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Anybody gone away from heavy insulated boots for lighter shoes with layered socks?

scn said:
One thing that will REALLY help for a COLD weather boot is to go one size larger than your regular shoe size. It is amazing the difference having "loose " boots will make on cold days.
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I was going to suggest similar. Tight boots will freeze your feet. Got to have blood flow. Same goes for sitting....need to get up and let the blood circulate occasionally.
 
It seems I've tried it all over 48 years of hard-core hunting. I ran up on this combination about 7 years ago and haven't looked back. I found a late-season honey hole that required about a mile walk, and being late season also required carrying in lots of clothes to my stand, so I wanted to be light on my feet. I had a pair of those "RedHead XTR Camo Moc Slip-On Shoes" which now sell for $34.99 but back then were $19.99. I just wore them occasionally outside around the house. Very comfortable, very quiet, and cheaply priced. I got online, scouted out the best boot blankets, and bought the Arctic Shield Boot Insulator. I added two layers of my best socks and off I went, carrying in the super lightweight boot blankets that will ball up and fit into a good-sized pocket. For one, the camo moc slip-ons are so light you hardly know you're wearing anything on your feet, and about as quiet as walking barefoot. As soon as I got into my stand I slipped on the boot insulators, which are super easy to do while in your stand. I only hunted that spot for 3 days in a row in early January, but all three days were bone cold for TN with lows in the lower 20s and highs in the upper 30s. My feet DID NOT get cold! Now 7 years later this is all I wear to my stand...EVERY TIME. I still have my plethora of top-notch hunting boots, but most of them I haven't had on my feet once in 7 years now. I always take a lightweight pair of boots and keep them in the SXS in case I need to drag out a deer. Now, I rely on three pair of camo mocs...two pair completely de-scented and ready for hunting and one for wearing around the house...and a set of Arctic Shield insulators. Layer up a couple pair of good socks and I'm off to the woods. For me, this is very comfortable down into the low 20s, which now at age 58 I just don't go anymore if it's below 20 here in TN. I've also learned over the years that TN deer don't like to move much below 20 degrees, so this setup works all the time for me.

P.S. I'm not saying TN deer don't move below 20 degrees. I'm just saying they don't move enough for this 58-year-old to endure the nasty cold. There was a time I didn't mind, but that has come and gone.
 
I have been wearing light weight Red Wings from Bass Pro. On cold days I put a hot pack on top of my toes and haven't had an issue. I have had a problem with cold toes in the past but I this works.
They've been great and going on 4 years. BP has a sale going on now. My brother is going for a pair of Danner. It really doesn't get that cold very often here in TN. Not like Wisc where I grew up.
 
kaizen leader said:
I have been wearing light weight Red Wings from Bass Pro. On cold days I put a hot pack on top of my toes and haven't had an issue. I have had a problem with cold toes in the past but I this works.
They've been great and going on 4 years. BP has a sale going on now. My brother is going for a pair of Danner. It really doesn't get that cold very often here in TN. Not like Wisc where I grew up.
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Sorry, not Red Wings. Red Head. BP brand. I see BP has some Cabbela's on sale that look really good with great reviews. I almost ordered a pair but when I just inspected mine Read Heads they are still in great shape. One thing I always do is put a leather sole in all my boots and shoes. You can't believe the difference leather makes on your feet. Try it. Good luck.
 
I look for lighter boots and the best merino or Alpaca socks money can buy.
 
13pt said:
It seems I've tried it all over 48 years of hard-core hunting. I ran up on this combination about 7 years ago and haven't looked back. I found a late-season honey hole that required about a mile walk, and being late season also required carrying in lots of clothes to my stand, so I wanted to be light on my feet. I had a pair of those "RedHead XTR Camo Moc Slip-On Shoes" which now sell for $34.99 but back then were $19.99. I just wore them occasionally outside around the house. Very comfortable, very quiet, and cheaply priced. I got online, scouted out the best boot blankets, and bought the Arctic Shield Boot Insulator. I added two layers of my best socks and off I went, carrying in the super lightweight boot blankets that will ball up and fit into a good-sized pocket. For one, the camo moc slip-ons are so light you hardly know you're wearing anything on your feet, and about as quiet as walking barefoot. As soon as I got into my stand I slipped on the boot insulators, which are super easy to do while in your stand. I only hunted that spot for 3 days in a row in early January, but all three days were bone cold for TN with lows in the lower 20s and highs in the upper 30s. My feet DID NOT get cold! Now 7 years later this is all I wear to my stand...EVERY TIME. I still have my plethora of top-notch hunting boots, but most of them I haven't had on my feet once in 7 years now. I always take a lightweight pair of boots and keep them in the SXS in case I need to drag out a deer. Now, I rely on three pair of camo mocs...two pair completely de-scented and ready for hunting and one for wearing around the house...and a set of Arctic Shield insulators. Layer up a couple pair of good socks and I'm off to the woods. For me, this is very comfortable down into the low 20s, which now at age 58 I just don't go anymore if it's below 20 here in TN. I've also learned over the years that TN deer don't like to move much below 20 degrees, so this setup works all the time for me.

P.S. I'm not saying TN deer don't move below 20 degrees. I'm just saying they don't move enough for this 58-year-old to endure the nasty cold. There was a time I didn't mind, but that has come and gone.
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This makes perfect sense. Sounds like the lighter setup would allow more circulation.
Jamming your foot and 4 pairs of socks into a boot that just fits with one pair, is a quick recipe for frozen feet.
Insulation's job is to trap air. Squeezing it out is counter productive.
Restricting blood flow just makes it worse.
 
I bought some heated soles to try. They plug into my heated vest battery. They were cheap on Amazon because they did not come with a battery. The vest helps me a lot because I can not retain body heat very well. I fire it up for an hour or so and I'm good for a few more hours. I hope the soles work. I sit for a long time. I am ready and pumped up for deer season.
 
Bgoodman30 said:
I look for lighter boots and the best merino or Alpaca socks money can buy.
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this is EXACTLY what I do. Went to lighter boots in the 200-400 insulated (currently using La Sportiva hikers and North Face Hikers) but get the best merino and/or Alpaca socks I can find.

found my feet still get cold but it takes MUCH MUCH longer to get there now and they no longer get so cold I just have to give up.
 
For what it's worth, this year I'm going to try a Keen Arctic boot. They had them on clearance in May for super cheap (back up to 200+ now). They are very light on the feet.
 
Kmushrooman said:
I use cozy toes the toe warmers. Some people may cringe at this but I get a lot of deer. My feet feel like it's tropical. They make electric socks to but cozy toes work.
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Good wicking liner socks next to my feet, then toasty toes with a good pair of wool socks on top. Boots gotta be loose enough to accommodate extra socks. When it gets into the 20*s I have my cold weather boot covers to slip on.
 
scn said:
One thing that will REALLY help for a COLD weather boot is to go one size larger than your regular shoe size. It is amazing the difference having "loose " boots will make on cold days.
Click to expand...
With out a doubt . Put on extra thick heavy socks with normal boot size and your feet can't breath . Your just asking for cold feet..
 
I wear a pair of 800 gram Cabela's rubber boots when it's cold. Have good Cabela's socks that are pretty warm. My circulation isn't as good as it used to be, when it gets below 20 if there is any wind chill, I take my boot blankets with me.
 
The "system" that has worked best for me was to buy an additional pair of boots. The Woody Max Muck boots keep me warm down to around 25 deg. I haven't had a problem with their durability by wearing my pants on the outside of them. I am probably going on year 10 with the oldest.

Anyway, I added a second pair in one size larger than my normal shoe/boot size. I wear those in the mornings when it is coldest. The larger boots keep me warm down to a few degrees colder temps. Since I am usually around my vehicle before an afternoon hunt, I change into my normal size for the evening. That allows the "morning" boots to be dry for the next morning's hunt even without access to a boot dryer. And, the "evening" boots are ready the next afternoon.

And, to help with the hunting, I wash them well to start the season, and then DON'T wear them inside of my vehicle. I have had much less of an issue with deer smelling and alarming once I quit driving in my hunting boots where they picked up all of the gas station scents. I wear a pair of slip on neoprene ankle boots from SG for the drive, and put on the hunting boots beside my vehicle. Yes, it is a little PIA, but I have seen the difference in the way deer react (or don't react) when they cross where I have walked.
 
Some sage advice. I'll just emphasize that dry feet are happy feet.
One thing I'll add, leg gaiters. They can aid in keeping feet dry. Dew and water crossings can soak the bottom part of your pants, which drips into your boots. Gaiters can help keep your pants/socks/boots dry. Not to mention they are an extra layer of insulation.
 
I messed around with different insulated boot, multiple sock combos for years with no luck. Now I wear un insulated boots, and light to midweight socks, once in the stand I pull arctic shield boot covers on and I'm good to go, if it's really cold I'll put a hot hand inside each one. Pretty simple little deal, but it has really been a game changer for me.
 
Who's got a good brand/model recommendation?
I hunt the mountains so don't need 1970's moon boots☹️
In the early 1990's, I had a pair of American made Danners. Lasted 3 years walking all over Japan on liberty.
They still good boots?
 
I wear the lightest rubber boots lacrosse grange, and burly, and just added a pair of lite boots, baseball socks dry fit and it's been a great combo for me.
 

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