Sometimes the easiest answers are the most obvious ones. I saw the Bootcaps on a few coaches and professionals last year and they peaked my interest. Those who are on snow as a profession along with those who suffer from cold toes know the pain and discomfort that goes with having cold digits. Last season, two pros I spoke with said the difference these small little boot caps made felt significant. Hotronic claims a 20° increase in warmth, and those claims were substantiated by those I spoke with who tried them. When I heard that claim from the pros 6 months before the packaging was designed I made a mental note. Heck, even if the Bootcaps provide a 10° warmer pocket for the toes, isn't that worth it?
The design of the Bootcap could not be any simpler. It is a high R-Value insulation that is flexible and attaches to the toe of the shell with double-sided tape. Let's be realistic, these will not keep your toes L.L. Bean-furry-slipper-in-front-of-a-fire warm, but the Bootcap will help minimize the cold in the toe area. Of course, preparation is still the road to success. Starting the day with a warm boot from a Kulkea Thermal Trekker or Hotronic toe heaters or Hotronic heated socks is a guarantee for warmer toes. But for $50, you have an extra level of warmth or insurance against discomfort from cold.
Installation of the Bootcaps is quick and simple. I just wiped off the toe area with rubbing alcohol and I also made sure the shell was at room temperature. Note that in the design there is a specific left and right in the shape. In the initial discussions
HERE, the naysayers swooped in like seagulls to a fat kid holding a funnel cake on the boardwalk saying there was the question that the double-sided tape might not hold on in the cold. Not only did it hold in the cold, but after an hour in my Kulkea Thermal Trekker, the adhesive wasn't affected. (another sponsor plug).
The Bootcaps are a one size fits all. I put mine on a Fischer RC4 BOA 25.5 shell. I did see how they would go on Tricia's 23.5 and I am confident the BootCap's flexibility would create a good contact. The package says that there is "No Buckle Interference." I can attest that a BOA closure is not affected either.
These are avalable directly from
BootCap or ski shops that are Hotronic dealers. If your shop does not carry them, feel free to ask them to.
- Who is it for: Those who get cold feet who are open to every option.
- Who is it not for: The vain, they do look like add-ons on the boot. In my case the "Safety Yellow" on the yellow Fischer RC4 blended quite well. We cannot say that about all color options. You can go with a basic Black, Cyan (Blue), Orange, Magenta or Blaze (Redish).
- Insider Tip: As mentioned, the tape is strong, so taking them off could be a chore and I am not sure they will be able to be put back on.
We put some of these out in the field with regular skiers to test them out in all regions and report with real world experiences. So, please follow this Preview/Review article for their findings.
Here they are...
@Pat AKA mustski
I tried out the bootcaps today. I did start out the day with warm boots from my heated boot bag. It was 16 degrees and chilly enough that we went in for a warm up after a couple of hours of skiing. I have a circulation problem in my left foot and have used Hotronic boot heaters for years - primarily to protect against frostbite when I lose feeling in the toes. Stupidly, I left the batteries in Big Bear so I did not have boot heaters today. It's the first day that I tested the bootcaps, and I am very pleased. My right foot did not get cold at all. The toes on my left foot, with the usual circulation problems, felt slightly chilly. Basically, my feet felt the same as they would have with my boot heaters on. I have never been able to use boot gloves, due to the above mentioned circulation problem; buckle adjustments are needed to keep the blood flowing to my toes. I'm not gonna lie. I'm pretty excited about these and they do look a lot better in person than they do in the picture.
