We love trying out new products at NWUK so when Stewart an ex SAS soldier and keen mountain walker popped in to HQ with his STRIDE OUT FOOT OIL, we had our socks off in a trice!

It’s often the simple things in life that are the most effective and this little concoction is one of them! Developed by Stewart over a number of years due to his frustration at always being the one who got blisters…no matter what he tried as prevention or cure, it is now a top seller in outdoor stores.

So, what is it and why is it taking the outdoor market by storm? Stride out is a blend of natural oils that not only provide a protective cover for the skin in order to stop friction but actually conditions the skin and makes it less susceptible to blisters longer term.

Stewart admits that prevention was always his original aim and that the added benefit of conditioning was something he discovered over time. “Its not something us blokes pay much attention to” he says

Intrigued we decided to send bottles out to some of our Instructors to get their view on whether they noticed any change as far as sore blistered feet were concerned. Here are their comments:-

Martin Christie – Lead Tutor

As somebody who Nordic walks for a living, I have to really look after my feet. One nasty blister can be quite disruptive as well as being painful and making me grumpy! I try to avoid them by having two pairs of shoes that are fully broken in but there are still times when I over do it, wear the wrong socks or the weather has caused my feet to get either too wet or too hot.

It’s at these times that I know, it’s only going to get worse unless I am really careful because I do not have the luxury of resting up until it heals. That’s why prevention is the key, so I was delighted to try out STRIDE OUT foot oil although a tad sceptical.

I immediately loved the smell and feel of the oil despite feeling like I was on a spa day when rubbing it in to my skin. I also really noticed how the oil did not feel greasy but there was a definite ‘barrier’ between my sock and my skin which caused the sock to slide on effortlessly.

When I started to walk, I felt no difference at all and soon forgot about my pre walk preparation BUT after a hot sticky day delivering Instructor training, I did feel that my feet had coped with it well and there were no tell tale red areas to be concerned about. After continued use I can definitely say that my feet are less prone to soreness and that I can feel a difference in the skin. I also notice when I forget to give my feet the ‘spa treatment’ as I am more aware of my socks against the skin.

I give it a score of 9 out 10 and know that for those who suffer regular blisters it will be an absolute gem.

DEIRDRE ABRAM – INSTRUCTOR

Deirdre wrote a fabulous article for this blog last year about a long distance walk that she undertook. Much of the article centred around her blistered feet ( read it HERE) and so we thought, we would offer her the chance to try out STRIDE OUT too. Sadly she has not undertaken any mega long walks in which to really put it through its’ paces but she did tell us:-

I have trialled it, and so has one of my clients who suffers from blisters. Even more important for her as she is diabetic. Both of us had good results. On walks of up to 10 miles we had no blisters at all, although we had a few pink/sore areas where we would have blistered normally. Sadly I haven’t currently got another 40 miler planned, which would have been the real test for it! I’ll let you know if I do any longer walks and the results!

If you suffer from Blisters, don’t just take our word for it…..try STRIDE OUT for yourself and be able to enjoy every step! You can buy it in our store by clicking HERE