 Poster: A snowHead
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Any recommendations for boot warmers, ideally for those with custom insoles ?
The ones I've seen so far (for Mrs AAT) look pricey and seem to have mixed reviews.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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May I be so bold as to recommend solving the problem at source? Cold feet are normally caused by poor circulation. If you can keep the circulation going then they stay warm naturally. Get Mrs AAT to try washing her feet in cold water before putting her socks/boots on and see if that helps.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| May I be so bold as to recommend solving the problem at source? Cold feet are normally caused by poor circulation. |
I would agree that it's sometimes the cause, I wouldn't go so far as to say normally.
Some people just have relatively poorer circulation and get cold feet. Some boots are just poorly insulated. Sometimes the weather is just chuffing cold. Some people (instructor friends of ours) spend more of the day standing and waiting for others than skiing.
AndAnotherThing.., you normally get the heater pads fitted to custom insoles that you get made separately. Most bootfitters will fit the units for free.
In my experience, boot heaters are both expensive and inherently unreliable. I'm on my third set and MrsFS is on her second - on average they last us about 2 or 3 years before they either stop working or a battery pack takes irreparable damage from a chairlift. We have Therm-ICs, but no one I know who has boot heaters has had better experiences.
They do work though, and we wouldn't be without them. They've saved me from frostbite on more than one occasion.
Whatever they cost, it's a little price to pay for Mrs AAT's happiness. And yours.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Are the boots fitting correctly still? When the liners wore down on my original boots I found myself cranking the boots up so much I cut the circulation with my buckling causing cold feet.
Something that helps me is warming the boots before I put them on, if putting them on at the hotel I give them a blast with the hairdryer. If putting them on at the mountain I put little handwarmers in the toes then stuff my ski socks in the ankle to keep the heat in while we drive/bus to the ski area.
Boot gloves are pretty good, they are neoprene and have the added advantage of stopping you getting snow in your buckles that melts in the bar at lunchtime dripping through to your liners. I bought mine in Canada years ago, they were not very expensive.
Hope this may help, cold feet are miserable.
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| lilywhite wrote: |
| Something that helps me is warming the boots before I put them on, if putting them on at the hotel I give them a blast with the hairdryer. If putting them on at the mountain I put little handwarmers in the toes then stuff my ski socks in the ankle to keep the heat in while we drive/bus to the ski area. |
Very good point lilywhite.
We often drive up to start the day's skiing and we've taken to putting a hot water bottle over the front of the boots whilst they are in the car. It makes it much easier to get into the boots and your feet don't start the day cold.
We like the experience so much that we now do it even when setting off from home.
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Silver foil in the boot between the bed and the inner, see reports passim.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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spud, that's it! Boot gloves- brilliant.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheers all. Thanks for the suggestions.
The boots were 'fitted' and one thought is that the lack of volume makes the cold worse - less air gap to warm up I suppose.
I heard mixed reports with regard to the battery powered choices. The neoprene covers are interesting. It's hard to see how they provide any insulation but perhaps they work by keeping the snow away from the shell so there is less direct heat loss.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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It surprises me that ski boots might not be insulated enough - they certainly feel like there's a lot more stuff between my feet and the outside world than any other part of me is likely to get!
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You know it makes sense.
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finestgreen, It's a bit like a space suit. The problem is conduction away to an ambient environment that is an effectively infinite (or as functionally near as makes no difference) and is at 0C.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I am going to take a little umbrage at the various comments making suggestions about exogenous circulation issues, e.g., poorly fitting boots etc.
While all of these may indeed cause cold feet, my OH suffers from Reniaud's disease, a condition that according to our GP's big book of ailments and agues somewhat affects, "most women above the age of 16".
In my Oh's case it first manifested itself 2 seasons ago, (after 36 years of skiing 40-50 days a year) and nearly led to a complete cessation of skiing. Her hands will start to suffer in damper weather below around 12C.
She only now manages to ski with motorbike heated liners in her gloves and the Therm-ic footbeds in her boots.
Without these she would be unable to go skiing.
N.B., it is most visible that her circulation has shut down, quite unsightly and very, very painful.
This is not a problem with her ski boot fit!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Starting out with warm boots must help mustn't it. We have boot airers/warmers in the chalet so mine are always ok but OH used to suffer sometimes if we were driving as his had cooled down by the time we had arrived so he bought boot warmers (from CEM) a couple of years ago that plug into a socket in the back of the car and he is much happier now.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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under a new name, I don't understand why you have taken umbrage to anything posted on here?
Up until your post nobody had mentioned raynauds, a condition which I appreciate can be quite disabling, I have friends that struggle here in the UK nevermind in the minus 20's.
The way the previous people have answered AndAnotherThing.., s OP seems to be from personal experience rather than with any agenda to bash the OP about boot fit. However if my personal reflections on my own cold feet and how I have solved the issue I had have upset you it was entirely unintentional.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I've used Thermic boot warmers for the past 3 seasons and watched other coaches get frostbite. I've found them reliable and just get a set of new elements each season when I get new boots fitted. the battery packs seem to last ok.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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lilywhite, Not at all upset with you -possibly I expressed myself badly.Or used the wrong expression.  didn't mean to come across too curmudgeonly!!
I'm a little surprised however, given the number of folks (mostly girls) skiing with heated liners etc., to see a few comments suggesting it's "fit"or that, guffaw, a sheet of metal foil would fix things!
AndAnotherThing.., After much research, her indoors got elements fitted to her existing footbeds. I think they are Therm-ic but I can't find the same battery packs inlne and the termic site doesn't like ipads.
Definitely a Good Thing.
If they prove inadequate this season, I like the look of the socks as well, although the bike liners, made by "Klan" have matching oversocks...(18w)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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under a new name, 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nice tight fitted boots, can't beat it for cold feet. Still take them off after the finish line.
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Cynic, you are Whitegold and I claim my 20,000 Old Francs
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| lilywhite wrote: |
Boot gloves are pretty good, they are neoprene and have the added advantage of stopping you getting snow in your buckles that melts in the bar at lunchtime dripping through to your liners. I bought mine in Canada years ago, they were not very expensive.
Hope this may help, cold feet are miserable. |
That's the exact problem I have. I've got Boot Gloves, but last time I used them they were too tight and made my boots agony! I've now added some elastic to the strap underneath and hopefully this will solve the problem (I have very wide feet!).
I thought about boot heaters but figured if the gloves work, they're a darn sight cheaper.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Most. Elaborate. Socks. Ever!
Those heated ones are amazing, this is a whole new world I knew nothing about!
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Bit concerned about the smell after a week's skiing though 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Piccadilly, They claim they're anti smell, anyway at 34 quid a pair they aren't much (if anything) more expensive than any other expensive ski sock.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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under a new name, the socks might be 34 quid, it's the battery pack that's expensive! All in they're £100..(see links in post #3)
Surely they must niff a bit after a week, no matter what they're made of.
Anyway, I'll stick with the cheapskate bootgloves and see how I get on this time.
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| AndAnotherThing.. wrote: |
Any recommendations for boot warmers, ideally for those with custom insoles ?
The ones I've seen so far (for Mrs AAT) look pricey and seem to have mixed reviews. |
I've got the Thermic ones - I'm on my second set of battery packs. You can get ones which fit AA batteries. Seemed much better than the Li version to me as I can use rechargeable batteries and carry a spare set around if it's a really chilly day. My feet are ridiculously cold even under normal conditions and, until I got heaters, would just spend most of the time with mad cramp as a result progressing to total loss of feeling which could be a bit disconcerting. So for me, they have been worth every penny.
Heated socks look like bliss!
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You know it makes sense.
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AndAnotherThing.., I have some boot thermic heaters I got from CEM in an end of season sale. Well worth every penny I spent on them. If i was to change anything at all I would have bought the remote control versions.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Battery's beckon I reckon ! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mrs.D has cold feet, she also has fully custom fitted boots.
We bought boot warmers.
Mrs.D's cold feet are now cured (at least when skiing anyway)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have Hotronics boot heaters - I've replaced one of the elements, but I've had the same set for the past 8 seasons. I use them most days when I ski so that would be approximately 100 days a year. Occasionally, my feet do get too warm, but it has to be a very warm day for that to happen.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Imlove my bootwarmers and couldn't do without them. I get seriously cold feet and I have tried all the conventional methods. Some people get colder feet than others and women are more likely to get colder extremities as the blood flows back to core to protect uterus more efficiently. That said it is cold here.
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