cos i need to find something warm.

got a lot of metal in my right ankle, and already this last couple of days, it is playing up with the cold. it is icy cold, and once cold takes yonks to warm back up.

so i need to keep it warm from the off.
tried all the usual winter bike boots even the alaskan stuff. it dont work. it just insulates a cold foot.
so at a bit of a loss as to what to try.

needs to work with flat pedals, so nothing to grippy sole wise.

any ideas i have missed greatly appreciated.

I've had my Columbia Outdrys on a couple of time already this Autumn, including today. They also have a nice, fleecy insole. But if you've been down the 45Nrth route then I think you're going to struggle finding anything warmer. Heated socks??

Electric heated socks? Not cheap though

I'd say the same. You need something to warm the area and not insulate it (area, being, inside your shoesbox). There's the heated insoles you can buy but not sure how long they end up lasting. Especially since your metal nails/screws/whatever are gonna keep acting like a heatsink.

Electric heated socks like what Shewie said I suppose (though I never knew it's even a thing) as long as they can last a while...

agree heated socks - some can be controlled by an app but they are pricey and dont last long from a charge

they also say they wont warm a cold foot but will stop it getting cold !

So therefore DIBS

In the harsh testing ground of my commute (work requires machines that do not exist at home), I have discovered that it is more than shoes that determine cold feet. Keeping the core warm and the blood in the pipeline (legs) on the way to my feet has a massive impact. This has its limit of course, but is worth keeping in mind if literally no shoe so far can keep your feet warm then it may not be the shoe?

I will confess that I serially fail to learn from my own mistakes and often have cold hands or feet as I continually make the mistake of not fitting basic mudguards so get icy spray to conduct the heat away by conduction, much faster than convection with the air. So yeah feel free to ignore what I say, as I sure will.

Thick merino socks and then Bontrager old man winter (OMW) boots. Also, don’t tighten up your boots, leave them as slack as possible and this helps with circulation.

I tried some deep winter TBF primaloft boots and thought they were cold, but after leaving the laces as loose as possible, it worked a treat. Also, if your feet get cold, try walking for a minute or so as this can help

Ice cubes. Already had my first numb toes (6 degrees, merino socks, leather shoes and neoprene over shoes). Northwave arctic goretex with thick merino socks (Ok down to zero for a while) for things with spuds, Columbia out-drys for the fat bike with flat pedals (OK to -5)
Ski boots.
Heated insoles are something I'm giving serious thought to having tried them successfully on ski boots in the past.

i wore the columbia outdry boots last winter from october to march. so far in my expensive search, they have been the best winter boot i have used. better than anything cycling specific.

dont laugh but i might try a pair of these higher cuff in black.

https://www.columbiasportswear.co.uk/p/ ... =286&pos=0

ton wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 8:17 pm i wore the columbia outdry boots last winter from october to march. so far in my expensive search, they have been the best winter boot i have used. better than anything cycling specific.

dont laugh but i might try a pair of these higher cuff in black.

https://www.columbiasportswear.co.uk/p/ ... =286&pos=0

How hardwearing are these with flat/long pin pedals please Colin?? Might be just the job for me...

Sorry... I meant Ton/Colin

For years my other half and I have had this thing with wellies, she bought a pair of Aigle’s that have lasted 6+ years and I have bought a pair of <10 quid Dunlop’s every year - they always start leaking after about six months. We live rural, use them daily. I gave in this year and bought a pair of Aigles (120 quid for a pair of wellies - always been the stumbling block for me). These things are neoprene lined and must be the warmest things I’ve ever put my feet in. I’ve not cycled in them yet, but when it gets proper cold I’ll be giving them a shot.

Shaf, i wore my outdry fairbanks boots all winter with dmr v12's. sole is still good.

ton wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 9:03 pm Shaf, i wore my outdry fairbanks boots all winter with dmr v12's. sole is still good.

My search for winter commuters might well be over. Watch this space... Thanks Ton

NB. Got myself £23 for the Carradice via ebay and it all went to the Yemen food crisis - which is dubbed by the UN types as the worst hunger crisis the world has ever seen - so you can give yourself a pat on the back for that... Thanks, once again

Yeah my Columbia Fairbanks are on their second "winter" now. The sole isn't as deeply treaded as a proper walking boot and they don't have a cut away between the sole and the heel but that just means they work better with flat pedals.

Tony - as benconnolli says, you need to consider the legs, your feet aren't going to be warm if your legs aren't. 45Nrth used to do insulated gaiters for example (just checked, no longer in their catalogue). When it's properly cold you need more insulation on your limbs/extremities than on your body, you manage your temperature by venting/closing up your core.

The other thing is your feet might get too warm, sweat and then get cold.

I always need a warm core, without a warm core the rest is at a loss.

So, all the standard ways of warming the core.

I get away with a standard pair of Solomon goretex light hiking boots generally. But for the 'road' bike I just bought a pair of standard shimano waterproof boots, a size bigger.

So, warmest waterproof boots, roomy.
big warm socks, as thick and warm as possible, I like Smartwool
Liner socks when colder, you could try vapor barriers?

If all else fails, in the motorbike world, Kies are good heated kit and can run off batteries. They do heated insoles.

Warmest boot in my house:

https://www.bergerschuhe.ch/salomon/tou ... gJ-RPD_BwE

Not sure it gets much warmer than that, unless you go for a La Sportiva Olympus Mons Cube or so...

As a general advice on shoes/boots for warm feet;
Make sure you have no restriction in circulation, mostly meaning to size up.

Sizing up 1 or two sizes will allow for layerig with socks, add heat pads. Wear them as loosely as possible.

Especially for multiday duties it's nice to have thin socks (polypropylene) a VBL and a thick sock. This way you just have a thin damp sock to shove into your clothing over night to dry and can use the thick sock for sleeping in.
Unless things get wet from the outside (which, the colder it gets, the less likely it becomes).