How long will my feet take to heal?

[DitherDother]

And is there anything I can do to speed them along?

I'm just back from a walking holiday, c. 20 miles, 8/9 hours a day. It was wonderful but too much. Despite boots that I'd previously walked hundreds of miles in without issue, my heels are completely shredded.

There are patches about 3 inches diameter on each heel with no skin at all. They were like that from about day 2, I kept cleaning and dressing them and kept on walking. It was painful but not too bad once I got going. There was one day when they were oozing thick yellow gunk and I thought I was in trouble but they're clear now.

I'm home now, have soaked them in salt water and dressed with DuoDerm dressings (recommended by a pharmacist who saved me while I was away).

There's no way I'm putting shoes on this weekend, but how long before they start getting back to normal?

I'm weirdly proud of myself for carrying on regardless, but there's no doubt it wasn't entirely sensible...

I have a similar trip planned for the summer, shorter distances but equally long days because more climbing. This was supposed to be a practice to make sure my boots were good. I don't really know what to do now because obviously I can't go in new boots.

It sounds as though it's going to be at least a couple of weeks until those feet start settling down again. Ouch. I agree that it prolly would have been better not to have pushed on through.

Once your feet are up to it I'd try wearing your boots out and about so that your feet can get used to them. If this happened because they don't fit your feel properly (rather than because you just did too much too fast, and didn't give them a chance to recover) then you're going to need different boots.

Good luck, OP

Are they too loose?

They will be pretty much healed in a fortnight. Be t time wear special double layer socks to reduce the friction and stop if you get significant blisters!