My feet are cold - advice?

[DoraBora]

It's very cold here in North Texas -- the local forecast I just saw calls for a low of 1 degree(!) on Monday.  Very unusual.

I can keep my body warm by dressing in layers.  No problem.  But my feet are like blocks of ice.  I have wool socks.  Right now, I'm wearing two pairs of socks and some shoes that aren't tight (so the air can circulate around my Arctic toes).  My feet are still cold.  

Those of you especially who are experienced with living through cold winters, do you have advice to share about keeping one's feet warm?

 

[Katy]

Do you have a heating pad?  You can also make one. 

Do you have any rice?  Take dry, warm rice (or any dry grain), put it in a sock or pillowcase or anything you can close with a knot or tie up permanently. Put it in the microwave for 2-4 minutes until hot. Put your feet on it.

Be careful with small children, the elderly, or anybody who might have problems with reflexes or nerve damage so they don’t get burned. 

Another option is a hot bath or hot tea. Anything you can do to get your core body temperature up will increase circulation to your extremities. 

[Laura Corin]

Wool socks and fluffy slippers.  When I sit still I sometimes wrap a throw round my feet.  Think about putting down a rug or mat if you have hard floors.  Drafts under doors might make you cold too - put a blanket under doors.

[Calm37]

When nothing else would work, I found that warming up my feet in hot water, drying them thoroughly, then the socks, would help.

[Bambam]

I wear wool socks and then slippers in the house. The wool socks help a lot. If I have to be outside long, I wear silk sock liners underneath my wool socks. I agree with getting your feet warm first, and then putting on the socks. 

Another possibility is Hot Hands. These things are great for keeping your hands warm. They make toe warmers too, but I just stick the hot hands in the toes of my boots if I will be outside for a really long time.  Walmart usually carries them in the checkout aisles. Sam's Club often has the boxes, but I haven't seen any this year. https://www.amazon.com/HotHands-Hand-Warmers-Odorless-Activated/dp/B0007ZF4OA

[Selkie]

5 minutes ago, Bambam said:

I wear wool socks and then slippers in the house. The wool socks help a lot. If I have to be outside long, I wear silk sock liners underneath my wool socks. I agree with getting your feet warm first, and then putting on the socks. 

Another possibility is Hot Hands. These things are great for keeping your hands warm. They make toe warmers too, but I just stick the hot hands in the toes of my boots if I will be outside for a really long time.  Walmart usually carries them in the checkout aisles. Sam's Club often has the boxes, but I haven't seen any this year. https://www.amazon.com/HotHands-Hand-Warmers-Odorless-Activated/dp/B0007ZF4OA

Be careful with Hot Hands if you have pets or small children. They can be toxic if ingested. We stopped using them after our dogs got ahold of one that had fallen out of a pocket, and we had to induce vomiting (per our vet's instructions). Not fun!

[barnwife]

My feet get cold way before any of the rest of me. And once they are cold, it's game over - I end up cold all over. So my first piece of advice is: don't let your feet get cold in the first place. (Yes, I get that you are past that.)

If they do get cold, I do whatever I need to/can do to get them warm. I sit down with a heating pad/rice sock for my feet. I stand near our wood burner (if it's going). I take a hot shower or bath. I exercise/move around as much as needed to get them warm. 

Once my feet are good and warm, I put my socks and slippers back on. And I make sure to keep moving enough to keep them warm!

[catz]

I am in the upper midwest. Highs below zero for a number of days here.  I wear wool socks.  Then I have wool slipper socks I put over them.  I knit a couple pairs of my own, similar in design to this ....

http://elegantewe.com/skoleistar---faroese-knitted-slippers.html

The nice thing about stranded wool is they have a double thickness to them.  

Then I have hard sole wool slippers I wear around the house similar to this. 

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/70223?feat=503422-plalander&csp=a&gnrefine=1*Color/Style*Green Moose^1*Width*Medium B

Make sure your core is warm, that will help.  

[prairiewindmomma]

1. Check your thyroid

2. Get your feet warm, and then maintain. Go take a warm bath and then slide into layers.

3. If you have a house with a ton of tile, run a space heater by you to help warm the tile. Cold tile radiates coldness, iykwim.

 

[The Governess]

Keep your head warm. My feet will warm up faster if I put on a beanie.

[mommyoffive]

Socks and then shoes or slippers.  

Do you have hardwood floors or tile?  Those always are so cold. 

Tea.

Sit under a blanket.

Heating pad

Hat.  

[lewelma]

55 minutes ago, barnwife said:

So my first piece of advice is: don't let your feet get cold in the first place. 

This was going to be my advice. I used to get chilblains my feet were so cold. Now I wear socks and fluffy slippers all the time, even in summer. I never let my feet get even slightly cold because it is so hard to warm them up.

[klmama]

I wear wool socks with shoes every day in the winter.  It's only about 2 F outside today, and I'm wearing regular socks with wool socks over them, then my warmest shoes (as warm as boots, but in shoe form).  Since my feet are still chilled, I'm heating up water for tea.  If that doesn't do it, I may take a hot shower.  Getting the rest of me warm usually helps my feet.

[PeterPan]

You want a Fashy hot water bottle. Fill it once to warm the material, then dump and refill so it's as hot as possible. Crawl in with that in bed and it will keep you warm all the way till morning. You can put it on your chest and eventually your feet will warm or place on your legs or feet. But really, you need your core warmer. Either way works. You can also put it under a throw while you sit on the couch.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Fashy&ref=bl_dp_s_web_0  Here's the link. I ordered mine from a small business years ago, but now amazon has them. You can have one by Monday.   I like mine with the fleece cover. It's easy to remove and wash if needed and it feels good.

You can also go to a drug store and try to buy a hot water bottle. I went with Fashy because some of the knockoffs on amazon had poor reviews. We've used ours 3+ years, no issues, and we have three of them. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by PeterPan

[Lori D.]

Weirdly, wearing a scarf around my neck, tucked into the top of my sweater or fleece jacket helps me retain heat and keep everything warm.

Socks + fleece-lined slippers that go up over the ankles help me somewhat. Also wrapping a fleece blanket around my waist so it covers my legs and feet all the way to the ground.

I also use a space heater as needed, and that warms everything. 😉 

Also, move and increase blood flow:
Even while you're sitting, frequently  flex, point, curl, flex, point curl, flex, point, curl, (set of 10 or so times) your toes inside your shoes or slippers. And get up regularly to jog briskly in place -- try and lift your knees high and come down on the balls of your feet. Both activities increase blood flow and help warm up the feet.

Finally: low thyroid and/or low iron can be a culprit to extremities getting cold and can't re-warm them.

[Carol in Cal.]

I find that wool socks make my feet cold, because they sweat just a little, enough to get them a bit damp, and then I get cold in them.  That is not supposed to be possible, but it’s true for me.

What keeps mine warm is:  
1.  Fleece lined slippers or boots.  Costco has Uggs knock offs that are quite warm and only cost about $30.  LLBean is where I get my slippers.
2.  Never wearing the same shoes or boots two days in a row.  Slippers dry out just fine overnight, but shoes and boots don’t reliably do that when it’s cold, and so they are clammy all day the second day.
3.  Double layered socks.  My faves are Wrightsocks Cool Mesh II.  They are crazy great—they look and feel like thin dressy socks but they are double layer and keep my feet warm.

4.  Religiously avoiding putting socks and shoes on even slightly damp feet.  Thorough drying is key.  

5.  Cushy running shoes work pretty well for me, too, if they have waterproof or at least non-mesh uppers.  Altra Torins are great for around the house or mall when it’s cold.  Salomon trail runners are great also.

 

[SKL]

Cold is normal for my feet, but when it really bugs me, I go for fluffy loose socks.  Try to keep your feet covered from the time you wake up, so they don't get a chance to get that cold in the first place.

This isn't the most environmental idea, but when you have a chill you can't seem to shake, consider putting blanket / socks / jammies in the dryer long enough to warm them up.  Also keep a spare pair of socks or slippers on or next to a heating vent, so you can switch them out periodically.

[J-rap]

I think part of the trick is making sure they start out warm in the first place.  I know that if I go to bed with cold feet, they feel like ice for half the night, making for a restless sleep.  If I take a hot bath before bed, my feet get hot and stay warm, so when I go to bed I'm not starting out with cold feet and I sleep much better.

I don't generally have cold feet first thing in the morning, but if I did, I think I'd soak them in hot water before dressing and getting ready for the day.

[gardenmom5]

I always wore sheepskin boots.  socks would get scrunched inside.

[Lucy the Valiant]

The rice in a sock (or cute sewn pillow), heated in a microwave, is super cheap, super easy, super environmentally friendly. 😉 We use ours all the time - each family member has one. We use them during the day and when we get in bed at night. 

[Harriet Vane]

4 hours ago, Calm37 said:

When nothing else would work, I found that warming up my feet in hot water, drying them thoroughly, then the socks, would help.

Yes, often this is what I have to do as well. Once my feet get cold it can be an immense challenge to get them to warm up, but once properly warmed I can maintain the temperature with double socks. So go ahead and immerse in warm water for 10-15 minutes. It's key to dry thoroughly so the sock don't immediately dampen up. I've been known to even use a blow dryer to do this. Then layer up.

[DoraBora]

Great suggestions - a couple I would never have thought about (thyroid, low iron).  Thank you all.  🙂

[Alicia64]

The best battery heated socks for 2021.

Every year, I plan to get these. So far it hasn't been that cold in Atlanta this year to make sense.

Some are crazy expensive, but two are in the $42 range.

[Happy Camper]

2 hours ago, Alicia64 said:

The best battery heated socks for 2021.

Every year, I plan to get these. So far it hasn't been that cold in Atlanta this year to make sense.

Some are crazy expensive, but two are in the $42 range.

This is what I was going to recommend. My DH bought me some pricey ones last year for Christmas (I never would have spent that much on myself!), but let me tell you - game changer!!! I have Reynauds, so when my feet get cold, it is really hard to warm them up, and impossible to fall asleep with them like that. I tried slippers with a rice sack insert that goes in the microwave, but first of all, I never wanted to go heat it up, especially if I was in bed, and second, it only warmed the bottom of my feet. The heated socks do an amazing job, and I like that I can recharge the batteries. My DS got some this Christmas for when he goes skiing, but his are the cheaper kind, and there's only a band of heating coils that goes around part of his foot. The batteries don't have a zippered pocket to sit in like mine do, so he finds them coming loose and dangling down occasionally. Anyway, I highly recommend them. 

[Ausmumof3]

I don’t live where we get snow but ugg boots seem to help with the cold here.

 

edited because autocorrect changed snow to slow 

which is kind of funny when you think about it.  I do get slow in the cold!

Edited February 13, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[Starr]

I find wool socks need to be the really thick ones. Our floors can get cold when the temperatures drop. Also ugg boots, crocks, slippers with a good sole help keep the cold from coming through the floor into my feet. 

[alisoncooks]

I bought these heating pad slippers for my DH. https://www.amazon.com/Microwave-Non-scented-Kozy-Slippers-Collar/dp/B00H5ZDZM8/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Heating+pad+slippers&qid=1613186669&sr=8-8

He has neuropathy from chemo and his feet get painfully cold. He likes them, though I think they have an odd smell. Almost popcorn-y. 

[KungFuPanda]

I have expert survival skills.  I live with people who act like they're dying of heat stroke if the house get as warm as 70 degrees.  My house is cold year-round.  You may have to move around more.  When it's cold the temptation is to sit in one spot with a blanket, but that doesn't get the blood pumping.  Do a little exercise, run in place, aerobics, up and down the steps . . . anything to warm up a bit and get your heart rate up.  If you're not feeling that, take a "lobster bath."  Soak in a hot tub of water until you've brought up your core temperature, they layer up when you get out.  That should keep you ahead of the game.  Don't be afraid to wear more than one pair of pants or a hat and scarf in the house.  Wool socks and silk long johns are part of my winter uniform. Big sloppy fuzzy socks are warmer than tight ones.  This is true for all of the clothes.  If you have a space heater, you can put it where you spend the most time.  Use a heated mattress pad on your bed at night. Drink hot drinks all day.  I pretty much rotate through all of these tricks all winter long.  

[CTVKath]

I like a rubber, electric foot warming mat like they use in warehouses. I bought one about 15 years ago to use in a year-round cold office when I couldn't use a space heater because it tripped the circuits. The mat went under my desk, used the same amount of electricity as a light bulb and didn't trip any circuits. And it worked - kept my feet warm even through boots. Keeping my feet warm kept my whole body warm. I paid about $40 for it. https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Products-FW-Electric-Warmer/dp/B000079896/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=cozy+foot+warmer&qid=1613218440&sr=8-16

Nowadays at home it lives under my desk and I still use it during the winter. It's best to turn it on before your feet get cold because it takes a little time to warm up then takes a little time to warm up the soles of your shoes if you have thick soles.

If my feet get so cold that they are white on the bottom, I take a hot shower. That's the only way to quickly warm them back up.

Good luck! I empathize with you!!

[Pippen]

Ugg boots with no socks! I wear them indoors all winter long at home. They're actually too warm for me to wear at work where I'm moving around all day.