Neoprene Boot Gloves?

[Daves not here]

A buddy of mine gets cold toes in his boots but only on the few days that are sub 10 degrees. He was asking me about these boot gloves and I have no idea.

Do they work? Do they hamper the boot and binding fit? Worth it?

 

[slowrider]

Had a ski pal that used them and he said they worked. Did not seem to have any problems with bindings interface.

 

[ADKmel]

I've used them for years, they do help, I also put the toe heaters (stick-on kind on the top of my toes). My only complaint the strap that goes under the boot wears out. I keep mine out of my binding/toe mount.

 

[Dave Petersen]

My wife wears them every time she skis regardless of temps. I have a pair, but it has to be bitterly cold before I'll wear them because they are kind of goofy looking.

 

[James]

Yes, they help. There not perfect though. Just get them.

 

[mdf]

They help, but that's all. Not a magic bullet. When I use them, I roll the part at the toe back a bit.

 

[scott43]

I seem to get a lot of boot leakage and used them for that purpose. Has to be cold before I use them but yeah they help.

 

[Monique]

I think they add like 10 degrees, maybe 20. They definitely help. They're merely insulators, so they work best if you can put them on while the boot is still warm. Hm. Good use for a heated boot bag.

 

[cantunamunch]

Two things:
- On some very shaped smaller boots with wider forefoot (thinking generally smaller than MP25 here) there might be a gap between the medial side of the boot and the neoprene. The forefoot acts as a spreader for the neoprene which is then pulled straight back towards the heel, leaving a gap. This does not affect function greatly except in deep snow - where it makes the boot gloves unwearable because one gets a wedge of snow built up from the medial side up towards the second clog buckle.

- Fit is approximate in some sizes - basically the only ones that fit tightly over the boot also have less net material (they look small when put on the boot), and this generally means the material is highly stretched where the heel strap webbing joins. This area is then subject to tearing. Unfortunately going to a larger size doesn't fix this problem as then the fit is loose up front - and one gets snow ingress.

Otherwise, yes, they work. I wish someone like Reliable Racing still made their full-coverage overboots with the cinch top; those looked goofy as lleh but they were a LOT warmer than these neoprene nose-bag looking things.

In conclusion when you get them a) put them on on warm boots b) make sure the boot glove doesn't have a gap between the ball of foot and the instep c) check the tension in the heel strap connection area if high keep an eye out for tears.

 

[scott43]

Yeah they don't actually need to be neoprene..just a cover of some kind..like a gaiter.

 

[LKLA]

We use the DryGuy BootGlove Boot Covers.

Not sure they help a ton but they certainly don't seem to make things worse.

For $25-30 it's hard to go wrong.

 

[Jilly]

Got a pair still in the plastic as I went to boot heaters. Love them. But as mentioned the strap that goes under the boot WILL tear with walking around with them on. Cat tracks will help with that as they lift the boot higher. So it depends on the size of the gravel you're walking on.

But they are cheap!!

 

[flying_j]

I have a pair that I have used for a few years for skiing here in NE. They help, but are certainly not anything like an active heater. I have had no problems with them interfering with buckles or bindings, but if there is an interference they're flexible enough that you could pull the front of the toe up enough to remove completely from the boot-binding interface. I also try to do minimal walking in them, as the strap runs under the sole of the boot and will wear quickly if you aren't careful.

I ordered a pair for my son this season, as his boots leave him no room for warmers, and he does a lot of night skiing. Plus early season this year was so cold...

Definitely worth the low cost, but if you're really struggling with cold toes this won't solve all your problems.

 

[Daves not here]

Thanks for the feedback - I will pass it along. He would only need these a few times a year thus a boot heater may be overkill. Personally - I am one of the lucky ones where I really don’t get cold - feet or hands.

 

[Monique]

This thread reminds me. I have boot gloves. Used to use them a lot, and have cold feet. Lately I haven't been using them, and haven't generally had issues with cold feet. Same boots.

 

[dbostedo]

This thread reminds me. I have boot gloves. Used to use them a lot, and have cold feet. Lately I haven't been using them, and haven't generally had issues with cold feet. Same boots.

Are you keeping your head and trunk warmer?

 

[MarkP]

I was up at Mad River Glen after Christmas. Started the day at -17F. Single pack of toe warmers on top of my socks didn't do the job. Put a 2nd pair on the bottom, took one run to get used to the feel and I was good for the rest of the half day before they shut the lifts down due to high wind. Mind that my liners are old and packed out, which certainly contributed to making the toe warmer sandwich bearable.

I hear new replacement liners in general are made with better materials that should improve heat retention. Something I'll be considering vs. getting a new pair of boots.

 

[Monique]

Are you keeping your head and trunk warmer?

I'm not sure, honestly. I've changed a lot of my layers lately. Hmm. Possibly.

 

[Mike75]

My wife wears them every time she skis regardless of temps. I have a pair, but it has to be bitterly cold before I'll wear them because they are kind of goofy looking.

This. When its cold enough for me to pull out the boot gloves, I'm seriously considering whether its too cold to ski.

 

[Monique]

Do you really think anyone is looking at your boots? Jeez. A lot of body heat privilege around here! You do what you gotta do to ski!