Summary:
In order to test and review this product, I signed up for, trained and ran a marathon over the course of two and a half weeks, using Wool-It in my right shoe and not my left. Here’s what I found.
Background:
When it comes to blister prevention and hot spot management for hiking and running, I’ve never been a fan of the “peel-and-stick” type products. It’s hard to cut them to size, and I always feel like they’re slipping out of place after an hour or two of use. Not to mention all of the waste when you’re out hiking.
Well, fear no more! A new product has emerged, and it’s beautifully simple – literally, a pile of wool. That’s it. Just slide Wool-It between your toes and you’re good to go!
Use:
I favored a wrapping style of use with Wool-It, since I was trying to prevent blisters, instead of attending to specific hot spots. I wound a strand in between my toes, and back again, covering any spots that looked prone to friction. Then you slide your socks over the area, and it stays perfectly in place! I never had any issues with it dislodging. When you’re done, pull off the wool and discard or use it for a fire-starter!
Experience:
I’ll let my pictures do the talking. After 26.2 miles, there was a huge difference in my two feet. The one without the Wool-It had two huge blisters, and a few smaller ones on the underside.
Full disclosure: I did get a blister on my right foot as well, but it was on my pinky toe, where I had neglected to wrap it with Wool-It. I can’t say with certainty that Wool-It would have prevented that blister, but it definitely would have helped.
My mother also used some Wool-It for a painful toe that she has, and noted that it alleviated some pressure from the toe and was comfortable in her shoe. She’ll be using it for hiking in the future.
Overview:
Wool-It is 100% wool. Because of that, it weighs almost nothing and packs down to fit into any tiny little pocket that you have available. It’s a no-brainer for hiking trips and I would recommend it for long-distance runners as well. It’s comfortable, effective and feels better to use than other conventional blister remedies. I wish it was re-usable, but with my stinky feet, that’s not realistic. Because of the weight and size, though, it’s no problem to bring enough with you.
I thoroughly enjoyed using and reviewing Wool-It (Blister Aid)! In fact, I really wish I would have used it on both of my feet – it would have saved me some significant discomfort. But let my sacrifice inform you! Wool-It works! I’ll be bringing it with me when I head out to Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness this summer!
