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How to Stop Shoes from Rubbing the Top of Your Foot

30 January 2023  |  Tania

Your shoe rubbing on the top of the foot can hurt, it can be annoying, and it can make even little things like walking to the shops a struggle. Every time you lace up, you’re in pain. You don’t have to be though, not any more.

At ShoeInsoles.co.uk, we’re experts in all things foot health. Upper-foot pain from a rubbing shoe is such a common problem, many people ask us for our advice on it, and so we've put together the following guide to help you put an end to the pain in your foot, once and for all.


What's Covered in This Guide?


Double Layer Socks for Hiking and Walking in All Shoes

Editor's Verdict: One simple hiker's trick to stay blister free is by wearing double layer socks. As you can probably imagine, wearing two pairs of normal socks is going to be bulky, sweaty and uncomfortable. That’s where the 1000 Mile Original Anti-Blister Socks come in. These special socks are socks within socks, they feature an inner layer that stays with the foot, and an outer layer moves with the shoe, eliminating friction on the forefoot skin.

1000 Mile Original Anti-Blister Socks (Black)

Why We Love It...

✔ Double layer socks eliminates shoe rubbing on forefoot skin
✔ Sock within a sock design
✔ Suitable for all shoes whilst walking and hiking
✔ Covered by unique blister free guarantee
✔ Y-stitch ankle enables the sock to sit flat on the foot for the perfect fit

Supplier Guarantee: "The 1000 Mile Original Sock is a sock within a sock. Covered by our unique blister free guarantee - double layer construction helps to eliminate friction between the foot and shoe, reducing wear and helping to prevent blisters."


Blister Prevention Powder For Runners

Editor's Verdict: A popular way to prevent your shoe from rubbing on the top of your foot, particularly for runners, is blister prevention powder such as the 2Toms BlisterShield Blister Prevention Powder. Winner of the 2018 Runner’s World UK’s Gear of the Year award, this waterproof powder forms a friction-less barrier that prevents rubbing between your shoe and your foot, keeping you blister and pain free. To use this product all you'll need to do is pour one level teaspoonful (provided) into each sock before the start of your day, shake the sock to spread the powder uniformly, pop your feet into socks, and you're feet will protected from shoe friction all day long.

2Toms BlisterShield, the award-winning blister-prevention powder

Why We Love It...

✔ Creates a friction-less surface on the forefoot to stop shoe rubbing all day long
✔ Prevents / reduces blisters
✔ Exceptional moisture absorption to keep feet dry 
✔ All day protection from start to finish
✔ Reduces fatigue for longer training sessions and increased performance

Supplier Guarantee: "BlisterShield Powder formula creates an almost friction-less surface on the foot, reducing heat build-up and blister formation. When applied to the foot, this remarkable silky powder repels moisture...keeping skin dry and blister free for lengthy periods of activity."


Foot Sleeves for Skates and Ski-Boots 

Editor's Verdict: If you’re dealing with rubbing against the midfoot up to the ankle, you'll benefit from a foot sleeve designed to form to the contours of your foot, to protect the bridge (known as the dorsum of the foot.) The Silipos Gel Skate Bite Foot Bridge Protector Sleeve protects the top of your foot against pressure, friction or rubbing from your shoe or the underside of your laces, and the gel pad inside the sleeve provides protection against the kind of pressure this part of the foot tends to receive. Although made for skates and ski-boots, a sleeve made to handle these kinds of activities also easily handles running, walking, or the discomfort caused by a new shoe that you haven't yet broken in.

Silipos Gel Skate Bite Foot Bridge Protector Sleeve

Why We Love It...

✔ Protects top of the foot from pressure, friction, & rubbing from shoes
✔ Ideal for skates & ski-boots as well as for general walking shoes 
✔ Gel pad provides protection and cushioning
✔ Protection from blisters and pinching from shoelaces 
✔ As a bonus, releases grade mineral oil to soften and moisturise skin

Customer Verdict: My niece was really struggling to wear her new ice skates as the stiff tongue was digging in to her skin. I was a little sceptical that these fairly thin sleeves would help but was willing to give them a try...Perfect job, no more complaints from my niece who now wears them all the time. ★★★★★ Sian

Supplier Guarantee: "The Skate Bite Protector is designed with gel pad on the dorsal part of the foot to protect from pressure, friction, and pinching, while releasing grade mineral oil to help soften and moisturize the skin."


Shoe Tongue Pads for Forefoot Irritation, Chaffing, and Blisters 

Editor's Verdict: If you’re looking for a more targeted approach to the problem of upper-foot rubbing, you might want to try a tongue pad. A tongue pad is a soft foam strip that sticks to the underside of the tongue in your shoe, providing great protection specifically in this area. The Pedag Supra Tongue Pads are made from memory foam with a soft suede outer-layer, giving them an extra-softness and smoothness that reduces both pressure and friction. This makes them perfect for preventing the tongue rubbing on the top of your foot, or if you’re dealing with pain from more than just the rubbing.

Pedaga Supra Tongue Pads to Prevent Top of the Foot BlistersWhy We Love It...

✔ Soft memory foam pad prevents tongue of shoe rubbing on the top of foot
✔ Cushions the forefoot area for increase comfort
✔ Prevents pain caused by excess pressure
✔ Prevents ganglion cysts, and blisters of the foot
✔ Self-adhesive and easy to use

Customer Verdict: "I recently bought a pair of walking shoes with very stiff tongues which rubbed my feet. I found the shoe insoles page and ordered some of their self-adhesive tongue pads...I spend a lot of my day walking on slightly bumpy field they have made a lot of difference to my poor feet." ★★★★ Judy


Did Our Guide Help?

Different types of pain and discomfort require different solutions. If you know what the source of the pain is, you can probably pick the right product for you from the ones listed above. If you’re still not sure about what would best help you, you can’t go far wrong with 2Tom’s Blister Shield anti-blister powder.

The reason for this is that running for mile after mile is extremely tough on the feet. If 2Tom’s award winning powder protects runners who are putting their feet through hell, regular walking and day-to-day shoe wear should be a piece of cake.

Are your shoes causing you pain from rubbing on the top of your foot? Let us know in our comment section below about your experiences. Did any of our suggested products help you?

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