Heated Insoles: What's the scoop?

[DoWork]

I'm in the market for heated insoles, as I spend upwards of 12+ hours outside on my feet in the cold. I'll be putting them into my Asolo mountaineering boots since they fit great and have the perfect support but are cold as hell.

What's the story with them? Obviously there are a billion crappy knockoffs out there but I don't want to play games with my feet. Can those of you who have experience with them enlighten me as to what's good, what's garbage and what features I should be going for? TIA!

[North]

I've used Hotronics with some success for 10+ years. I wear them nearly any time I'm skiing the resort mid-winter (which admittedly has been <10 days/season due to more focus on backcountry skiing). I attach the heating element to a thin Bontex shim so I don't have to modify my expensive footbeds and can swap them into other footwear easily. The battery packs (S4 version?) typically last a full day, but are susceptible to detaching from boots in crashes, postholing, etc so need to be aware of that.

[TexasGortex]

I’ve also used Hot Tronics after getting a pair of insanely cold boots. They do the job but are a bit more chintzy and fiddly than I’d like. It seems like someone could make a significantly better product pretty easily.

There is an active thread on heated socks (Lenz?) that might be helpful to you.

[XavierD]

I have the thermics in my resort boots and am a big fan. Got to be carful with instal however to not mess up the fit of the insole. If you have a really tight fit it can be a pain to keep it smooth and unobtrusive. I can feel the heating element under my foot while skiing.

[Shorty_J]

I've used hotronics for years and they work great for me... right until I inevitably Crack a wire and then I have to take everything apart and install new heating elements.

That has become enough of an annoyance that I'm trying lenz heated socks this year.

[SoVT Joey]

Lenz for the win. Stupid having multiple set ups for different boots. And having to cut liners and insoles sucks

[altacoup]

Due to years in plug boots I have to have heaters in my boots. Currently running hotronics. Usually have to replace the element once a season. But I’m in boots 150+ days, so that doesn’t seem excessive to me. Only thing I’d say about them is that when I bought them I felt stupid for being a cheapskate and not buying them sooner.

[ejj]

I have used several brands of heated insoles. They are awesome, except the cords are weak links. I'm a fan of the Lenz heated socks now as well.

[gregL]

Lenz for the win. Stupid having multiple set ups for different boots. And having to cut liners and insoles sucks

Heated socks for me as well, Lenz Toecap 5.0. No messing with the footbed/fit, can't feel the cable under your foot, can switch between climbing boots, ski boots, bike shoes, no battery hanging off your boot to get smashed by the chair, etc.

[juanrogera]

Another vote for Hotronics here. I don't use them personally, but have installed them in my wife's boots (so I hear of any complaints). They work as expected but I have one word of warning: be intentional about where you mount the battery pack. The wire connection to the battery is fragile and you don't want it getting bumped by the lift chair in loading/unloading (i.e. don't mount them on the back of your boot).

[Sessiøn]

Love my Lenz socks.

[justcuz]

Using hotronics. Price of lenz seems insane to me but hottronics aren’t cheap either….

I’m guessing either are worth it though. Nice to have warm feet.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[XXX-er]

I have almost bought heated whatever several times but then I remember the 3 T rule which states that if its got tits tires or transistors sooner or later you will have trouble with it

so i just buy toe warmers by the display box

[Phall]

Running thermic in my langes, work very well, like the bluetooth controls for heating, can be a little finicky. Whatever brand you can get different heating elements, so you can have them in your alpine boots and mountaineering boots. If I were looking for them for hiking/mountaineering/work boots, I think I'd lean towards a heated sock, as you won't have the element wire coming up the back of the heel which would be super annoying in a boot like that.

[DoWork]

Heated socks for me as well, Lenz Toecap 5.0. No messing with the footbed/fit, can't feel the cable under your foot, can switch between climbing boots, ski boots, bike shoes, no battery hanging off your boot to get smashed by the chair, etc.

I don’t understand heated socks. The idea of needing multiple pairs that all need to be laundered is pretty much the opposite of the convenience factor I’m after.

[DoWork]

Holy shit I just looked up the heated socks and I’m WAY too cheap for that lol

[hutash]

I use Thremic's one season and have been happy. Wife has them for three seasons and won't go out without them.

[Dr.Evil]

I had Hotronics for about 8 years. it was finally time for new batteries, the cost was around $300 CAD. I decided to spend a bit more and try the Lenz socks as my feet get cold pretty easily. At the time the Lenz were the only ones to have a heating element that wraps around the top and bottom of the toes (that may still be the case). For me they have been game changers, they are much, much warmer then the Hotronics, I can now stay out all day, where before even with the Hotronic i’d still have to warm up my toes a few times per day on colder days. Plus the app that controls the heat is pretty slick, I like how you can turn up/down the heat from your phone while riding up the chair. It has an interval setting where it will cycle between on and off to help extend battery life.

Not cheap, but definitely the best piece of ski gear I bought in a long time.

[TahoeJ]

I have the Lenz heated socks and the Thermic heated insoles. When it gets really cold, the insoles / footbeds are the way to go and they last longer. Not cheap for either but worth it.

So jealous of people who don't suffer from cold feet when skiing.

[frorider]

I have warm feet but I pay attention to warming technologies to score points with the ladies. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...eated%20insole Seems the best option I’m aware of. But only selling to euro customers for now.

[krp8128]

Holy shit I just looked up the heated socks and I’m WAY too cheap for that lol

I bought some cheap insoles off Amazon, a couple lithium packs and some Velcro straps. Worked pretty well in my hunting boots, but I did a fast install and tore a cable a few weeks later.

All in I spent well under $100, and had I used a bit of duct tape to route the wire I'd still be using them. Got to try to solder on a new USB plug one night this week....

[gregorys]

I have warm feet but I pay attention to warming technologies to score points with the ladies. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...eated%20insole Seems the best option I’m aware of. But only selling to euro customers for now.

Color me _very_ skeptical about this setup. Heating requires a lot of energy. If the batteries are embedded in the insole, either the insoles are like platforms (to hold enough battery capacity) or the capacity of the batteries is very small, and thus won't provide much heat for very long. (There's a cheap Chinese version, without the wireless charging on ebay and Amazon.)

[TexasGortex]

I have warm feet but I pay attention to warming technologies to score points with the ladies. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...eated%20insole Seems the best option I’m aware of. But only selling to euro customers for now.

One day that knowledge will pay off. I have full on hot feet, could always ski barefoot or ultra thin socks in the coldest temps. Then I got I got some new boots and I don’t know what the fuck their problem is, but my feet are killing me in like the upper teens. They ski great, so I joined the heated insole crew.

[XXX-er]

so i texted shop bro for a little PK sesh

so he pointed out insoles are ski only single purpose while you can wear the socks for all kinds of things he was still wearing his hotronic socks from an early morning moose hunt

they seem to hold up fine to washing and you can get replacement socks by themselves

there are a few different socks, extra thin/ classic regular / regular surround and its all on their site, he sez regular fit better in a ski boot while surround is nice if you got room in the footwear ... yes he has a quiver of heated socks

there is also an old and new version of htronic sock, the old version you press buttons on the sock but you arent that sure what you pressed while the newer version can be bluetooth controled and has a much bigger battery

I will probably get some

[Peruvian]

Mrs. P only skis in her tele boots with 10 year old Hotronics in them a few times a season and usually in the Spring. Even so, they are not getting warm enough for her any longer. Her XC boots get the real workout though and a pair of heated socks is likely in her future.