How to Prep Your Feet for SFAS

Let’s take a few minutes to get your feet ready for a lifetime of abuse. It’s never too late to start this and this is a “skill” that will serve you well no matter what career you end up pursuing.

If you do end up at SFAS there is a near 100% chance that you will end up with badly torn up feet. I know someone will post a reply to this comment that they never got a blister or their buddy never got a blister. Awesome, this is definitely not the norm. With this in mind, our goal is to delay the inevitable and reduce the severity of any issues. It is not uncommon for guys to lose skin from toe to heel or for bad blisters to go as deep as the fascia. It’s generally not a long term issue unless it gets infected, but the pain can be so bad that it forces you to alter your gait and can cause other issues that cascade into failure. Your feet will swell and you may even struggle to fit them in your boots if you don’t plan appropriately.

I like to approach this with an eye towards simplicity. Simple is always better. I’ve seen lots of really bad takes about slathering on Preperation H, putting on nylons or dress socks, plus cornstarch, plus a thick pair of socks, etc. This is fine if you have a once a year roadmarch and you’re just trying to get over the next event, but this not a long-term strategy for success. I like to think in 3 terms…skin, socks, and boots. Let’s start with your boots.

There are so many great options for boots now and they are nearly mission ready right out of the box, it’s really just a matter of user preference. So just shop around and endeavor to do your fittings at the end of the day so your feet are at their most swollen (your feet swell, minutely, even under normal conditions); it’s obviously best to do this in-person vice online. You should look for good ankle support (but not so much that it creates pressure on your achilles tendon), good foot support without binding (especially on the flex points), and a roomy toe box (without letting your toes ‘swim’). The sole really doesn’t matter but something with a heel (vice a flat sole) may help you on rope climbs. Too aggressive of a tread clogs easily, too little tread slips a lot. Find what works best for you.

Two often overlooked boot components are inserts and lacing. You can change out your inserts and even get custom orthotics. Nobody at SFAS will inspect them closely and I’m not aware of any real restrictions. You should consider having serval pairs of well broken-in boots and rotate high quality, well-fit inserts to increase the longevity of the broken in boots without compromising support. Lastly, you would be amazed at the fitment differences that you can create by simply lacing your boots differently. Here is a cool guide. Let your boots dry completely between wearings whenever possible, you can speed this by removing the inserts and folding down the upper to allow better air flow.

Next is your socks. Guys seem to have oddly strong loyalty to certain brands and are willing to defend their brand to the death. It’s good to be passionate, but just remember that for every Darn Tough guy there is a Thorlo guy who is just as ready to do battle for his brand, so maybe the take-away is that there are lots of really good choices. It’s all about finding the right sock that fits with your boot/insole choice and your foot type (do you sweat a lot, do you need extra cushioning, do you need compression support, etc). Buy a couple of different pairs and try them all under different conditions to assess their worthiness. Aim for one solo pair, simple is better. If you create a system where you need your Fox River 12% spandex liners and your custom hand-spun Tibetan yak wool heel-cushioned mega sox then you’re fucked when you don’t have access to them. Don’t just create a ‘get through SFAS solution’ create a ‘get through life’ solution that you can sustain while deployed or on mission. Just make sure they are a subdued color (black, brown, tan, or green) and nobody will care what type and material they are. Then invest in yourself and get enough pairs of the ‘winner’ that you never have to decide between the best pair and another. Make the ‘loser’ socks your happy socks…you sick pigs.

Now, your actual feet. Building your feet into a foundation that you can rely on to serve you under difficult conditions is not an overnight process. Some guys just have tough feet and they adapt quickly. Some guys have never worn boots and will take months to build resiliency. The point is, start sooner rather than later. When you start rucking, build time into your workout to stop early in your movement and assess your issues. Note where you have hot spots. Adjust your laces appropriately, note what socks you have on if you need more or less cushioning, and note your load. Make adjustments and go again. Avoid any bandages or moleskin when possible and opt for natural conditioning. The idea is to build calluses in the right spots at the right density. When you’re done your ruck, take some notes on how your feet feel and what socks, boots, and insoles you wore. Build a little database to help you isolate problems and develop long term solutions.

Foot powder is another oddly tribal product, but we should note that anyone who endorses anything other than Gold Bond Triple Medicated is a fucking terrorist. Whatever other misguided product you select, just make sure it doesn’t have cornstarch in it. This ‘old wives’ solution is literally feeding any potential fungus. Apply a light dusting to your feet and massage it in so it gets in between your toes. This ensures both good coverage and ensures that you don’t have any debris that will cause issues once you don your socks. Don’t dump it in your sock or boots as it will just clump and might give you issues once it gets moist. Throw a little on your undercarriage for good measure.

You should endeavor to develop simple solutions. If you rely on moleskin to keep your feet together, then what will you do when your run out of moleskin? Moleskin is a temporary solution for unforecasted issues. If you do use moleskin, apply it in a ring (or donut) around the hot spot to alleviate friction. Avoid using a big piece to cover the entire spot. In training, if you need to apply moleskin to complete the workout I recommend just ending the workout. A bad blister can delay future training events and your goal is to incrementally build resilience. In extremis, have a little baggie with some moleskin already cut to shape. Maybe include a small pair of sewing scissors to help trim to size. Less is more.

Avoid New Skin or similar products as they retard the creation of true calluses and delay adaptation. If you want to encourage calluses you could try to wear your boots for a few hours a day without socks, but this might alter the true fitment of your boots so proceed with caution. You might also try applying a tincture of benzoin. Tincture of benzoin solution is a topical adhesive agent used to provide tackiness and enhance the adhesive property of tape. If you spread some on your feet and let it dry, over time this helps create tougher skin. If you have a bad blister you can use it to ‘glue’ the blister shut. This hurts like hell but can get you short term relief and that ‘wound’ now starts to create a callus. Too much callus can start to create new hot spots so keep your nails trimmed and regularly inspect your feet for ridges and overly thick pads. Treat yourself to a pedicure once in a while and note how they manage these problem areas.

The key takeaways are to start prepping your feet early, be deliberate in your testing and evaluation, and always seek a simple solution. Building good habits and taking care of yourself and your equipment/uniforms is critical to not only SFAS, but to good living once you get to a team.