If you’re looking for a no-fuss, insulating layer for your feet and don’t want down, the down-alternative Rab Hot Socks are worth looking into. The layer of Intuition foam — which is a blended closed-cell design — in the footbed must be celebrated for its all-day comfort, custom-molded contours, and warmth. To help guide your process in finding that perfect bootie type for you, we’ve outlined the various materials and their purposes below.

The most common type of fill we see used in down booties is either goose down or a synthetic alternative. Soft and warm indoor couple boots suitable for women, men, young girls, and boys to wear in bedrooms, study rooms, living rooms, offices, dorms, hospitals, and more. Beyond our tests, we also considered the most popular, award-worthy, innovative, sustainable, and legacy designs. Prior to that, Mary wrote for 5280 Magazine in Denver while working as an outdoor instructor teaching climbing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and mountain biking. When thinking about sustainability in down booties it is important to consider their down, manufacturing processes, and use of environmentally friendly materials.On the coldest morning we’ve had so far this winter (in Colorado), it was 15 outside and (due to a 58-year-old heater) not warm enough inside. With a drawstring for adjustable fit and a padded footbed for extra insulation from the cold ground, these booties are perfect for camping or chilling in your apartment. You’ll commonly see them worn in places like winter huts, inside four-season tents, or on trips for ski mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and touring, winter camping, and more.

If you are looking for something to wear casually or just around camp, you’d probably be satisfied with an elastic band closure. LaHatte tested these down booties on frigid dog walks, working in her home office, camping in the desert and transitioning into her ski boots on deep powder days.With so many different types of booties on the market, it can be hard to differentiate between what styles are meant to be worn inside, out, in a sleeping bag, as socks, etc. Editor’s Note: We updated our Down Booties guide on January 11, 2024, including fresh awards for tested products. But if you’re going to be using your down booties while trudging through snow or exclusively outside, the added adjustability from a drawstring closure will be your best bet. We love that there’s a heel loop and tongue loop, so you can easily slide in your fingers to pull on the booties over thick socks. Many down booties are designed with a certain degree of water-resistance and soles made for use in harsher elements like snow, ice and puddles.

And while it’s not insulated with down, a few people on our staff gave this warm bootie a standing ovation — it delivers warmth, a cozy but not-too-snug fit, and durability on the soles. Down socks also tend to be made of lighter, lower-denier fabrics, as they’re used more inside sleeping bags rather than walking around a house or cabin. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. FOAM: If you want a little more structure to your down booties, then look for a pair with a foam sole. In terms of exterior fabrics, the nylon and polyester materials these down booties are constructed from are also conveniently lightweight.You can also easily customize the shell fabric and liner fabric deniers (fabric thickness) and colors — the GooseFeet Gear Down Socks even have the most color options we’ve seen, so there’s plenty of room for customized style. But these are really only necessary for high alpine and extreme cold environments (think ski mountaineering or mountaineering and hut-to-hut traverses, or professional guides and emergency rescue teams). But if you’re looking for truly reliable warmth in a light and portable package, down booties are the way to go.