Ski socks vs boot heaters in plug boots?

[Frenchman]

Hi all,

I've been using Sidas boot heaters in my boots for the last few years. As I bought new boots I have been wondering whether to stick with boot heaters (I'd get new ones, so reuse is not a factor), or switch to heated socks. The plus for socks, besides being easy to move to other boots (I have AT boots but also classic and skate boots which could benefit from some heat in frigid temperatrures) to me is mostly less wear on the cable as I enter/exit my plug boots with the liner laced on my feet. The biggest minus is my fear of making a hole in them I think? I tried some socks (Lenz 5.0, Therm-IC and Sidas LV) and the Sidas LV really feel pretty close to my everyday socks (Dissent Nano Tour), just without the aggressive compression of the Dissent. So I think volume wise they'd be fine (Lenz 5.0 was thicker, but they say their 6.0 compression merino socks are slimmer, and Therm-IC was padded which I just can't stand).

WDYT? Any opinion backed by experience?

 

[ski otter 2]

I used the Hotronics pad/boot heaters for years. The hole in the custom insert insole was very noticeable, just messed up the flex, for me. And every time I moved to my next boot, yuck. Same "hole in the footbed *ups, huge time loss and expense. And the heat was never very good, for me. And the parts would sometimes break.

I had a choice at one time between the Lenz and the Hotronic socks, and chose the Hotronic for a variety of reasons. I've never looked back, just a revelation of improvements over the boot heaters. I got the thinnest sock they had, and they are fine for me. Maybe slightly thicker than my old socks, but not a problem with fit or flex. And the heat difference is night and day: I've never had to go beyond the second heat position out of four, and they really heat, instead of the odd placebo type of maybe heat I experienced with the pads/boot heaters.

One pair has worked now for half dozen years, no problems, no breakages. No smell build up or damage to the sock, and I wash them rarely, just air them out on a line overnight.
I move them easily from Alpine to AT boots, race boots to freeride boots (which I rarely use anymore, actually). Night and day difference from the pads.

I've heard the Lens are great too. The Racer's Edge in Breckenridge, which caters to racers, has racers with both these socks, I've been told by folks there. The chief benefits, I hear, to the Lenz socks are they have a toe wrap around heat sock and they can be adjusted remotely by smart phone app.
My toes are the only hard part of a fit for me, so that's the only place I don't need extra thickness from the Lenz wrap around, maybe. And I don't want a smart phone with me on the slopes for remote adjust. (I have fingers for that instead.)


My boots are what are sometimes called consumer race boots: in my case, usually the Lange LV 130 RS race boots.
Three pairs of them, over time - not all at once. They fit my feet like a glove with slight modifications, grind and punch around the big toe, and over the arch, mostly.
I am mostly looking for a slightly looser, GS boot fit and flex.
(And my arches are too high and healthy for the Heads. From years of mountain climbing.)

I've used a Lange plug in the past, mostly just for short turns/slalom skis. (FIS, not cheater, recreational use, not gates, not for years.) But I'm an old guy now, with old guy touchy feet, the last few years. And the socks fit much better, in my case. Five stars.

 

[anders_nor]

lenz 6.0 is much thinner than 5.0

you can also adjust the heat on battery without app

 

[Frenchman]

I can't find the Lenz 6.0 locally to try. I found the fit of the 5.0 very generous and had to go down a size (39-41 fire my 42 get, as the 42-44 bunched up a lot on top of my foot). Even then I could feel the stitching around the toes, though I think I would forget it in use. Would the 6.0 also size too generously? It's a compression sock unlike the 5.0.

Sidas has a Sock Ski Heat LV which fits me perfectly, is really thin, but isn't as aggressive in compression as my Dissent (which I absolutely love and will miss), though they do list some compression (15 mmHg I think). Unlike the Lenz, the heating is under the foot and not around the toes, though the store didn't have charged batteries for me to try the effect of either stock. I couldn't feel the element under my foot when trying, and I am pretty sensitive to that.

I don't know which would last longer. The Lenz batteries are 1,800 mAh I think, and the Sidas takes the Therm-IC Bluetooth enabled batteries, the biggest ones being 1,400 mAh. I have had issues with my boot heaters batteries (1,200 mAh) not lasting a full day at the lowest setting...

 

[In2h2o]

@Frenchman Encouraging that the Side LV is thin and has an XS available - I may have to order.
FWIW I tried the Lenz 6.0 last year and returned it as the small was to big for my 22.5 foot - therefore I would say the 6.0 also probably runs a tad large.... I liked the sock, just too much material for me.

 

[AtleB]

Would not worry that much about getting holes in the socks.
Replacement socks are pricy but not exceedingly so imo. The biggest cost is the battery by far.
I have a pair of heated socks and use them for a few different activities but not for skiing. I found the too bulky in the boots.

 

[anders_nor]

again 6.0.... only way to go for tight boots

 

[AtleB]

again 6.0.... only way to go for tight boots

If we get some real cold days I’ll consider getting a pair of the 6.0

 

[anders_nor]

I've skied a lot of -16 and -18 days this year, in my downsized boots I have 0 chance of doing that without the lenz 6.0

 

[AtleB]

I am lucky that I rarely get cold, including feet and hands. But I do feel my age catching up to me in that regard. I am no longer as warm as in my younger days.

 

[bbbradley]

Perhaps I don't have the world's most sensitive feet, but I had boot heaters put into my boots this season and can't feel the pad or the cable in my "snug" fit Raptor 140 boots.

I spoke with a few race friends before my purchase, none of them were able to get a satisfactory fit with the heated socks and race-fit boots.

 

[Frenchman]

Replacements socks are pricy but not exceedingly so imo.

I guess it depends. The Sidas are $110, but the Lenz are $180 from what I see. Good ski socks are $50, so that's a x2 to x4 factor. Heating elements are also around $50 IIRC. But if the socks last me 3-4 years like my Dissent do, $110 isn't too bad (at $180, the toe cap better be great!).

again 6.0.... only way to go for tight boots

Did you try the Sidas I mention (new in 2020) in LV? Fit perfectly into my plugs, so I'd love to know what you didn't like if you tried them? 6.0 may be the only option in the Lenz line, for sure. If you tried both with heat, even better... I would love a comparison of the heat performance between the two.

I spoke with a few race friends before my purchase, none of them were able to get a satisfactory fit with the heated socks and race-fit boots.

I think I can make them work. I know someone who does. This being said I have been fine with boot heaters until now... Just think if socks are good, then I don't have to install a heating element in both my plugs and my AT boots, worry about protecting the cable from abuse as I get in and out with the liner laced, etc... Plus I could wear them cross country skiing when it's really cold... (And flat boot heater pads cannot be felt, as you noticed, or rather didn't. I was worried about socks but they seem to have done well, even the Sidas where the element is under your foot.)

I do wonder about performance. Does one get much less or more heating? Does the toe cap really make a big difference (the Sidas doesn't heat over the toes). Does the 1,800 mAh of the Lenz beat tye 1,400 mAh of the Therm-IC by much in duration? It's tough to find data :-(.

 

[Fuller]

I have a brand new pair of Lenz 6.0 socks with the 1800 batteries. I also have an appointment with Racer's Edge tomorrow to get a new / warmer set of boots. I purchased the "Large" Lenz socks based on my foot size (which is a 9.5 - 10.0 in US sizing) but it does seem a bit on the sloppy side with too much material around the toe area. My plan is to have both my old Sidas foot bed heaters running with the Lenz socks at the same time. Impossible to do in my old boots so the new ones will accommodate everything I need to keep skiing. I'm going to get RE to help me navigate all this.

 

[David Chaus]

I have Lenz 5.0 and 6.0. 6.0 are compression socks and definitely thinner, and yes they do run a little large so you can size down. I haven’t seen any place carry them locally, I usually order stuff from Ski Essentials.

 

[Mel]

I have the Lenz 5.0 slim fit socks. Have had them now for many years (maybe 4?). The batteries are even older as I upgraded from the 1.0’s. I ski 25-30 days a season, and sometimes wear them to walk the dog or ride my bike in winter. I had my boots fitted with them, and work very well for me. I was out this weekend in -20C (and lower) and still just kept them at level 1. My feet were fine and the batteries last all day. One does drain faster than the other, and they may be getting to the point of needing to be replaced with the 1800.

I went with socks because I can use them cycling and walking as well, and less hassle if I get new boots. I wash after every 1-2 wears, hang to dry, and while they don’t look new anymore, they have kept their stretch, don’t sag, and haven’t had any holes or thin spots. I have also never noticed the batteries while skiing, nor have they ever gotten knocked off or disconnected during a yard sale.

I’ve considered the 6.0, but I’m concerned that even the small may be a bit big for me (23.5 boots, and the small slim in the 5.0 fits me well).

 

[S.H.]

Perhaps I don't have the world's most sensitive feet, but I had boot heaters put into my boots this season and can't feel the pad or the cable in my "snug" fit Raptor 140 boots.

I spoke with a few race friends before my purchase, none of them were able to get a satisfactory fit with the heated socks and race-fit boots.

I'm with @bbbradley; I have hotronics in my plugs (and have over many boots over the last 15 years or so), and ... I can't feel the cable at all, and the pad is only noticeable if i'm REALLY looking for it.

I have tried many socks (no purchases) including the Lenz 6 and the most recent Hotronics, and they're just not thin enough yet for what I'm used to/looking for.

That said ... lots of very good junior racers have good success with heated socks. I'm sure it's not an actual performance issue; it's just not what I'm used to.

 

[Noodler]

@Frenchman - I am dependent on using compression socks (along with compression base layers) due to health reasons, but I cannot imagine skiing without compression socks now that I've learned of their benefits whether you have health requirements or not.

I'm wondering how much compression the Lenz 6.0 actually provides as I cannot find a spec for the compression level on their site. I will say that careful and correct installation of normal footbed heaters should not result in any problems with fit and you shouldn't be able to feel any part of it (element or cable). Sidas has begun producing footbeds that are "heat ready" - they allow the element to be installed just under the top layer of the footbed so that you don't need to add any covering over the element. I've actually already been doing that for years by simply peeling back the top layer of the Sidas footbed's forefoot area and installing the heating element between the layers.

The original Sidas heating system used a fairly good sized element, but the rebranded Therm-ic system uses a smaller circular element (similar to Hotronics). I wish there was a larger heating element available that can cover more of the footbed forefoot area.

 

[Quandary]

@skiotter2 which sock did you go with, Hotronics has a few options.

Also it looks to me like a knee brace/heated sock might not be a combo that works?

 

[anders_nor]

I guess it depends. The Sidas are $110, but the Lenz are $180 from what I see. Good ski socks are $50, so that's a x2 to x4 factor. Heating elements are also around $50 IIRC. But if the socks last me 3-4 years like my Dissent do, $110 isn't too bad (at $180, the toe cap better be great!).


Did you try the Sidas I mention (new in 2020) in LV? Fit perfectly into my plugs, so I'd love to know what you didn't like if you tried them? 6.0 may be the only option in the Lenz line, for sure. If you tried both with heat, even better... I would love a comparison of the heat performance between the two.


I think I can make them work. I know someone who does. This being said I have been fine with boot heaters until now... Just think if socks are good, then I don't have to install a heating element in both my plugs and my AT boots, worry about protecting the cable from abuse as I get in and out with the liner laced, etc... Plus I could wear them cross country skiing when it's really cold... (And flat boot heater pads cannot be felt, as you noticed, or rather didn't. I was worried about socks but they seem to have done well, even the Sidas where the element is under your foot.)

I do wonder about performance. Does one get much less or more heating? Does the toe cap really make a big difference (the Sidas doesn't heat over the toes). Does the 1,800 mAh of the Lenz beat tye 1,400 mAh of the Therm-IC by much in duration? It's tough to find data :-(.

I have not tried the sidas

me + gf skis downsized boots in the 6.0 with luck.
GF is loving the socks vs sole, and toe cap heat.

 

[bbbradley]

It "warmed up" to ~6* F today, was on the hill SL training from 9-11:30 and from 12:30-3, the boot heaters worked like a charm!