Boot Glove - review

[Jilly]

I bought a pair of "Boot Gloves" for Hubby for Valentines day. He has been complaining a bit about cold feet. Cold hands are his real problem that I'm still working on. So Friday I decided to try his boot gloves. I still don't understand how something placed on the outside of the boot can keep my feet warm, but it works!! I know how neoprene works in my wetsuit, so it must be something similar. Warm layer just next to skin or boot. There are two draw backs I can see. As someone mentioned in another thread - adjusting your boots quickly during the day. Also when you put on your skis, to make sure the toe piece doesn't have a piece of neoprene and your boot too! So now I have to find another pair of Medium for me!

 

[skigirl]

I Love my boot glove too! When we were in Colorado 2 weeks ago it was zero everyday but we had to ski all day. We would put hot hands in our mittens and take 2 runs. We would then go into the top lodge and take our boot gloves off and put the, by then, warm hot hands under our boot gloves. You need to put them right over your toes and make sure the boot glove is sealed up around your toes. We would then put new hot hands in our mittens. We were able to ski for 5 hours after that and our feet stayed warm.

Jilly: A side note about your husband's hands. I came up with a new hand idea in Colorado too. I grabbed my leather horseback riding gloves before I left and tossed them in my bag. I was very glad that I did because I found them to be so much warmer on those zero days than my silk/wool hand liners. I wore my leather riding gloves inside of my leather down mittens with hot hands and my hands stayed warm for the first time ever at that temp. I was very happy that I tossed them in.

 

[Calgal]

hey Jilly glad you like the Boot Gloves, I am quite happy with mine too.
Did you ever check out the site that had the mitt liners ?

Skigirl, based on your advice from last winter, I finally purchased a pair of leather mitts and they are great. I bought the Grandoe goose down filled mitts ..... I haven't had to wear a liner in them yet and no hand warmer either. This is my yr for being warmer!

 

[veggielasagna]

Jilly,

Glad you posted this! I finally tried mine out on Friday; what a difference. Granted, it was relatively warm (18 by the end of the day), but it was windy as well. The combo of Smartwool's lightest socks, toe warmers and boot gloves left my feet comfortable all day (for the first time). Usually by lunch the toe warmers are starting to die and my feet are very damp. They were much easier to get on than anticipated, no issues with bindings either

-veggielasagna

 

[soundgarden]

A positive review for the Boot Glove as well. My feet were always freezing, but now, with toe warmers, SmartWool socks and the Boot Gloves, my feet are now nice and warm.

 

[Jilly]

I didn't use any toe warmers. In fact, Hubby has gone through 20 pairs of hand and toes warmers. In other words, he's skied 40 days using warmers for his hands. Calgirl, I did bookmark the site to look into for sure. As I was leaving Tremblant on Sunday I noticed that one of the stores had electric gloves by Auclair. Hubby is to go and see if they might be too hot. I thought so!
I think the boot gloves work because they break the wind going over your boots as you ski. Looking for a pair of mediums. None left at Tremblant, only large. So I'll keep an eye out for them over the summer.

 

[skigrl27]

OK this thread may have sold me on the boot gloves. They look pretty silly, I must admit. But I was on the mountain for 5 hours today & simply could not feel my feet by the end of the day.

So...do you have to take them off & put them on each time you put on your boots? My toe buckles are always latched the same anyway...so I suppose I wouldn't have to mess with them too much.

My cold toes make my day miserable. I was just telling my sweetie on Saturday: "If I could just solve the cold toe issue, I would be all set." If boot gloves are the answer - I'll be in heaven!

 

[skigrl27]

K just looked them up. $30 bucks!! Ha...compared to the money I spend on other ski stuff, that's a steal. Especially if it works.

Question: How do I know what size to get? My boots are a 24.

 

[Jilly]

Medium - same as mine. 23.5 to 27.5 MP is med. They were 39.95 on the mountain at Tremblant. So $30 US would be just about right. I spent $20.00 on a case of warmers 20 pr of each toe and hand for Hubby's hands, Costco. But if you're buying the packages of toe warmers every day - yeah $$$$. For some reason I was thinking last fall when I saw the cases, wish I'd bought 2.

 

[ski diva]

I hate to be a party pooper, but I had boot gloves for a long time, and for me, they just didn't seem to cut it. Who knows. My feet are cold all the time, even in the summer. The boot gloves didn't help -- at least all that much.

For me, the solution was Hotronics boot heaters. I know -- they're pricier than the boot gloves. But at least they work.

 

[Jilly]

The guy who made my kork footbed, left the toe area unmolded, so I could put the heaters on if I needed them. I can't say that I've had too much of a problem except really cold days. My feet sweat, then they get cold. So I'm going for the less expensive option first. Then we'll see.

 

[veggielasagna]

I was pretty excited about the heated insoles that came with my Atomics...well until they had to put my orthodics in...boo. So I'm stuck with alternative methods...but no matter what I do my feet sweat and promptly turn cold. I had tried the anti-perspirant things, doesn't seem to make any difference. So I'm left with the task of keeping wet feet warm for 5-6 hrs. The boot gloves look a bit dorky, but it's better than the alternative : ). Oh yah, I have 24.5 Atomics and the medium is fine...so I'd vote for the medium. You have to take them off to latch/unlatch the bottom two buckles, but they are easier to slip on/off than one would guess. Luckily I always keep those two buckles the same so I don't have to mess with them out on the hill. Hope they suit you well! Sorry, I rambled a bit.

-veggielasagna

 

[pinkkid]

Well, after reading this whole thread, I am pretty sure I'll give the boot glove a try! thanks!

 

[sibhusky]

I am a believer in Boot Gloves as well, and I don't need toe warmers. I also switched to merino wool socks this year and the sweating issue has disappeared. My recipe for warm toes:

1. Dry your boots every night with the hot sticks or an air boot dryer.
2. Try to keep your boots warm on the way to the hill. I leave the sticks in and shove my mittens in the tops if it's going to be longer than 15 minutes to the hill because I have to run an errand or something.
3. If you have like a two hour drive to the ski area, then buy one of those warming bags that plugs into your cigarette lighter in your car. OR, if you can't do that at the very least go in the ladies room and use the hand dryer to get the boots warm before you put your foot in them.
4. Put your boots on in a warm area, not outside in the parking lot.
5. Use wool, not synthetics, for your sox. I liked Thorlos for years, but at the end of the day my feet were damp. I love some Lorpen ski socks I got from Backcountry.com.
6. Use BootGloves. Get your bottom two buckles set to wherever they need to be for the day as best as you can. Cinch the BootGloves tight to keep out snow. Fold under the toe area a bit to keep it away from the ski binding or take the time to cut it up a bit. (I just fold it under.)
7. KEEP YOUR CORE AND HEAD WARM!!! If your core isn't warm it takes blood from your extremities to do the job. Before I had BootGloves, I also owned a less warm ski outfit and on those days in the negative 20's I'd toss on this Eddie Bauer down jacket that I call my "Nanook of the North" jacket: https://siberianrescue.com/other/DiggingOut/image015.htm. I was so warm in this jacket (over all my other ski wear, including my ski jacket) that my feet were even warm without any assistance! It's NOT a ski jacket, but when the chips are down and it's stay home or ski, then I USED to pull out this jacket. Now I have an Arc'teryx that almost as warm, and I have the BootGloves, so I don't need the Nanook.

I've found on those warm days when I don't use BootGloves that when I come in to lunch, there's snow caked on my boots. That doesn't happen with the BootGloves. So, just having them as snow shields must help, because on "warm" (over 25 degrees F) my feet end up colder. I guess I need to redefine "warm" and use the BootGloves all the time, but the degree of cold is bearable and I have access to my buckles. I can still access the buckles with the BootGloves on, but I have to undo the strap around the back of my boot to do this, which is kind of a pain. I looked at making slits for my buckles, but decided it would compromise the structural integrity of the BootGlove too much.

I also just saw some neoprene covers just yesterday on someone that did not involve a back strap on the cover, just a toe cover. Of course, it was a warm day, so I don't know how well that competing product would work on a colder day.

 

[pinkkid]

great stuff!!!! also the car heater on the trip works good... until you get too warm yourself though!
The sticks sound like a good idea.
Need a new BootCover design allowing one to get to their buckles w/o compromising the design and efectiveness of the cover.
I just been wearing Hot Chilie Socks, seem OK.

 

[Calgal]

I would so love to have one of those HotGearBags. That just might be my treat to self gift this spring !! That in combo with the new ski socks I ordered on Wed from SAC, and my BootGloves should do the trick.

 

[AnnKH]

Jilly, I'll send you my mediums - turns out I need large.

I haven't had a chance to give mine a workout yet (hooray for warm ski days!), but I know I will.

 

[mollmeister]

The one warning I have on Boot Gloves-- DO NOT put them on if your feet/boots are already cold. They will just trap the cold in there the same way they do the warmth. And that's BAD.

I am with SibHusky on keeping boots warm in the car. If I don't have access to any fancy warming tools, I will just open some of those chemical heat packs about 30min from the hill and push them up to the toes in my boots (which I always keep in the front or back seat, near heater vents. NEVER in the trunk or back area) and take them out JUST before I put the boots on (and transfer the heat packs to my pockets or gloves). I make a huge effort to keep my feet super warm on the way to the hill, too. Usually I wear my fuzzy-lined Merrell boots with thick wool socks, and switch to my ski socks just before time to put boots on.

Even so, on a REALLY cold day, my feet still get cold. If I know it's going to be really, really cold and/or very powdery (which can make my boots cold, even if ambient temps are OK), then I carry a pack and toss in an old pair of very lightweight, squishable slippers with an indoor/outdoor sole (kind of like these, but not wool, and less structured: https://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/19763805/c/73207.html)

As soon as my feet get cold (which they often do on the way up, unfortunately, if it's windy and I have to take 2-3 lifts without much of a heart-pumping to get where I am going to ski), I go in somewhere, grab a hot chocolate or quick lunch, take off my boots, drop chemical heaters in them, and put on my slippers (keeps feet dry and TOASTY instead of just hanging around in ski socks) and hang out for 15min. Then just before going out again, I will shuffle into the bathroom in my trusty slippers, use the hair/hand dryers to give my boots an extra warming, and slip them back on with boot gloves. Toasty. Warm. EXCELLENT. And worth the 15min stop, especially if I had gotten cold on long lift rides up. Usually with a stop like this I am good to go for another few hours, provided I get everything nice and warm and ski hard thereafter.

Core warmth is also key. If my core is toasty, then it will happily send warmth out to the piggies. No so much if I am shivering. Which is why, if the forecast calls for wind, I sometimes look like an overstuffed sausage around the torso, lol!

And hey-- which Lorpen socks are really thin? I have some of the Bridgedale Microfit, and while they are awesome for a low-volume, custom-fit boot, they are synthetic and sometimes get sweaty/cold. I'd love an ultrathin WOOL sock that won't give me scratchy ankle blisters.

 

[pinkkid]

i can honestly say the main thing that gets cold one me... not my toes or hands or ears... but my butt!!!!! I will be warm all over but not my butt!!!! guess I need a buttcover! LOL!

 

[pinkkid]

Don't the 'Dry Guy' Thermal Liners help? They are paper thin.