Cold or cool air/water can trigger RSD symptoms (for some people even warm or hot can do this too). I haven't been able to take a shower in years now because the impact of the water on my RSD areas is very painful. I have to take warm baths instead...which actually helps soothe the RSD pain as well. The splotchiness is definitely normal with RSD.

I know when I wore the boot I thought I was getting a little relief at the beginning...but it's short lived relief because you are not putting as much weight on it and it is protected from other things that can flare the pain (like cold, air movement, etc). It's worse for the RSD in the long run because immobilizing makes the pain worse and makes it harder to recover the function (definitely possible but very painful). RSD is a use it or lose it condition so I would suggest at the very least trying to move your foot back and forth/up and down, etc while you are sitting to keep that movement. You don't have to do this constantly...but as much as you can stand it just to keep you from falling into the vicious cylce where it hurts to move it, so you don't, and because you don't the pain gets worse making it even harder to move it.