Locals in Hawaii wear flip-flops everywhere, even to work! It may be written into the State Constitution 🙂 — that all citizens of Hawaii are legally required to wear flip-flops.
But wearing them comfortably can take some getting used to…
After a few days hauling my cookies around the island in flip-flops, my dogs started to bark. The pair of striped blue and green Roxy slippers I’d brought along for the trip may have been cute, but they weren’t substitutes for a comfy pair of walking shoes.
I started developing blisters and raw skin wherever the flip-flop straps rubbed against my toes and feet.
With shoes and sandals, I usually apply a Band-Aid or Moleskin to cover the sore spots, but I wanted a less obvious alternative to use with flip-flops. Who wants to see a ratty Band-Aid hanging on by a thread, ya know?
Enter Band-Aid Friction Block Stick ($8), aka a minor miracle for tow-up feet.
How does it work?
Band-Aid Friction Block Stick is a solid stick shaped like a mini-deodorant. It’s pocket-sized, fitting into the palm of my hand, and reduces friction caused wherever footwear makes contact with your skin.
It dries to form a clear, smooth barrier — kinda like an invisible Band-Aid.
I busted out the stick I’d brought along for the trip when my flip-flops rubbed my skin raw.
It dries quickly and works for hours, through miles of walking in hot, humid, sandy conditions, and even worked when my feet were sweatin’ like Whitney and Bobby Brown.
And it works in more ways than advertised, too. Before surfing, I applied it to my inner thighs and forearms — places that usually get rubbed raw by the board. It worked just as well as Vaseline but without the greasy mess.
Band-Aid Friction Block Stick
Price: $8
Use: Forms an invisible barrier that reduces friction caused wherever skin rubs against footwear, clothing or surfboards
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
This summer I plan to wear it with all my strappy sandals, flip-flops and even beneath my socks when I go for runs. It’s a worthy addition to any arsenal of footwear accouterments!
You might like Band-Aid Friction Block Stick if…
- …you suffer from blisters or tender skin caused by your shoes,
- …you don’t mind applying additional foot accouterments to make your shoes more comfortable,
- …you wear flip-flops a LOT.
Toe oppression!
Le sigh! It’s sunny but a chilly here in Northern California today, which means I have to wear socks, BOO! What’s the weather like in your neck of the woods?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Kerri K says
May 26th, 2009 at 2:22 pmI love that little blue stick! It is perfect for those strappy high heels that look cute but hurt like heck. 🙂
YadiQ says
May 26th, 2009 at 2:29 pmgirl i told you about this magic stick when i went to jamaica
this stuff works miracles! i am super prone to getting blisters from all shoes
this is actually a cheap alternative to the salve stick that bliss makes !
its a little chilly here in nyc today too no sandals for work lol good in a way cause i havent polished my toenails lol
Mariel says
May 26th, 2009 at 3:02 pmMission skincare also makes a great Anti-Friction cream – formulated for marathoners so you know it’s good!
Mariel´s last blog post..Top 5 weirdest beauty buys: #3 the snap-on smile
Missy Pratt says
May 26th, 2009 at 3:15 pm/makes a note to pick some up when I go to the store/
I’m in central Texas – it’s warm (90°) and muggy, so I’m taking advantage of the air conditioner and ceiling fans. 🙂
Karen says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:26 pmHi Missy Pratt,
Sweet! I hope you like it. Have you ever tried Moleskin? That stuff is awesome, too.
Oh, I’d kill for some warm weather. I just had to put on a sweater… sucks!
sher says
May 26th, 2009 at 3:19 pmawesome! thanks for this suggestion! I was gonna use some vaseline for when I wear my strappy sandals but this might be better 😀
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Karen says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:25 pmHi Sher,
Yah, this is waaay better than Vaseline. It’s not greasy at all so it won’t ruin your shoes.
Kat says
May 26th, 2009 at 3:22 pmOh how i would love to trade hot houston weather for california weather. I visited california last year and needed a CARDIGAN outside! It was amazing!
Karen says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:24 pmHi Kat,
Oh, whereabouts did you visit? Were you in SF? We don’t get our summer until October…
Indian Girl says
May 26th, 2009 at 3:45 pmI’ve never heard of this ! Awesome. I’m all about flip flops !
Indian Girl´s last blog post..Indian Girl at Big Bend National Park
Karen says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:24 pmHi Indian Girl,
It’s a fab product. The portability makes it so handy…
Zara says
May 26th, 2009 at 3:58 pmWAH! THOSE were the ones I was looking for… I was JUST at the local CVS trying to find something for my achy feet (just bought some cute– but PAINFUL!- strappy sandals), but couldn’t find them.
Ended up settling for a similar product by Dr. Scholls, so hopefully they work just as well. *crosses fingers*
Zara´s last blog post..coomassie_blu: T_T All Dogs Go To Heaven one of the 99 cent rentals of the week on iTunes. Love. <3
Karen says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:21 pmHi Zara,
Oh cool, I didn’t know Dr. Scholls made one! I will have to try that when I finish my stick. 🙂
Claire says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:03 pmI looked up the ingredients, and it’s three ingredients: vegetable oil, some alcohol, and fragrance. I’ll try some regular EVOO before buying this.
Karen says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:18 pmHi Claire,
Hmm, I dunno… I suspect I’d slip and slide all over my flip-flops if I put EVOO on my feet (I’m very uncoordinated, LOL!). Plus, I wouldn’t want my feet to look shiny, you know? This stuff dries matte and you totally can’t tell that it’s on.
Shiny says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:10 pmI’m so looking into this! I have all kinds of messed up feet (seeing a podiatrist next week) but this looks like a much easier alternative to trying to keeping band-aids on in really hot weather.
Karen says
May 26th, 2009 at 4:20 pmHi Shiny,
Sorry to hear about your tootsies. It’s rough having feet trubs. I had plantar fasciitis a few years back and it was so hard to get around!
Kate & Zena says
May 26th, 2009 at 5:13 pmI need about four of those. The backs of my heels are always scraped raw by my walking shoes and flats (I wear them A LOT).
See, I can’t wear flip-flops. They are the worst things for my feet–my toes have to work to keep the thing on, ruins my posture and not to mention I typically have to shuffle instead of heel-toeing. That last reason is the major reason why I can’t wear them; I have Cerebral Palsy. From the balls of my feet to my knees were wrapped in an-inch worth of glue and bandages to make a rock-hard cast—twice. Why? All my tendons in my legs were as tight as wound rubber bands from toe-walking. Did I mention I was 4 and I lived in Texas? It was the middle of summer too.
I’ve been told by every doctor if I allow my tendons to tighten to that point again, I have to have a tenotomy–a surgery where they cut entirely or partially my tendons to loosen them. It’s hideously expensive as it has to be done by a Cerebral Palsy Surgeon and it’s extremely painful. I’d have to be casted again for up to a month and then there’s rigorous P.T. I’d rather not so flip flops are out unless I’m getting a pedicure where I have no choice.
Bomi says
May 26th, 2009 at 5:19 pmI will DEFINITELY buy this.
I have a bunch of heels and sandals that are very cute… except I got them cheap and they cause blisters really often.
I always hated putting on bandaids especially since they fell off and in a week, I’d go through a whole box.
I LOVE YOU KAREN!!!!!
Nicole15 says
May 26th, 2009 at 5:42 pmI’ve used this with soo many new shoes & it has totally saved me many a day at work. So much so, that now I keep it in my purse just in case.
Caitlin says
May 26th, 2009 at 6:29 pmI’ll def. have to try that for the shoes I bought for my cousin’s wedding this summer! And it’s like 6:30 and it’s still hot and almost muggy feeling across the bay in Walnut Creek.
Solé says
May 26th, 2009 at 7:14 pmWhere has this product been all my life? If I had seen this blog before I went to CVS earlier today I would have picked it up this afternoon. Looking forward to a blister-free summer! It gets so hot in LA during the summer (unless you’re in Santa Monica or right on the beach) that socks and shoes are out of the question from June through October. This probably explains why so many people at school were boo-hooing over the weather today. It was like 65 this morning but I took it as a nice little break before the real heat starts next month.
Glosslizard says
May 26th, 2009 at 7:31 pmOh yeah, I keep one of these handy at all times!
Welcome back! I’m glad the sun was out today to ease your transition! 🙂
Ginger says
May 26th, 2009 at 7:35 pmKeep your eyes peeled for the generic store brands of this product, I found one for a few bucks cheaper and it seems to do the same thing…
I’m still getting blisters but it makes my feet slightly more comfortable for a little longer. Am I applying it right?
Ginger´s last blog post..Make It From Scratch!
Jen says
May 26th, 2009 at 7:44 pmI’ve been using a similar product, Bodyglide, for years when running and also for some dress shoes. The difference between Bodyglide (and probably the Band-Aid product) and Vaseline or EVOO is that Bodyglide does not absorb into skin, keeping the friction barrier to protect you. These products work best as a preventative tool– once you feel even a tiny bit of rubbing or friction, swipe it on and you’re set.
McKenzie says
May 26th, 2009 at 8:03 pmI am so going to need to get me one of those, my summers are just one continuous blister. The weather is really lovely here, it’s actually starting to feel like summer.
Stacie says
May 26th, 2009 at 10:17 pmNow that I will have to try! It seems like every summer I have to be rubbed raw once by the flip flops before I can wear them comfortably–I must build a callus or something. I probably won’t wear them anymore, though. I really hate the shuffle walk, although it is nice to just slip them on and go!
Nikki says
May 26th, 2009 at 10:28 pmi discovered this amazing blue stick of wonders a few months ago after buying a super cute pair of blue and white polka doted ballet flats only to discover they made my feet blister like no other! now i have 2 of these sticks, one to keep at home and one in my purse! i love it
Catherine says
May 26th, 2009 at 10:45 pmOoooh! I’ve seen these advertised in magazines and online – glad to know it actually works! It’s actually funny – SO pointed it out first after seeing the ad and asked me if I thought that’d help my feet lol. I’ll totally pick up one at the drugstore next time!
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Kim says
May 27th, 2009 at 6:10 amThe weather here is definitely taking a day off too. Yesterday it was 80 degrees and tomorrow, it’ll be the same. But today? Nahhhh! It’s a whopping 65 (with a high of like 68?) degrees with a chance of rain. What a surprise *super sarcasm, away!*
I might try this out. I saw the commercial for it and just thought “uhh?” but I do walk around in flip-flops religiously from about late February until September, LOL.
wendy says
May 27th, 2009 at 7:32 amHow cool!!
NINA says
May 27th, 2009 at 8:18 amI want!!! Its so hot here in Houston that when spring starts, im in sandals from the get go. I dont start wearing shoes again til it gets too cold and my toes threaten to fall off. I am going to CVS or something after work to find those! Thank you Karen!
Rachel says
May 27th, 2009 at 9:48 amVery innovative!
Ann says
May 27th, 2009 at 11:07 amI definitely want to try this! I always get my feet rubbed raw from wearing shoes too long! thanks for the review
Anne says
May 27th, 2009 at 11:49 amI love this stuff!
it works and helped me a lot through rough times with my cheap bought pumps and sandals. Ahhh the pain of trading cheap thrills for the real one. lol
Lehea says
May 27th, 2009 at 4:47 pmDefinitely a must have for me. I bring it along when I travel too.
Miss Gisele B says
May 27th, 2009 at 8:12 pmKaren,
This is sucy great news. I saw the advert for this product, but I wasn’t sure if it was worth my time.
Thanks for testing these for the rest of us!
I’ll head to the drugstore tomorrow to buy it!
Miss Gisele B.
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Briana says
May 28th, 2009 at 7:01 amWow, this looks like a pretty awesome product! I might have to get some since I do wear flipflops a lot in summer
The weather here is warm and sunny, so like 71-75 degrees lately… Thats practically summer for us lol
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Baby Girl says
May 28th, 2009 at 7:19 amI love this stuff. It took a month and weekly visits to many Targets last summer before i found it in stock – I bought two. Noticed it was sold out this past weekend.
Advah says
May 29th, 2009 at 2:00 amI must get that stuff! The weather just got warmer here, and my feet are having issues getting used again to summer shoes! Thanks for the review!
yiota says
June 18th, 2010 at 3:54 amI already bought that for a wedding i had to go to.. not sure how well it worked though!
The weather here is about 40 degrees Celsius..extremely hot and sunny with a slight breeze because I’m in Greece right now 😀
Hedy says
June 18th, 2010 at 4:33 amI prefer Bodyglide, as it comes with SPF 25 (I have a scar on my foot I try t keep out of the sun).
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Elizabeth says
August 2nd, 2010 at 8:27 amI love this stick! 🙂 I went to a 10 day forum for students interested in medicine, and we had to be in professional attire the whole time, which included tight, painful flats! I was the only girl without blisters, since I saw this review and bought the stick! Thanks so much for this review- it saved my feet. 🙂
PS: I bought mine at Wal-Mart last month, and it was closer to four dollars. 🙂