When I raced alpine skiing, my feet were always cold. So I know how fast cold toes can ruin a ski day.
Most cold feet in ski boots have simple causes. You can fix many of them yourself, and a lot of the fixes are free. Here is how to keep your feet warm when skiing, and why your toes get cold in the first place.
The short answer
To keep your feet warm in ski boots, start with the basics. Wear one thin pair of ski socks, make sure your boots fit and start the day with dry boots. Don't buckle your boots too tight. On the chairlift, open your buckles. Block wind and snow with ski boot covers. If your toes still get cold, add heat with toe warmers, heated socks or boot heaters.
Why do your feet get cold in ski boots?
Your body protects your core first. When you get cold, the blood vessels in your hands and feet get narrower, so less warm blood reaches your toes.
Ski boots make this worse. The plastic shell gets cold, and on the chairlift your feet hang in the wind. These are the most common causes of cold feet when skiing:
- Ski boots that are too tight, or buckles closed too hard, squeeze the blood vessels in your feet.
- Ski boots that are too big make you close the buckles extra hard to hold your foot in place.
- Thick socks, or two pairs of socks, fill the space that should hold warm air.
- Sweat or a damp boot liner makes your feet wet, and wet feet get cold fast.
- Snow gets into your boots and melts, so the inside of the boot gets wet.
- You stand still in the lift line, on the chairlift or while you wait for friends.
1. Make sure your ski boots fit
Many cold feet start with the fit. A ski boot should hold your foot firmly without squeezing it. Your toes can touch the front of the boot, but they should not be crushed. You also need some room over the top of your foot (the instep). Pressure there cuts off blood flow to your toes.
Do your boots hurt? Do you have to close the buckles very hard to feel secure? Then visit a boot fitter. A custom footbed or a little more room in the shell often helps.
2. Wear one thin pair of ski socks
Thick socks feel warm in the shop. In a ski boot, they take up the space that should hold warm air, and they press on your feet. Wear one thin or medium pair of ski socks made of merino wool or a synthetic fiber. Both move sweat away from your skin.
Skip cotton socks, because cotton holds sweat and stays wet. Don't wear two pairs. Pull your socks up smooth, with no wrinkles, and keep your long underwear out of the boot.
3. Keep your feet dry
Wet feet get cold fast, and sweat counts as wet. Put on your ski socks just before you put on your ski boots. Pack a dry pair, and change at lunch if your feet feel damp.
4. Start the day with warm, dry boots
Boots that spent the night in a cold car or garage start the day cold. A damp boot liner stays cold all day. Keep your ski boots indoors where it is warm, and dry them every night. Take the liners out, or use a boot dryer. Warm boots are also much easier to put on.
5. Don't buckle your boots too tight
Tight buckles squeeze the blood vessels in your feet. Close your buckles firmly enough to ski well, and no tighter. Go easy on the buckles over your foot, most of all the one over your instep.
If your toes go numb soon after you buckle up, open the lower buckles one notch and see if it helps.
6. Open your buckles on the chairlift
Ski boots need to be tight when you ski. On the chairlift, they don't. Open your buckles on the lift so the blood can flow back into your feet. Close them again before you ski off.
With bare boots, this is easy. With many boot covers, it is hard, because the cover sits over the buckles. That is why I made ZAN SKI boot covers with a magnetic flap. You open the flap with your gloves on, reach your buckles and snap it shut again.
7. Block wind and snow with ski boot covers
On the chairlift, your feet hang in the cold wind, and the wind pulls heat out of the plastic boot shell. Snow is the other problem. When snow gets into your ski boots and melts, the inside of the boot gets wet, and wet boots make cold feet.
Ski boot covers, also called boot gloves or overboots, go over the outside of your boots. Most are made of neoprene, the same material as a wetsuit. They block the wind, help keep snow out of your boots and keep more heat inside. They need no batteries and no charging.
ZAN SKI boot covers are made of insulating neoprene with a padded shell. The magnetic flap gives you access to your buckles, so the covers can stay on all day.
8. Keep your core warm
When your core gets cold, your body cuts blood flow to your hands and feet to protect your organs. Wear a warm mid-layer and a neck warmer. If your feet are cold, try an extra layer on your upper body. It sounds strange, but it helps.
9. Keep moving
Wiggle your toes and flex your ankles on the chairlift. Don't stand still for long in the lift line or at the top of the run. Skiing warms you up, and long stops in the cold do the opposite.
10. Eat, drink and skip the alcohol
Your body needs fuel to make heat. Eat a real breakfast and lunch, and drink water during the day. Skip alcohol on cold days. A drink makes you feel warm, but it opens the blood vessels in your skin, so you lose body heat faster.
11. Warm up before your toes go numb
Go inside for a break while your toes are just cold. Don't wait until they go numb. At lunch, open all your buckles and give your feet time to warm up. Change into dry socks if your feet are damp.
12. Add heat: toe warmers, heated socks or boot heaters
Some feet stay cold no matter what you do. Then it's time to add heat.
Toe warmers are small heat pads that stick to your sock over the toes. They are cheap, but you can use each pair only once. Heated ski socks have thin heating wires in the fabric and a battery at the top of the sock. Heated insoles, often called boot heaters or boot warmers, put the heat under your toes. The battery clips onto the boot.
Heated socks and boot heaters work well, but they cost more and need charging every night. And none of these stop snow from getting into your boots.
Already have heated socks, and your feet still get cold? Add boot covers on top. The socks make the heat. The covers block the wind, help keep snow out and help hold the heat inside the boot. Read our guide Ski boot covers vs. boot heaters to find out what suits you.
When cold feet are a warning sign
Cold toes are normal on a winter day. Numb, white or grey toes are not. They can be a sign of frostnip or frostbite. If your toes lose feeling, turn white or look waxy, go inside. Warm them slowly with warm (not hot) water or body heat. Don't rub them, and keep them away from a fire or radiator: numb skin burns easily.
See a doctor if the feeling doesn't come back, or if the skin blisters or turns dark. If your toes often turn white or blue in the cold, even off the slopes, talk to a doctor too. Poor circulation and Raynaud's can cause this.
Cold feet in ski boots: common questions
Why are my feet always cold in ski boots?
The most common reasons are boots that fit badly, buckles that are too tight, thick or damp socks, snow that gets into your boots and cold wind on the chairlift. Start with the fit and your socks. Then block the wind and snow with boot covers.
Should I wear two pairs of socks in ski boots?
No. Two pairs take up space, press on your feet and cut blood flow. Wear one thin pair of merino or synthetic ski socks.
Do ski boot covers really keep your feet warm?
Yes, they help. Neoprene boot covers block the wind, help keep snow out of your boots and add insulation around the boot shell. They don't make heat, so they work best with boots that fit and dry socks.
Can you ski with boot covers on?
Yes. ZAN SKI boot covers stay on while you ski. We tested them on open slopes and between the slalom gates.
Are heated socks better than boot heaters?
Both add heat with a battery. Heated socks work in any pair of boots. Boot heaters stay in your boot, so you can wear a fresh pair of normal ski socks every day. See our full comparison of boot covers, boot heaters and heated socks.
Do ZAN SKI boot covers fit my ski boots?
ZAN SKI boot covers are one size and fit most ski boot sizes. Fit also depends on the shape and model of your boot. Not sure? Email us your boot brand, model and size before you order, and we will tell you if they fit.
Try ZAN SKI boot covers
I made ZAN SKI for skiers who want warm feet and buckles they can open on the lift. The covers wrap your ski boots in insulating neoprene, and the magnetic flap opens with your gloves on. One pair costs €60. Shipping is free when you order two or more pairs, and returns are free for 30 days.