Shraggs
WKR
My motivation for the foam was to add a cold ground barrier when feet will be standing or sitting for long periods of time, ie deer stand. The vivo wool liner is very warm, but it’s at its thinnest and less warm in the bottom standing.
Anyone can experiment- socks on, stand on a piece of foam on cold garage - foam vs your sock or a felt liner vs a foam and see the difference.
UPS store has rolled foam in different thickness, 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 etc. It’s firm and doesn’t compress and looks like that cracked ice plexiglass if that makes sense. Yes it goes under the wool liner. I took the whole liner out and traced the exact size.
Many boot companies have used this type of foam as insulation in the “midsole” for ground up barrier and wrapping under the rubber/leather in pack boots.
I’m a size 10 but bought the 11 so I have room to play with bottom foam, thicker insole and socks. I could have gone 3/8” foam and kept the vivo 5mm insole, but I thought the 1/4” foam was better coupled with a thicker insole, and a medium yak wool sock and liner.
The alpaca I found on Etsy looks similar to your link and are supposed to be 9mm. They are less though, bought xxl so I could match the shape of toe box. Again they do add warmth over standard standing on cold.
Form was also right about something I recall he said, his feet sweat a lot or more in alpaca wool. I certainly feel alpaca is more sweaty than other woods. I’ll be looking for optional wool insoles.
I might have misunderstood, but I would not but any insole that has structure in the wool liner. From experience it will wear damage to the interior of the liner and negates the barefoot premise of these unique boots.
