Gear of the Week | Bivouac shoes

Love at second sight: My new favorite hut shoes

Ski slippers, down slippers, hut shoes, bivouac shoes or thermal slippers - I have no idea whether there is an appropriate name for this type of shoe. The range of uses for this week's "Gear of the Week" is just as varied as the names in the search engine entries.

To be honest, I've been looking for a pair of shoes that can cope with everyday life in Innsbruck and PowderGuide for a long time. Shoes that keep you warm, have a firm sole and a secure footing, are lightweight and pack down small. But I never thought it would be this boot.

Admittedly, at first I always thought: "My goodness, these things look stupid!" Whether they are stylish or not is something I would like to leave up to you at this point. But after a long decision-making process that really used up too much of my brain's energy reserves, the decisive reasons were: "Sometimes practicality beats style", an "unbeatable offer" in one of my favorite outdoor stores and a planned winter camping trip to Andorra (which also took place - but unfortunately without me; but stay tuned for the travel blog).

If you attach great importance to absolute weight minimization, there are certainly lighter alternatives. But every comfort has its weight. My pair weighs 480 g for a shoe size 45, but there are differences between 350 g and 600 g depending on the model. The models differ, for example, in the height of the cut at the ankle, the thickness and density of the sole and the upper material. You can see a few different models in the gallery.

The synthetic insulation keeps you warm even when everything else is damp, heavy and soaked. Standing on snow for hours at the PowderGuide stand Snow? Never mind. Wet hut entrance? Goes. Warm feet! The water-repellent surface ensures that your feet don't get wet as soon as you get off the bus. Soft on the inside, robust on the outside - just like a good freeride day.

However, the supposedly "grippy" rubber sole turns out to be more of a benevolent marketing promise in real life. It's not made for icy marvels, but it's enough to protect snow sports equipment, car windows and your tailbone on icy paths, wet wooden stairs and dubious après-ski parking lots. Fetching wood, just outside the hut or out into the cold air again? You can do that without making a comic sentence.

What you'd better not do: Ambitious ascents on icy paths or night-time shortcuts across icy ski slopes. There are other shoes and better ideas for that. Believe me, I speak from experience!

Wherever there is an incline or slope and ice at the same time, they reach their limits.

Conclusion:

It's not a shoe for heroic deeds, but for everything that makes them bearable in the first place. Its territory begins where the skier takes off his skis.

It keeps feet warm and ensures a comfortable and secure fit. It is also water-repellent, can be stowed away in a backpack and is becoming more and more of a lifestyle item.