Ways to Keep Your Feet Warm

Whether you're curled up under a blanket or camping after a long day of hiking, the cold sensation in your feet will surely be uncomfortable! Fortunately, there are several methods to warm up and keep your feet cozy, such as wearing multiple layers of socks and accessories, moving your body to generate heat, or changing your surroundings. This way, you'll quickly warm up your cold feet!

Choose Thick, Warm Wool Socks. You should pick socks that are at least 70% wool as this material is highly effective at keeping your feet warm. Rub the soles of your feet together after putting on the socks to generate warmth.

• You can also purchase thermal socks, wool socks, Alpaca socks, and sheepskin or lambskin socks to enhance warmth retention.

Wear insulated slippers. Adding a pair of slippers after putting on socks will definitely keep your feet warm. Get yourself a pair of slippers with wool or fur lining to keep your feet cozy and toasty!

Wear shoes indoors. Make sure to wear shoes and socks until you're ready for bed, unless there’s a rule against wearing shoes inside. If available, you can wear clean boots indoors to keep your feet and ankles warm.

• You can also wear insulated boots when sleeping in a tent.

Change wet socks. If you’ve been wearing the same socks all day and your feet are sweaty, the moisture in the socks can make your feet cold. Change into a dry, warm pair of socks and your feet will warm up quickly.

• This is crucial whether you're at home or hiking. Always bring extra socks when traveling or hiking so you can swap into dry ones as needed.

Warm up your body. It's hard to warm your feet if the rest of your body is cold. Wrap up in a blanket, wear a warmer sweater, or take a hot bath. Once your body is warm, it’ll be much easier to warm your feet.

Wear a hat. Wearing a hat to warm your feet may sound silly, but it works! Heat tends to escape from your head, and as your body cools down, your feet will also feel the chill. So, try wearing a warm hat to help regulate your body temperature and warm your feet.

Warm up your socks using a clothes dryer. By placing your socks in the dryer for about 10 minutes before wearing them, you'll have cozy, warm socks.

• Avoid putting socks in the microwave or oven, as this can cause them to catch fire. If you don't have a clothes dryer, you can warm your socks with an iron.

Soothe your feet by soaking them in warm water. If possible, try taking a hot shower or soaking in a hot bath to warm up your entire body, including your feet. If that option isn't feasible, you can simply soak or wash your feet in warm water. You can soak them for as long as you'd like, but remember to add more hot water to keep the temperature up.

Get an electric blanket for your bed. Electric blankets are available in electronics stores and bedding shops. Purchase one to place on your bed or chair to warm up your feet. However, remember to unplug it when not in use.

Heat up a rice bag to warm your feet. You can buy a microwaveable rice bag or make one yourself. When you're feeling cold, just place the rice bag in the microwave for 1.5 to 2.5 minutes, then use it to warm your feet.

• Heating times may vary depending on the microwave, so be sure to check the temperature carefully.

Use a hot water bottle. Simply place a hot water bottle under or on top of your feet to quickly warm them up. Remove the bottle when you notice the water starting to cool down. Make sure the bottle has a fabric cover and isn’t too hot—if it feels uncomfortable, wait for the water to cool a bit and try again.

• Wear socks and never place the hot water bottle directly on your skin.

Place a heat-retaining insert inside your shoes. You can buy heat-retaining insoles or hand warmers (also known as "hand warmer packets") at stores like Medicare or Guardian. Be sure to carefully read the instructions on how to use these products. When your feet feel cold, simply place the product inside your socks.

• If the instructions warn against placing the product directly on your skin, place it between your sock and shoe, or between two layers of socks.

Create your own foot warmer product. You can fold a knee-high sock in half and secure the edges with a safety pin to create a pouch. Then, create a heat source by filling a few 250ml plastic water bottles with hot water. Check the temperature with your hand to ensure the water is not too hot, then place the bottles inside the pouch you just made. Finally, put your feet into the pouch and feel the warmth.

• Make sure to tightly seal the bottle caps so the water doesn’t leak out.

Keep your feet warm while sleeping. When you sleep, make sure to tuck both feet under the blanket and ensure the blanket covers them completely, so they don’t get cold. This is a more effective way of keeping your feet warm than simply covering them with the blanket.

• Zip up your sleeping bag to keep your feet warm underneath the bag.

Avoid placing your feet on the floor. The body tends to lose more heat when your feet are placed on a cold floor. Whenever possible, elevate your feet on a chair or footrest.

Keep extra socks and shoes ready. Even if your home or workplace feels warm and dry, your feet can still get cold and damp when moving around. Prepare extra socks and shoes at work to change into if your feet become wet.

• You can keep your work shoes at the office and wear thermal boots when traveling between home and work.
• If your office or workplace is cold, you might also consider purchasing higher-collared work shoes or shoes with thin thermal lining to keep your feet warm while working. Another option is to wear wool socks with your regular work shoes.

Warm up the room. If your body is kept warm but your feet still feel cold, it may be because the room is too chilly. Make sure to close windows, turn on the heater, light a fireplace, or use door draft stoppers if you think cold air is coming through under the door.

Move and stretch your feet. If you've been sitting still for a while, get up and move around to warm up your feet. You can rise onto your toes and then lower your feet, or stretch your legs and wiggle your toes, then bring your feet together and curl your toes. Repeat these movements until your feet feel tingling and warmer.

• Stand up and walk around. Movement helps with blood circulation and warms the body. You can also try jumping with your arms out or running in place to stimulate circulation.

Perform leg kicks 30-50 times. Sit on a chair or the edge of a bed with your legs relaxed, then kick your legs forward and backward at least 30-50 times. This will help improve blood circulation in your legs. Use both legs to perform the movement, including your thighs.

• Apply strong force! Kick your legs as wide as you can.

Massage your feet. Simply apply lotion to your feet and massage by rubbing your toes, heels, and the soles of your feet. This boosts circulation and warms up your feet. After massaging, wear socks, shoes, or slippers to retain the heat.

• Use warming creams like Nutrasal or ProNeema to enhance the heat effect.

• People with diabetes should not soak their feet in warm water, place their feet on a hot water bottle, or use rice bags to warm their feet. Instead, wear thick cotton socks and rub the soles of your feet with your hands.
• If you use an electric blanket, always remember to turn it off when you're done.