The Feathered Friends Down Booties feature a down-filled liner with snaps for easy wear, a water-resistant shell that cinches at the ankle, and a durable foam sole. Priced at $119, they are slightly heavier than other options but excel in warmth and durability, making them a solid choice for backpackers.
Product Overview
Feathered Friends Down Booties
Price: $119
✅Excellent warmth
✅Water resistant shell
✅Durability
❌ Expensive $$$
❌ Shell is bulky and adds a lot of potentially unnecessary weight
❌ Soles aren’t good for much other than a quick trip out of the tent
❌ Hard to squish down in a pack
KEY SPECS
- Weight:10 oz with the shell or 6 oz without (for size large)
- Material and Fill:
- Shell Material: Pertex® Endurance® UL (water resistant)
- Liner: 800 fill power goose down
- Sizes: XX – XXL (women’s 5-13 / men’s 4-16)
- Shell Colors: Arctic, Ash, Black, Grass, Purple, Red (liner is always black)
- Features: Drawcords at the ankle and cuff, Durable, waterproof soles, Removable foam insoles
Performance Test Results
What I Tested:
How I Tested:
I used these on the first 637 miles of the Appalachian Trail during my northbound thru-hike. I did not take the shell, though, as I knew I’d only be using these in my tent. I have also used them on many shoulder-season weekend trips in the Whites.
It can stay chilly through June and starts to get cold again in September/October, so these booties do a great job of keeping my feet toasty when I simply can’t wait any longer to get out on my first backpacking trip of the year in the late spring (when there’s often still some snow and ice sticking around).
Comfort
Cold Nights on the Appalachian Trail
My feet have a tendency to get cold super easily if I’m not moving, and once they do, it can be nearly impossible to get them warm again. On top of that, if my feet are too cold, I have a really hard time falling asleep. This can be especially tricky when sleeping in the woods because I can’t just pile an additional fuzzy blanket on top of myself.
Cozy and warm feet with Feathered Friends Down Booties
I took a 20-degree quilt on the AT, and on at least one occasion in the Smokies, it got down to about that temperature at night. I spent most of the chillier nights tossing and turning trying to stay warm while curled up with the two hand warmers I had in my pack.
Almost every other part of my body felt like an icicle at one point or another during the night, but my feet stayed toasty thanks to my Feathered Friends booties. Even on the coldest nights, I still didn’t have to use toe warmers because my feet were plenty warm without them.
Feathered Friends Down Booties: the perfect toe warmers for chilly nights.
Durability
These booties are made out of a material that feels more durable than the average ultralight quilt or sleeping bag. It’s more similar to the material Katabatic uses on their quilts versus the lighter, more delicate (and stickier) higher-denier fabric often used by Enlightened Equipment.
This means that I don’t have to worry about them sticking to my feet uncomfortably even if they’re still a little damp from a rainy day of hiking, and at the end of a long day, I genuinely look forward to getting to put my booties on when I get settled in my tent for the night.
With a thicker liner sole, these booties can handle a few steps on rocks, even without the shell.
Furthermore, the liner sole is made of a slightly thicker fabric, so even without the shell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they could handle a few steps on some rocks or (not very pointy) – though I can’t say as I’ve actually tested this theory.
Durable and comfy, these booties are a perfect end-of-day treat after a rainy hike.
Sizing
Size-wise, these booties come in a wide range, but if you wear smaller than a women’s size 5, you’ll have to look elsewhere (or live with them being a little big). I wear a men’s shoe size 11-11.5, and the size large fits perfectly – big enough to be comfy without being so big that my feet are swimming in them.
Feathered Friends Down Booties offer a wide size range.
Snaps and Cinches
Though these booties don’t contain any elastic, the snaps on the liner and cinches on the shell do allow for some adjustability. Two snaps at the top of the liners make it easy to put them on and take them off while also ensuring my feet stay snug and cozy no matter how much I toss and turn throughout the night.
Additionally, two cinches on the outer shell (one at the ankle and one at the top of the bootie) help better secure your foot for a small amount of added stability when walking around.
Feathered Friends Down Booties ankle drawcord for added stability.
Shell
The main feature that differentiates these booties from most others is the removable water-resistant shell. The fact that they’re water-resistant and have a bit of a sole on them (though nothing that I’d trust on any sort of slippery rock or root) does make the shells appealing, as I can prevent the liner from getting muddy or poked full of holes while also keeping my feet in their cozy home for as long as possible.
These booties feature a removable water-resistant shell to protect the liner and keep your feet cozy.
Generally, though, I have found it difficult to justify bringing the shell portion of these booties out on a trip with me, as they would simply add too much weight and volume to the contents of my pack for something that I’d likely use for less than half an hour each day. I think if I ever bring these car camping and don’t have to worry about weight, though, it will be a different story.
I can also picture the shells being of great use during a winter stay in one of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s huts that remain open (on a caretaker basis) throughout the winter and are only heated with a small wood stove.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the liner portion of the Feathered Friends Down Booties are super cozy and relatively durable, and, aside from being a bit difficult to squish down into a pack, they are great for chilly shoulder-season nights outside.
The outer water-resistant shell and sole provide an added layer of protection and durability, and while the shell isn’t great for situations where the name of the game is to be carrying as little weight as possible, it is still a great feature for times when weight and volume are less of a concern.
650-Calorie Fuel
