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Are you sick of your feet freezing every time you go outside in the winter? Sometimes even multiple socks won’t stop your toes from going numb, especially if there’s snow on the ground. There’s a really easy way to keep your feet warmer that only costs a few dollars (if that).
I learned this trick a few years ago, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember where I’d learned it. I searched Youtube for a while and eventually found the video where I first heard the idea. It’s by IntenseAngler, and it’s really simple.
- Take the sole out of your shoe and set it face down on a cheap dollar store sun shade.
- Use a Sharpie to trace an outline around the sole.
- Use scissors to cut out the outline you just drew.
- Put the sole back in your shoe, and put your new custom fit insert into your shoe as well.
This works really well for keeping your feet warm because not only does it add insulation between your foot and the ground, it also reflects your body heat back onto your foot.
Watch the video below to see it done.
I was once at a function which turned out to be extremely muddy. Not wanting to get my thin shoes destroyed, I put each foot in its own gallon ziplock bag and tied the bags on snugly. I stayed dry and mudless. Ziplock bags will provide a slight (not too deep) substitute for rain boots.
You can do the same with old emergenc blanket. They are thin enough for your winter socks.
Old hillbilly trick to keep your feet warm. Go outside barefoot and stomp around in the snow for a few minutes. This dilates the blood vessels in your feet. More blood flow = warm feet. Come back inside and dry your feet THOROUGHLY. Put your shoes and socks on and head outside as quickly as you can. If you take too long it won’t work. You now can stay outside in sub-freezing temperature all day and your feet will not get cold. I have spent all day in the woods with warm feet. It really works. Try it!
One thing tho, if you come back inside for an hour or so, you have to repeat the process. The heat from inside constricts the blood vessels and you are back to square one, especially if you take your shoes off.
I posted this a couple days ago, but it didn’t show up in the comments…so…second try.
always make sure your boots and liners are fully dry. same thing goes for your socks. wear rag wool socks with silk inner socks (to prevent blisters) and do not lace you boots over tight. do not wear cotton socks. I also wear snow garters over my boots and pant legs this keeps snow out of and off your legs and socks. winter boots may need be a size bigger that your summer shoes to allow for the much heaver rag wool socks. and you can add an extra set of felt inner soles too
You can also purchase wool shoe liners. Like you said, wool holds heat, even if it gets wet.
It may sound obvious but, starting out with a roomier shoe interior goes a long way to allowing the addition of the liner. Snugger fitting shoes will pose a problem. Depending on style, many shoe soles are glued down. In that case, maybe just drawing an outline around your foot will be enough of a starting point to custom fitting the additional liner to your shoe.
In emergency I have found that if you have some plastic shopping bags then put them on over your socks and put your shoes on again.
My old mum used to say, “If you want warm feet wear a hat”! But your footwear insulation advice seems like a good idea. Regards