I have very, very heat-sensitive feet. I can’t bear closed-toed shoes, except in winter- even then, I prefer sandals with extra socks. Warm weather, no socks at all, just naked sandaled feet. Wearing closed shoes to me is like wearing a wool sweater on the beach in July.
This is a problem, because many activities I enjoy- most of my options under “what to do for the summer”, actually- require heavy boots. Sculpting, hiking, zookeeping, probably taking care of horses- they all require big, sturdy boots.
So I was wondering, is there anything I can do to my boots to make them feel cooler? Some sort of modification or something? Okay, in-shoe air conditioning is probably not feasable (though if it is, tell me!), but there must be something I rig up. (I thought of icepacks, but even if I found a place to fit them they wouldn’t stay cool the whole day). I really really hope there is something, because I really really hate close-toed shoes.
I don’t know if they exist, but my stab at a solution would be boots made from, or interlaced with, high thermal conductivity material. Possibly even heat pipes (which could be as simple as sealed tubes of water from the inside to the outside).
And I must confess that, on first sight, I mis-read the last word of the thread title.
Short of an actual air-conditioner (which may very well exist) I think the main goal would be ventilation. Boots made for jungle or hot weather in general are usually partially constructed of breathable materials but still built in a way that provides foot protection. One example herefrom an army / navy store.
You need heavy boots for sculpting? I did not know that.
Start with a very lightweight wool sock to wick moisture, as thin as is comfortable. The dryer your feet stay, the cooler they will feel. Wool thermoregulates better than other fabrics, which means it’s going to keep you cooler when you’re hot. Also look for a sock that integrates areas of more open weave and reduced threads to increase heat transfer. Synthetics don’t thermoregulate at all, but they do wick moisture. Cotton saturates, makes your skin feel clammier and leads to chafing and blisters. Opt for a boot that is designed with synthetic mesh windows to allow moisture to escape. Leather doesn’t breathe, so an all leather boot will be hotter. Gore-Tex or other waterproof liner will reduce breathability as well, but does so opt for a non-waterproof synthetic boot for the best breathability. Carry an extra pair of socks with you and change them out periodically because taking your boots and socks off, if you can, will relieve a lot of the discomfort from heat and moisture. On a long hike, I’ll sometimes take off my boots and socks before lunch and put on fresh socks with my boots after lunch. Always feels nice to give the dogs some air during a break.
I have the same issue with my feet, but unfortunately can not answer the OP. However, to expand on Brown Eyed Girl’s post: I started wearing Smartwool socks and it has made a huge difference.
They’re expensive (~$12 a pair) but work well to keep my feet feeling cool, instead of sweaty/gross. I bought about 6 pairs and would only wear them. I got a good 3+ years from those original 6 pair and only replaced them recently.
Why not just get some oversize boots and poke a few holes near the toes for ventilation? They won’t stay dry very well, but otherwise offer all the protection.
I have been wearing a pair of “Ranger Joe’s” (see link) on an almost daily basis, for about a year and a half. They’re light weight and have demonstrated very good durability. An excellent boot, (for the price) IMHO!
I don’t know if you were serious about zookeeping, but I certainly am - I’ve been volunteering at the zoo and that has been a BITCH - there’s lakes and rivers and oceans of water involved, so you need serious watertight boots. Which means none of that ventilated stuff. But it’s South Carolina in July! I finally got my own rubber boots because my ankles would throb after a morning of gorilla poop duty in their boots (plus it scared the hell out of me climbing gorilla, er, monkey bars? to get up to the ledges and such in boots that didn’t quite fit), but there doesn’t seem to be anything to do about the hot boot problem. Because you do not want all that water in your boots.
Thanks for the suggestions, I think I’m going to really need to look into this.
(And no, I wasn’t joking about zookeeping. The local zoo has seasonal volunteers for the less-dangerous animals. I did two days a week for a month at the end of twelth grade).
I wonder, they make those little foot and hand warmers for the winter. Do they make any sort of foot cooler? Like those ice packs only small enough to fit in your shoes.
Not an answer, but I’ve been looking for some knee socks to wear when I do the zoo thing, as having rubber boots slapping against your legs makes the heat even worse. I hate knee socks, though, because they’re so tight on my upper calves - I tried soccer socks and they are AWESOME. Get some soccer socks.
