SkyMall Monday: Rechargeable Heated Slippers

by Mike Barish on

What do you wear to stay warm? A hat? Some mittens? Perhaps a pair of boots? You’re a fool. When temperatures plunge below freezing, you can’t rely on down and wool to keep you from dying of hypothermia. And body heat alone won’t suffice when you’re lost in the wilderness. If you’re going to keep frostbite at bay you need to bring your own heat to the party. This week, SkyMall Monday looks at the latest in feet-warming technology with this gem from SkyMall: Rechargeable Heated Slippers.Did you see that video? These slippers literally light snow on fire! They’re like the Back to the Future DeLorean of rechargeable heated slippers. And despite most people defining slippers as footwear that you enjoy indoors – where you presumably would have access to a radiator or fireplace to keep warm – these slippers are also for outdoor use. And they’re fashionable because they look like you made them from your sleeping bag and a car tire.

Think that a good pair of boots with some wool socks will keep your feet plenty warm? Believe that the best heated accessories necessitate nuclear reactors? Well, while you’re losing feeling in your toes we’ll be reading the product description:

The Volt heated indoor/outdoor slippers provide you with hours of soothing warmth for numb toes and cold, tired feet. Designed with a built-in thermostat control that automatically regulates heat temperature for optimal comfort.

Enjoy between 110 to 135 degrees of pulsing heat for up to 6+ hours per charge.

Much like we all have our own sleep number, we also have personal optimal foot temperatures. My feet are happiest at around 118 degrees. Anything hotter than that and it starts to resemble a French cheese shop down there.

Gear up properly for winter lest you lose some digits to the elements. Leave your Freaky Freezies at home and graduate to a new level of warmth with these Rechargeable Heated Slippers.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

After the Snow, “Recovery” Shoes

by Pam Mandel on

It used to be that you’d stomp off the slopes, shed your heavy boots, and get into a pair of apres-ski boots. I kind of loved these things, moon boots, big hairy lace up mukluks, more recently, Uggs (which I can not get behind, I’m sorry). Now there’s something called a “recovery” shoe that fits the same bill.

I’m not big on jargon and I’ll leave the sports theory to the physical therapists and sports “experts.” What I do like is warm feet. I pack slippers when I’m going on a road trip — there’s always room in the car for more shoes, am I right? And if I’m going to a cold weather destination, I make sure I’ve got something nice for my feet for indoors, not just for stomping around in the snow.

Sole makes these funny looking shoes, the Exhale, that they market as a “recovery” shoe. I got a pair a while back, and I’ll be honest, I did not like them. They weren’t super comfortable and come on, they’re funny looking, right?

Thing is, it was summer. I was wearing them around the house a little, and they were hard, and too much shoe for August. But when the temperatures started to drop, I dragged them out from under the bed and now I wear them All The Time.

Because they have a full hard sole, they’re fine for wearing outdoors — they’re great for running errands and stomping around while you load your gear into the car for that snowshoeing outing. They’re fine for the long walk to the hotel lobby to get coffee or to perch on the wifi near the fireplace, and they’re totally suitable for winter flights. Even with a wardrobe as questionable as mine, they don’t make a great substitute for winter footwear, but for those transit times, for hanging around the condo you’ve rented at the beach during the off season, they’re great.
Keen makes a similarly styled shoe/slipper/recovery model, the Howser (Wool). There’s a nylon one too, that has the more water resistant fabric. Either one fits the bill of a hybrid slipper/shoe that you can wear while scampering about the chalet in your post slopes lounge wear.

I got a pair of the Howser (Wool) for the husband and he loves them. They’re super toasty (I tried them) and they also have the hard sole that makes them suitable for wearing while you’re putting the skis on the roof of the car. (Note the fantasy winter life I am making up for us!) The wool version doesn’t have the collapsible heel cup the the nylon version (and the Sole Exhale) has, but they’re still plenty easy to get in and out of and they’re a nice to have extra for your winter wardrobe.

The Howser (Wool) goes for $65.00, the Exhale for $75.00. I didn’t want to like them and yet, I’m wearing mine right now.

SkyMall Monday: Brightfeet Lighted Slippers

by Mike Barish on

The SkyMall Monday headquarters can get pretty dark at night. Not just because it’s built into the side of a mountain like a Bond villain’s lair, but because we here at the home office love to sleep. We don’t enjoy it when anything disrupts our slumber. So, we keep it dark and quiet. Sometimes, however, someone has to get up in the middle of the night to tinkle, and that just causes trouble. Once lights get turned on or screams are generated by toes stubbed in the dark, everyone is awake and upset. Hurtful things are said, bedside books are thrown and another episode of COPS has all the domestic dispute footage that it needs. Thankfully, there’s now a way for people to relieve their bladders without pissing everyone off. No, not rubber sheets. Those are gross and noisy when you are making whoopie. Once again, SkyMall has answered the call of nature people with very specific problems with a logical, practical and handsome solution. Just like cars have headlights, it’s about time that we took responsibility for our own illumination. That’s why we should all keep a pair of Brightfeet Lighted Slippers next to our beds.Here at Gadling, we know a thing or two about footwear with lights. With the Brightfeed Lighted Slippers, we can finally keep our feet warm and our toes away from hazards such as end tables, doors and venomous armoires. The LED lights are weight-activated and light-sensitive, so the lights will only be turn on when you wear the slippers in the dark. Now, instead of turning on the bedroom light and waking your husband/boyfriend/one-night stand/guy you drugged for sport, you can tip-toe to the bathroom quietly and safely.

Think that people should be allowed to turn on the lights when they have to get up in the middle of the night? Think that without turning on the lights that people will urinate all over the toilet seat, floor and toothbrush holder? Well, you should stop peeing while you have an erection. You should also read the product description:

It’s like having nightlights on your feet – ideal for night time trips to the bathroom, kitchen or kid’s room.

It’s not only like having nightlights on your feet, it’s literally having nightlights on your feet. Though, I usually prefer my nightlights to look like Sesame Street characters or smell like lavender.

Waking up in the middle of the night is never fun. Waking up someone else in the middle of the night is a recipe for a fight at some ungodly hour that results in you being cranky at the office and your coworkers to suspect that there are problems at home. Then they’ll start asking if you want to go to lunch at the local Outback Steakhouse to talk and, well, that just sounds depressing. So, if you’re going to pee at 2:00am, I suggest that you do it quietly, efficiently and away from your sleeping companion(s). Get your hands (or, I suppose, feet) on some Brightfeet Lighted Slippers and start making your way to the bathroom – and through life – unimpeded.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.