# Do neoprene booties keep your feet warm or aid in chilling them



## eklars (Mar 28, 2006)

Winter boating with neobooties over drysuit socks and wool socks friggin sucks. All they do is hold cold water against dry warm feet. Been thinking this for a while, someone needs to make a nice plastic shoe, like a croc except it needs to keep sand and dirt out and away from the dry sock.


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## raftus (Jul 20, 2005)

Waterproof seams on neoprene booties/socks (and gloves) make a big difference. You are right that evaporative cooling sucks heat off your feet. Also when you constantly replace freezing water inside your booties your feet never heat up the water, and in the calm sections where your feet would be free of splashing without booties, the booties hold some cold water against your feet. If I was going to buy neoprene socks today I would look at NRS's Expedition sock with Hydro cuffs (or something similar) - fully waterproof and the hydro cuff helps prevent water splashing in and replacing water that you have already heated up. Velcro around the top would also work well. A small trick - pour warm water into your booties at the start of the day, with the watertight seams on some socks that water stays warm for a really long time, and so do your feet.


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

This year I've got a drysuit with goretex feet. Planning on wearing wool socks under and a pair of keens over (oversized keens). But would like something to protect the fabric from wearing. So want something like neoprene but sheds water ..


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## Swank (Jun 20, 2009)

I like the warm water idea. I see me now packing a thermos for cold trips.


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## rogvandall (Mar 15, 2012)

Avatard said:


> Have a theory that neoprene booties should be rubber coated so the outer layer doesnt aid in evaporative cooling.
> 
> I've been on rivers where i took off my booties and rowed barefoot because my booties (over neoprene socks) were freezing my feet
> 
> Anyone else have similar observations?


I spent 15 yrs. as a guide and always went barefoot in my boat. For some reason my feet were always warmer that way.


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## Mcgliam (Mar 15, 2012)

How cold are we talking? 

We paddle the Kan river in Canmore, Alberta Canada I february..... We're talking -25 c air temp, however the river is dam controlled so never completely freezes.

I typically wear just a pare of wool socks in in my dry suit, however if I bust out the farmer johns I will typically wear a heavy pair of wigwams socks, with over sized neoprene socks and the my water shoes (water Adidas shoes). More than warm enough!


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

I too have had problems keeping my feet warm on long off-season float trips. In my kayak it's not usually a problem, but I went for a Ruby/Horsethief float in an aluminum canoe in November and learned the meaning of cold feet....

The only paddling specific shoes I have found that work in the winter are the Keen Gorge boot:

Gorge Boot - Keen

reasonably priced too...


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

Being a diabetic, cold feet is something I have put up with for a long time.

Several years ago, I Finally got a goretex kokotat with sewn in feet. smart wool thin liner sox, thick pair of Alpaca heavy weight sock then the dry suit inside a couple size larger neoprene boots has finally given me warm feet. Been thinking of adding a set of those chemical heaters on really cold river trips. I use the chemical foot heaters in the sleeping bag and man those things make sleeping in the cold much easier.


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

Avatard said:


> This year I've got a drysuit with goretex feet. Planning on wearing wool socks under and a pair of keens over (oversized keens). But would like something to protect the fabric from wearing. So want something like neoprene but sheds water ..


I recommend scrapping the gortex feet for latex feet. They are much easier to get over your footwear. I wear a thin sock and NRS Men's Kicker Remix Wetshoe at NRSweb.com. It keeps my feet nice and warm and is comfortable in my raft or my kayak.


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## rogvandall (Mar 15, 2012)

Mcgliam said:


> How cold are we talking?
> 
> We paddle the Kan river in Canmore, Alberta Canada I february..... We're talking -25 c air temp, however the river is dam controlled so never completely freezes.
> 
> I typically wear just a pare of wool socks in in my dry suit, however if I bust out the farmer johns I will typically wear a heavy pair of wigwams socks, with over sized neoprene socks and the my water shoes (water Adidas shoes). More than warm enough!


Yea that's pretty cold. I don't know if barefoot would work for you. I did several trips in snowy conditions and went barefoot, but with air temp that cold? I don't think I would chance it.


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

Latex socks suck. They stretch are easily punctured by sticks and twigs. And if you forget socks your feet will have zero traction inside latex so you step and your foot moves not your shoe.. I would highly advise against latex socks on dry suits


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

for what it is worth, I agree with the other post

" Latex socks suck. They stretch are easily punctured by sticks and twigs. And if you forget socks your feet will have zero traction inside latex so you step and your foot moves not your shoe.. I would highly advise against latex socks on dry suits "

get the sewn in gore tex footies and your cold feet issue will go away for a long time


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## mtriverrat (Jan 29, 2012)

I have friends who swear by Boundary Boots from NRS. Any comments? My husband likes his Cabelas goretex booties - but the man is NEVER cold so I don't really pay attention to his style. I like polypro and wool or just polypro under my neoprene and I think it works better. I do have to admit a certain envy of those with Keen Gorge or those with Boundary Boots, but not sure about the outlay of money. I researched those boot warmers you use for skiing and as long as your feet are completely dry under what you have, they work fine. They don't work wet according to the manufacturer. You can use the ones that are rechargeable by boiling in water. They downfall of those is they are only good for a couple of hours.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

mtriverrat said:


> I do have to admit a certain envy of those with Keen Gorge or those with Boundary Boots, but not sure about the outlay of money.


I figure good gear is worth the price. Especially if you've ever went 3-4 days with cold wet feet. Plus, the Gorge boot is only like $75. That's a drop in the bucket when you start adding up boat, skirt, paddle, drysuit, etc...


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

caspermike said:


> Latex socks suck. They stretch are easily punctured by sticks and twigs. And if you forget socks your feet will have zero traction inside latex so you step and your foot moves not your shoe.. I would highly advise against latex socks on dry suits


I totally disagree, but I'm sure we have had different experiences. I had the gortex feet, always wore then in booties. They were always hard to get into the booties and would always bunch up. I absolutely hated them. Insult to injury, the seems started leaking. I replaced them with latex four seasons ago and always wear them in booties. I have never had a puncture or slippage. Of course if I wore them in sandals I'm sure my experience would be different.


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

Mcgliam said:


> How cold are we talking?
> 
> We paddle the Kan river in Canmore, Alberta Canada I february..... We're talking -25 c air temp, however the river is dam controlled so never completely freezes.
> 
> I typically wear just a pare of wool socks in in my dry suit, however if I bust out the farmer johns I will typically wear a heavy pair of wigwams socks, with over sized neoprene socks and the my water shoes (water Adidas shoes). More than warm enough!


40-50 degree water. 60 degree air. Regular neoprene booties (6mm) over nrs neoprene socks. Any or no wind. Feet are chilled as i dont move them while rowing.


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## H2UhOh (Jul 27, 2010)

For me paddling a SINK (sit-inside kayak), thin wool socks plus Gore-tex drysuit socks plus neoprene over-the-ankle booties keep my feet warm down to 40-degree water. Below that, I've used Chota Quicklace mukluks over thin wool socks in ice-filled 33-degree water. But remember that a neoprene sprayskirt over a small cockpit keeps wind and water out, too.

If you're paddling a sit-on-top or other open boat, the neoprene booties probably let too much water inside at the start to keep your feet warm once the wind chill starts. That's why over-the-calf mukluks work well: they're tall enough to avoid flooding, plus they have a fleecy lining, and yes they really are waterproof (sealed seams). I've used them in icy water on a SOT kayak. No problems with cold feet.

Also, keep your head and hands warm; that will help the rest of your body stay warmer. Exertion level has an effect on warmth as well. Go harder!

Low booties with neoprene insides and a rubber-coated exterior might be very difficult to dry out and therefore stinky. However, Bogs makes a rubber-outside boot whose top is open enough to let some air in. I'm going to buy a pair for non-paddling use in the NorthWet. The catch is that they're easier to flood than the snug-fitting Chota Quicklace mukluks.


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## Mcgliam (Mar 15, 2012)

I can't wait until the US gets on the metric system so I can stop googling how warm 40F water is hah


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## Mcgliam (Mar 15, 2012)

Avatard said:


> 40-50 degree water. 60 degree air. Regular neoprene booties (6mm) over nrs neoprene socks. Any or no wind. Feet are chilled as i dont move them while rowing.


Understandable, I'm mostly OC 1/2 paddler (ope top canoe) so I can wiggle my feet time to time when we hit a nice stretch of river. Kayaking I find my feet will get cooler even when paddling in 20c air temp, just from not moving


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