Customer Reviews The North Face THERMOBALL™ Traction Bootie

Like walking on clouds! Bought myself a second pair!

So warm and cozy with a great non slip sole. Perfect for wearing around the house, taking the dogs out, or to the ski resort for an easy transition to ski boots.

i got a women's 7 and they fortunately fit like more of a 7.5 (my actual shoe size). often i have to size up to 8 but in this case 7 is perfect. the seams and tags inside the shoes are a little irritating since i've been wearing them barefoot, strictly as indoor slippers. but tolerable so far. the logo lettering printed on the insole does peel off completely within a few days of wear (which is fine with me). there is a strong chemical odor to the shoes but only noticeable up close. i don't like that it's offgassing while i wear the shoes, but it seems to be typical for these types of materials. hopefully it will fade soon. they are super warm and seem at least slightly water repellent so i can see potentially wearing them outside on a cold day but would hesitate to go out in the rain with them on.

I ordered my first pair of these booties elsewhere and my size (10) had my toes touching the ends of the shoes. I ordered in 11 and it fits fine. It hasn't been cold enough yet to verify how warm they actually are.

Overall, I really really wanted to love these and am sitting here trying to decide if I'm gonna return them. (I'll report back on my concerns if I keep them.) I was looking for a comfy outdoor slipper to wear after paddling and other water sports. Think uggs but less bulky and easier to clean. I figured they might also work in the snow, but that was a bonus (I paddle most of the year and get to the snow when I can). The problem: When you remove the insole, the footbed is cardboard. I can't imagine that this will last with nearly daily wet feet and mucking about on beaches and docks. I know I'm likely to be harder on them than the average user, but this seems weak for a company like North Face. If they were a little cheaper, I'd risk it, but now I'm thinking about returning them... Other stuff: Without socks, they'd be pretty close to size, just a little tight. But I wanted it to be a little roomy/more comfy so I went a size up (from 6 to 7). The heel works well in both sizes, which was nice. They are mostly very comfy, the seams have a little tag that's slightly annoying but might soften over time. The outersole seems good and solid. I really want to like/keep these, but I think they're headed for a return...