VANCOUVER, B.C. - Good luck getting your hands in these mitts.
The red mittens that became the must-have memento of the Vancouver Games have been given an update for the Paralympics, with the unique Paralympic logo replacing the iconic Olympic rings.
But anyone looking to snag a pair will likely be out of luck: the mittens aren't being sold in stores, and one of the only ways to get them is to be among the 600 or so torchbearers in the 10-day Paralympic torch relay, which ends at the opening ceremonies Friday.
The Hudson's Bay Company made the special mittens as part of the Paralympic torchbearer uniform, which also includes a blue jacket, toque and pants instead of the all-white Olympic relay outfit.
The Bay Olympic store has no Paralympic mitts for sale to the public, and has said once the Olympic mittens run out, there are no more on the way.
Torchbearer Pierre Bibeau, who ran with the Paralympic flame in Vancouver, said he's well aware of how special his mittens are.
"They're made especially for us - that's great," said Bibeau, a 44-year-old from Rouyn-Noranda, Que.
"I'm going to keep them, that's for sure. You're not going to see them on eBay. I think they're special, especially what they held. It's a nice souvenir."
The original red mittens were part of the HBC's Olympic clothing line, and proceeds from sales helped fund the Own the Podium program, aimed at boosting Canada's medal standings at the Olympics. Those mittens featured the Olympic rings on one side and a maple leaf on the palm.
The company initially estimated it would sell one million mittens, but they quickly became a country-wide phenomenon, and about three million were sold.
The Paralympic mittens are similar, but instead of the rings, the mitts are adorned with the three "agitos" - a trio of crescents that have been the symbol of the International Paralympic committee since 2003.
"They're a hot ticket, because you can't buy them," said 49-year-old Vancouver resident Danielle Girard, who was wearing a pair of Olympic mittens as she watched the Paralympic torch relay.
A pair was up for sale on eBay on Thursday evening, listed alongside a pair of Olympic mittens for $30.
A spokesperson for the Bay couldn't be reached for comment.
British Columbia cabinet minister Mary McNeil, the province's minister of state for the Olympics, was turning heads with her Paralympic mittens during a relay event this week.
"People have been coming up and saying, 'Where did you get those? I think they're wonderful, I'd love to get a pair,"' said McNeil.
"I'm encouraging them (HBC) to produce them, because I think they're great."