Warmest insoles or footbeds

[Moondog55]

asking because winter is slloooowly approaching.
Also because when I was in the US last year I was warm [ indeed hot] the only part of me that was at all cool or cold was the soles of my feet.
I was wearing my Makalu boots
http://www.bogong.com.au/footwear/bushw ... akalu.html
with goretex Yeti supertgaiters
And at the end of the day the bottoms of my feet were chilled when erecting the tent or simply standing still. -25C at the coldest average temps were about -8-> -15C
I was using "Superfeet" insoles at the time in place of the La Sportiva insole and being mountaineering style boots there wasn't too much spare room when wearing a light liner sock and a pair of Explorers. I have heard that Sorbothane insoles are warmer but when I wore them I didn't think so.
So in the opinions of the membership is there a "Warm" insole or footbed suitable for real cold when not cold enough for shoepacs or mukluks??

[photohiker]

My Ski boots have a polystyrene foam footbed under the insole.

Can't you get heated insoles for boots now?

[Moondog55]

Hmm Batteries weigh a lot. I don't think I need heat so much as isolation from the cold. I was looking for those Canadian Army mesh insoles but couldn't find any and I did not think the thinnest cork and felt insoles would do any more than my existing insoles if it meant I had to loose a pair of socks.
An uncle who served in Korea swore by mesh insoles so I suppose I could make my own out of fiberglass fly screen or shade cloth to try them out.
I guess half of the problem is using a climbing boot which is of necessity a reasonably close fit

[Moondog55]

??

http://www.mcrconsumer.com/pdf/salesshe ... tyFeet.pdf



??

[Area54]

Aerogel insoles. I used some 45NRTH aerogel insoles in my Wulvhammer boots for riding and walking in Alaska, wore injinji thin liner and wooltek insul sock.

Are/were you wetting out out your boots and insulation with sweat? Plus not a lot of insulation around the supergaiter rand. Circulation is key.

[Moondog55]

Unfortunately where winter is concerned I am badly adapted, I sweat a lot even with minor exertion, I have spent most of my life in commercial kitchens just one shade cooler than hell.
I overload Prantal and Aluminium chlorhydate in about an hour. I do stop to change sox

[Rob A]

what happens if you slide a couple of layers of alfoil shine down beneath your greenfeet?

[Moondog55]

@Rob A
Probably nothing as a radiant barrier needs an airspace to work.
Frost plugs similar to the Canadian Army ones would probably work if there was sufficient room for them but the boots are a glove like fit.

[Rob A]

Plus they need to be shine up. Being a practical guy I figured you woudl find a way to separate them with a bit of paper or something.
I usually take a couple of kilos of Lorpen ski ad snowboard socks, and dont get the cold underfeet problems.
But you are looking for a barrier rather than overall foot warmers?

[Moondog55]

Barrier, my feet get too warm when walking skiing etc, I just need a little more between me and the ice and snow
Usually I am fine in my liners and one pair of medium sock ( Explorers are my definition of a medium sock) I have thicker ones at need

[Area54]

Thought about some Neos?

[Moondog55]

Yes I have thought about that alternative, but my boots fit my crampons Etc. I guess the insulated NEOS would be a lot warmer than Supergaiters, but I don't think I need a boot that warm. Really I only need to keep the soles of my feet from getting chilled.
Below -25C I would probably switch to mukluks for non-technical stuff

[Moondog55]

http://www.bogong.com.au/footwear/footw ... hot-d.html

It seems these are designed to do what I want but I spent all my money on other stuff LOL

[andrewa]

Have you tried just cutting some closed cell foam to shape ? Very cosy until it collapses, but very light and cheap.

A

[Moondog55]

Yes andrew i have

[andrewa]

Moondog.......

.........and they worked, or didn't..............?!!

The other suggestion i have is to make neoprene insoles from old wetsuits, or consider using neoprene wading booties, or the NRS hydroskin socks.

I have knee high down booties now, which are cosy as.....!

A

[Moondog55]

They don't work for me for the simple reason that they take up too much room in the boot and compress my feet, which means my socks provide no insulation.
I do use these in my bivvy boots tho
Talking to the team at Bogong these newer insoles work reasonably well, the reflective foil layer is separated from the footbed by a layer of stiff woven polyethylene which I assume is similar in construction to the frost plug used in Canadian army mukluks.
My uncle who served in the Korean war reckoned the insoles they made from Fiberglass insect screen worked well but I felt no difference; maybe the flyscreen was thicker in 1950 and I should have used more layers.
I was going to try using shadecloth but my trial pair were far too thick and squeezed my feet using 2 layers. I may take some cloth up to Falls and experiment during the trip tho. Reminds self to pack scissors.