultramarathon champion, and 100-mile race finisher—all things that would shock the coach from her one wildly unsuccessful year of JV track. She has also participated in The Great World Race which involved running seven marathons on seven continents in one week which she has chronicled in her book Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week.
