Outside temperatures may drop during the winter, but that doesn’t mean the temperature of your feet has to plummet, as well. Cold feet feel absolutely miserable, so follow these genius winter weather tips to help keep your feet warm, whether you’re a flannel-wearing lumberjack or just a regular person walking to work on a snowy, slushy day.
Wool You Marry Me? Merino Wool Socks = Warm Feet For Life
Wool and winter weather are a match made in heaven. Seriously. Experts agree that merino wool socks are the ultimate way to keep your feet warm in cold weather, as the material offers first-rate moisture management to ward off cold feet. Merino not only pulls moisture away from the skin before it turns to the chill-inducing sweat that often causes cold feet, it helps the foot moisture evaporate quickly, as well. Wool socks are the “wooly mammoth” of winter footgear, especially considering merino wool is inherently antimicrobial — meaning it naturally beats bacteria and odors. Try SmartWool or REI Merino Wool brands.
RELATED: The Answers To Why Your Feet Are Always So Cold
Bigger Isn’t Always Better (For Sock Thickness, At Least)
Common sense would seem to dictate that thick, comfy socks will keep your feet ultra warm. But contrary to popular belief, very thick socks can actually make your feet feel ice cold. If the sock exerts enough pressure on your foot, it can actually cut off blood circulation, which cools the extremity. This only gets worse when you try to cram a thick sock into a tight winter boot. If you wanna keep your feet warm in cold weather, always make sure you can freely wiggle your toes in your cold weather boots and socks. This will ensure good circulation and increased foot warmth.
Waterproof Socks Are Your Friend
If you know in advance there’s a chance your feet will get wet (during your morning run through snow, rain or sleet, for example), then waterproof socks are your best bet. Whether your shoes are water resistant or not, you’ll breath easy knowing that your tootsies will be protected.
Editor’s Note: If your shoes and/or winter boots do get wet, you can quickly dry them out with shoe driers like DryGuy’s Thermanator Boot and Shoe Dryer.
RELATED: How To Waterproof Boots And Protect Shoes From The Rain
Your Footwear Should Dictate Your Sock Choice
We really can’t say it enough: The key to foot warmth is ample circulation, so you’ll want to do anything — and we mean anything — to keep your blood flowing. One simple way to ensure your feet aren’t cramped up too tight is to choose proper socks depending on the type of footwear you’re wearing. More often than not, you’ll want to choose thinner socks if you’re wearing thick boots and shoes, and you’ll want to choose thicker socks if you’re wearing sneakers or other thin shoes. Choosing your layers properly is crucial in keeping your feet roasty toasty.
Try Toasty Toe Warmers ...
Frostbite doesn’t stand a chance with so many heated toe warmers on the market. From Toasti Toes Foot Warmers, to Grabbers Toe Warmers, to HotHands Adhesive Toe Warmers, there is a literal smorgasbord of products to keep those tootsies toasty. Not surprisingly, there’s even a special sock called HotHands Heated Socks that have a special built-in pocket for toe warmers.
... Or Try Heat Protecting Insoles
Toe warmers aren’t the only winter wonder that heat up the market during the cold season. Shoe insoles and liners are also go-to products that can light a non-literal fire under your feet. Try Uline Insole Foot Warmers, SOLE Insulated Ultra Custom Footbeds, UGG Sheepskin Insoles or Pedag Solar Wool Insoles for added insulation and to help protect your feet from frigid temperatures. Or, for the ultimate winter weather footgear, try ThermaCell Rechargeable Heated Insoles. They’re the bat mobile of tech-focused foot treats.
Slip On Some USB Heated Slippers
Speaking of tech-focused foot treats, you can now keep your feet warm with the help of your computer. All you need is a pair of USB foot warmers. The plush slippers (often times the cutest things you’ve ever seen) plug into any USB port to charge, and they can keep your feet warm for hours.
RELATED: Foot Massages That Lead To Better Sleep, Circulation, Sex and More
Caffeine and Cotton Are Your Enemies
The battle lines have been drawn, and both caffeine and cotton are your foes during winter weather. The reason? Cotton is a breathable, moisture wicking material that is usually great for the feet during moderate temperatures, but when cotten gets wet (due to either outside elements or natural foot sweat), it has a tendency to stay soaked for long periods of time. This means that in cold winter temperatures, your soggy cotton socks will turn your feet turn into wet, numb iceboxes. Meanwhile, caffeine limits blood flow, which makes it much harder for your body to warm itself up. So no coffee for you, unless having snowflakes for feet is your thing...