it helps to loosen the shoelaces up front in the toe box area. once your foot is in you can snug up the laces. the "toe" warmers are very thin. they get activated w/ exposure to air, so I open the pkg & throw them into the shoes for a few minutes to get them started. this also warms the shoes. also good to put your socks in a clothes dryer, so you start w/ warm socks. then put everything together & insert feet into the shoes

they are also good for long exposure for other purposes such as hiking, snow shoveling, roof raking, etc

I came up with/ the idea about taping hand warmers onto the socks, dunno if anyone else does that

I've tried full foot insole type warmers but wasn't impressed w/ their effectiveness