# How do you keep your feet dry and warm?



## skiahman (Dec 9, 2012)

Looking for sweaty foot remedies......

Just got a new pair of Salomon RS 100's and like every other boot I've owned, my feet sweat in them to the point where I need to replace my socks with a dry pair mid day and then take a hairdryer to the inner boot at day's end because they're wet too. I use thin ski socks and have even gone no socks but that doesn't work well. 

What do AZ'ers do to keep their feet and boots dry? Thanks for any help!


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## ScottySkis (Dec 9, 2012)

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

I love smartwool socks.


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## drjeff (Dec 9, 2012)

Spray anti perspirant on my feet just before I put my ski socks abd boots on in the morning works well for me. I haveva few ski buddies who swear by some baby powder in their ski socks to help with moisture control.

Personally I think the next great advance in boot liners will be when someone devises a truly wicking material for them. The droves of us "swesty feet" folls will be eternally grateful!!


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## ski stef (Dec 9, 2012)

yeah, not totally shocked but if my feet over heat i'm ok with it..  i get concerned when i can't get my feet warm enough (days like today) where my toes are frozen, heat up in the lift line where they then start to burn (almost more painful than when they are just cold)...... ya unfortunately i have no advice for you, borderline jealousy...


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## deadheadskier (Dec 9, 2012)

Hotronics have been a game changer for me.  I never have issues with cold feet anymore.  Switch them on level 2 and I'm good to go for the day.


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## ski stef (Dec 9, 2012)

^met a woman on the gondola at Breck who was using those. She only had great things to say about them. Can you really feel that pad that goes underneath your linings? I feel like that's the main reason I don't use hand/toe warmers. That little space (literally a mm) between the heater, liner and my sock would bug the crap out of me


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## deadheadskier (Dec 9, 2012)

Nope.  Can't feel it at all.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 9, 2012)

Ski Stef said:


> ^met a woman on the gondola at Breck who was using those. She only had great things to say about them. Can you really feel that pad that goes underneath your linings? I feel like that's the main reason I don't use hand/toe warmers. That little space (literally a mm) between the heater, liner and my sock would bug the crap out of me



I'm really particular about feeling extra stuff in my boots and I don't notice my hottronics. If you don't want to make the leap to the hottronic, bootgloves work pretty well too. They just look kinda goofy.


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## hiroto (Dec 10, 2012)

skiahman said:


> ... then take a hairdryer to the inner boot at day's end because they're wet too.



Doesn't help for the midday, but you may want to invest in boots drier.  My boots also gets wet no matter how cold the temperature is and boots drying is the must at the end of the day.   I happen to have futon drier with shoes/boots drying attachment so I'm using that, but you could buy one of those boots drier on the market.


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## skiahman (Dec 10, 2012)

Good ideas, drjeff, I will give those a try. If I am lucky it will work and I won't need a boot dryer. Thanks for the suggestion, AZ'ers!


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## Glenn (Dec 10, 2012)

Similar problem...but not as bad. My feet will sweat...then get cold. The idea drjeff posted sounds good. Maybe I'll give it a shot. For now, every day after skiing, the boots go on a boot dryer. It's amazing how much moisture you can see now that the shells (on some boots) are semi see through.


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## hrstrat57 (Dec 10, 2012)

I change socks, I always have 3 pair of very thin ski socks in the bag every time out....usually change just once.


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## Skimaine (Dec 10, 2012)

Started using the antiperspirant last year and I think it helps.  I also have a boot dryer to make sure the boots are dry and avoid any boot funk.


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## drjeff (Dec 11, 2012)

My wife was fit for a new pair of boots this past Sunday.  While she was being fit, we started talking with the fitter (who is a good friend) about some of the main causes of "wet" boots, he pulled the liners on my wife's old pair, and started talking about how the exterior of the liner in many boots is basically vinyl which allows no breathing/wicking of the sweat from one's foot   In essence if your feet sweat while skiing, you end up trapping them in a cold "sauna" and the chances of keeping one's foot dry and warm starts decreasing quickly.  This is an area where he has hopes that manufacturers will come up with a more breathable, yet durable liner in the future.

Pulling one's liners after a day on the hill to dry both the outside of the liner and the inside of the shell is a good idea. As Glenn mentioned above, some shells now are relatively translucent (mine included) and you can very often see some decent amount of condensation inside the shell (and not in an area where one might expect some external snow leakage to occur either).


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## kickstand (Dec 11, 2012)

drjeff said:


> Pulling one's liners after a day on the hill to dry both the outside of the liner and the inside of the shell is a good idea.



IMHO, this should always be done.  If you're going to spend hours at the bootfitter and hundreds of dollars on boots, you should take care of your equipment.  If you don't pull the liners, your boots will stink, get moldy, ruin the liners....for something that takes 3 minutes to do, it's definitely worth it.  When I used to do a seasonal rental, I loved the sight of everyone's liners around the wood burning stove at the end of a great day of skiing.


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## andrec10 (Dec 11, 2012)

Three words....Chinook boot dryers! Have had it for years and works great!


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## legalskier (Dec 12, 2012)

I have the opposite problem- cold dry feet.

As far as perspiring feet go, you might try this-

*Certain Dri Antiperspirant Roll-On for Excessive Perspiration*



It got very good reviews- they recommend putting it on the night before.
http://www.amazon.com/Certain-Dri-A...rspiration-1-2/dp/B000052X8R/ref=pd_sim_hpc_1


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## darent (Dec 22, 2012)

Ski Stef said:


> ^met a woman on the gondola at Breck who was using those. She only had great things to say about them. Can you really feel that pad that goes underneath your linings? I feel like that's the main reason I don't use hand/toe warmers. That little space (literally a mm) between the heater, liner and my sock would bug the crap out of me


the heat element in hotronics when properly installed in the footbed  doesn't protrude from the footbed, when it is cold I use toe warmers, but I put them on top of my foot right above my toes. I don't even know they are there.


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## Bene288 (Dec 23, 2012)

A buddy of mine skis in plastic bags, swears it keeps his boots dry. He just steps into thin grocery bags when he's getting into his boots. It seems like it would enable your foot to slide around in what little room you may have in your boot though.

I have the same problem. Recently (this season), I've been wearing thin dress socks underneath my smart wool. It seems to help keep the boot dry. It used to be I'd change socks everyday by lunchtime, now I can make it comfortably the whole day unless I'm really getting after it.


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## skiNEwhere (Dec 23, 2012)

I'm sorry if I am hijacking this thread but I don't think my question merits a new one.

My feet are usually ok until it drops below zero. I've tried toe warmers but they are hard to put in and feel weird in my boot. A few years ago at K (2005 I think) it was -30 at the peak and I was enjoying the line free lift lines so I didn't stop as soon as I should've, when I went to the lodge my feet were practically white and I had to go through the extremely painful thawing process. I always kind of thought the battery boot warmers were kind of a gaper thing, but I'm starting to reconsider. Is it possible that the tightness of your boots can cause this? Are there certain material socks that are better at keeping your feet warm?


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## abovetreeline (Jan 5, 2013)

I dont know what the solution is for those could feet, but from the people who have had hottronics how long do they last for?


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 5, 2013)

abovetreeline said:


> I dont know what the solution is for those could feet, but from the people who have had hottronics how long do they last for?



Depends on what you set them to. If you turn them to "4" a couple of hours, but you will burn your feet. At 1 or 2 they will last all day. The proper feeling is not warm feet, but just a lack of cold.

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2


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## Skimaine (Jan 5, 2013)

Hawkshot99 said:


> Depends on what you set them to. If you turn them to "4" a couple of hours, but you will burn your feet. At 1 or 2 they will last all day. The proper feeling is not warm feet, but just a lack of cold.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2



The Hawk is dead right.  I generally run them on 2 and they last the entire day.


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## deadheadskier (Jan 6, 2013)

Yup, run the Hotronics on 2 and they last the whole day.  Feet don't feel cold or hot, just comfortable all day.  Unless it's 40 degrees and above, I religiously use my Hotronics everyday out.  Love em


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## darent (Jan 6, 2013)

my wife has hotronics, sets them at 2 and goes all day,solved her cold feet problems. their was a interesting post at epic ski about rebuilding your hotronic batteries for cheap.


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## Nick (Jan 6, 2013)

Why are the hottronics so expensive? 

My wife got new Fischer Vacuum Boots (awesome job Suburban Ski & Bike in CT) - and her feet were uber comfortable she says, but her toes got cold. I wonder if the hottronics would interfere with the custom molding and footbed of the Vacuum boots.


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 6, 2013)

Nick said:


> Why are the hottronics so expensive?
> 
> My wife got new Fischer Vacuum Boots (awesome job Suburban Ski & Bike in CT) - and her feet were uber comfortable she says, but her toes got cold. I wonder if the hottronics would interfere with the custom molding and footbed of the Vacuum boots.



 the hotronics heaters are warm, but not hot enough to affect the fifth of custom footbeds and boots.

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2


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## darent (Jan 7, 2013)

Nick said:


> Why are the hottronics so expensive?
> 
> My wife got new Fischer Vacuum Boots (awesome job Suburban Ski & Bike in CT) - and her feet were uber comfortable she says, but her toes got cold. I wonder if the hottronics would interfere with the custom molding and footbed of the Vacuum boots.



nick the heat plates are imbeded in the footbeds for a smooth tranistion, they only require a small hole in the bottom heel section for the wire to go out and up the back outside of the liner, my wife put wire extensions on hers and wears her battery packs on her belt,small of back under her coat, runs wire down legs of ski pant, she didn't like the batteries hanging off her boots, plus side, batteries stay warmer and last longer.


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## Mpdsnowman (Jan 8, 2013)

Now I have snowboard boots but the issues are pretty much the same. I use wool socks and do keep extra pairs because nothing gets you back to comfort like a new pair after ones get wet. But the big issue has always been the wetness inside the boot when I am done. It usually is still wet the following morning. I also see this with the trips I put on. Everyone has this issue really be it ski or board boots when your active your going to sweat and the boots will get wet. And the worse thing you can do is put your dry feet in a wet boot just before you go on the slope particularly when it is freezing cause then your gonna get sick lol.

But I found something and I love this thing and I recommend it highly






The original peet boot dryer...

This bad boy is awesome! It works on convectional heat. You just plug it in and a small heater core heats up and draws the warm air thru the tubes and into the boots...or gloves....It doesnt matter what you put on these even socks but they will be totally dry in an hour...

They are cheap too...Nothing you cant afford. I bought a few of them and bring them with me on trips so when people have these wet issues they dont have them much longer lol...


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## abovetreeline (Jan 13, 2013)

Mpdsnowman said:


> Now I have snowboard boots but the issues are pretty much the same. I use wool socks and do keep extra pairs because nothing gets you back to comfort like a new pair after ones get wet. But the big issue has always been the wetness inside the boot when I am done. It usually is still wet the following morning. I also see this with the trips I put on. Everyone has this issue really be it ski or board boots when your active your going to sweat and the boots will get wet. And the worse thing you can do is put your dry feet in a wet boot just before you go on the slope particularly when it is freezing cause then your gonna get sick lol.
> 
> But I found something and I love this thing and I recommend it highly
> 
> ...



looks like a good investment, thanks for the idea


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## darent (Jan 22, 2013)

for you home DIY, boot heater packs info-- epicski.com-- go to DIY boot heater thread in finder or
www.epicski.com/t/109550/confirmation-that-insole-battery-packs-are-a-ripoff/30


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## joydavid (Mar 6, 2013)

You can wear good socks over your feet to ensure that they stay warm while you are hiking. Wool socks are popular for hiking because they wick moisture better than cotton, and they will keep your feet warm without overheating them if the weather gets hot.


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## ScottySkis (Mar 6, 2013)

With towels.


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## darent (Mar 6, 2013)

ski essentials sells boot gloves in the normal 2.5mm neoprene and the 5mm neoprene


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## drjeff (Mar 6, 2013)

darent said:


> ski essentials sells boot gloves in the normal 2.5mm neoprene and the 5mm neoprene



My personal experience with boot gloves is the following: They ultimately won't prevent your feet from getting cold, BUT it will take longer for them to get cold! You HAVE to put them on a warm boot with warm feet! Boot gloves work a bit like a thermos! If you put something cold in them, they'll stay cold! If you put something warm in them, they will cool off over time!

Basically I use my boot gloves on COLD days (say single digit or lower air temps before any windchill) and if without my boot gloves I could stay out for say 2hrs/6 runs before needing to come in and warm up, with the boot gloves I can stay out for say 3hrs and 9 runs before needing to warm up!

Also, FYI, if you get bootgloves, to extend their life, only put them on and take them off on the snow! If you wear them across pavement/door grates/hard + abrassive surfaces you'll shred the strap that goes across the boot sole near the toe of your boot


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## darent (Mar 6, 2013)

good points drjeff,you can take hand warmers and put them under your boot gloves to extend the warmth of your pre warmed boots for those cold days


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## ScottySkis (Mar 6, 2013)

Again I highly recommend socks and blow dryers.


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