Foot blisters: A cousin of the devil, a pain in the… well, foot. And annoyingly, they can highjack your activity-filled day and replace it with a limp-filled hobble. These bothersome inflations of skin are basically fluid- or blood-filled sacs that crop up under your skin's top layer, the epidermis, displaying the delightful traits of pain, itch, and potential infection.

Foot blisters are devoutly faithful to friction. Your trusted footwear might not be so trusty after all, typically driving the formation of these pus-filled monstrosities. A snug shoe and continuous activity is their breeding ground. Don't get us wrong, a tad of friction here and there isn't exactly criminal but it's how your skin retaliates that riles up the problem. Constant rubbing creates a chasm between skin layers which promptly fills up with fluid or blood.

Our foot expert, Doc Vlahovic, points out that blisters come with a versatile catalog – you have blood blisters, spawned by skin pinching; you've got an assortment triggered by irritating substances, genetic disorders or metabolic disorders; you've also got heat blisters that rise from flames and or angry rays of the sun.

Treating foot blisters, interestingly enough, begins by understanding the why's and how's of their existence. Crack this case, and you're golden. Prevent blister formation by eliminating, or at least reducing, the culprit causes. And yes, that might mean bidding a tearful goodbye to the killer pumps that are killing your feet.

"Cure them in the confines of your home, you say?" Yes, indeed, dear reader. The convenient process begins by adopting patience and avoiding the urge to pop the blister. As frustrating as it sounds, the 'roof' of a blister functions as a natural band-aid, shielding your skin from any further damage. Just if the blister is too bloated and painful – which it inevitably might – it might just pop all by itself. While that sounds extremely satisfying, try not to engage in an active skin stripping ceremony as this could lead to wounds or infections.

As though you're dressing a soldier off to battle, use adhesive bandages for extra protection, the healthcare industry's secret weapon for wound healing. Pilfering fluid to morph into a gel, these babies are your ticket to comfort.

There are exceptional cases when it's time to drop your shields and visit a doctor. Diabetes and open-sores, multiple blisters, strange locations of blisters are strong indicators for a medical visit. Pus-filled blisters, often playing footsie with psoriasis, also bulk up this list of reasons.

In the war against foot blister formation, the right shoe, my friend, can turn the odds in your favor. And we're not just talking about Cinderella-esque crystal shoes, but ones which are an ideal match for your foot shape, worn in a bit, and well, stellar at moisture control. These, coupled with socks soaked in sorcery (read: copper-based) and a good barrier of protection, might just be the knights in shining armor you need.