A good pair of winter boots is a very essential item for those living in cold climate areas. Do you know how to choose the right winter shoes? Check out this article to know things to consider when picking out your next winter boots!
Winter will be approaching so quickly. Now is a good time for us to prepare for the frightful cold weather ahead. Of course, having a quality pair of winter boots should be one of your top priorities. But to be honest, it’s not easy at all to choose the right winter boots even though there are a lot of footwear choices available on the market right now, varying from style to style, brand to brand, price to price, …
In order to choose the best shoes for cold weather, you need to consider several important things, not just style, design, or size. Right below here, we are going to introduce to you some important tips on how to choose the right winter boots. So if you are going to pick up a new pair of winter boots, these tips are for you!
1. Use: Casual Wear or Winter Hiking?
The first step in choosing a winter boot involves thinking about your intended uses. There are two camps for the most part: casual winter boots that are great for everyday wear, commuting, and light outdoor use. Second are more backcountry-focused models that essentially look like hiking boots but with added insulation and winter-specific traction. Lightweight backcountry models excel for sports like winter hiking and snowshoeing, while thicker and warmer versions are great for outdoor work and more sedentary activities in the cold.
As you might expect, many casual winter boots have a sleeker look that is more urban. Some of our favorites include Columbia’s men’s Fairbanks and women’s Minx Mid III, which are downright stylish and a good value. Additionally, these designs typically provide decent grip in most snow conditions, the insulation should keep your feet reasonably warm (unless you’re out for a long time), and almost all of them are waterproof around the feet for walking through light snow and puddles. But if the weather and terrain are particularly harsh or you’re going to be out for extended stretches, it’s worth upgrading to a more serious boot.
2. How Much Warmth Do You Need?
A great winter boot has to be warm, and there is a fair bit of differentiation. First, we’ll note that a number of footwear brands provide a temperature rating, although we always recommend that you take those with a grain of salt. You may see impressive ratings like -25°F or lower, but the truth is that unlike sleeping bags, there is no standardized rating system to measure the warmth of footwear. And many factors matter here: your activity level, circulation, sock type and thickness, and even the fit of the boot. We like reading the temperature ratings and taking note, but always assume they are generous and look for other specs as well.
In terms of insulation, winter boots have a number of different types. The most common is synthetic fill, which comes in names like PrimaLoft and Thinsulate along with a gram rating showing the thickness. We like synthetics and especially for footwear—unlike down, it resists water and continues to insulate when wet, which matters if water enters your boot or your feet get sweaty. For reference, many light to mid weight boots have 200- to 400-gram insulation, while a true cold-weather boot like Cabela’s Predator Extreme gets all the way up to 1,200-gram with a thick liner (that boot often is used for hunting, ice fishing, and among workers who are outside for much of the day). In addition to synthetic insulation, you’ll find some winter boots include a separate removable felt liner (more on this in “Two-Piece vs. One-Piece Designs” below) or have interiors filled with sheepskin or wool. The efficacy of these insulation types varies significantly from model to model, and the majority use synthetics.
3. Boot Height
In addition to warmth, your winter boot is designed to keep snow and ice out. And if you aren’t pulling snow pants overtop or using gaiters, height matters a lot, plus it impacts the design. Reporting is a little inconsistent (more on this below), but we use shaft height as our basis for comparison, which is a measurement taken from the footbed to the top of the boot. At the low end of the spectrum, a number of hiking-centric models are around 6 to 7 inches in height, which does a fairly good job unless the snow is deep. Some of the more casual options like the Sorel Caribou are designed more with warmth and style in mind, and the height gets bumped up to 10 inches (the budget Kamik NationPlus has a similar height and design). And if you really want to go tall, the Steger Mukluks are about 11 inches and the Bogs Classic High Insulated tops our list at a whopping 15 inches. As with the sections above, think of how you intend to use your boot and the rest of your winter kit in choosing an ideal height.
A final note on boot height: it may take a little digging to get the correct number nailed down. Some brands report shaft height, which we’ve covered above, while others list total height (bottom of outsole to the top of the boot). And some leave it vague as to what they’re referring to or don’t give the information at all. Regardless, that number provides a good starting point and you know you’re within a range, and looking at the design or trying on a boot in person will help give you an even better idea.
4. Styling
If there were one category of outdoor gear where styling matters, winter boots would be a strong contender. The truth is that some people use winter boots for activities like hiking and snowshoeing, but many more wear them around the city, to work, and even out at night. The good news here is that manufacturers have taken note—there are now plenty of stylish options, and even traditional outdoor brands are making their winter boots more fun. On the women’s side, we’ve been very happy with Uggs and the Adirondack III in particular. It both performs well and feels great on your feet, hitting the best of both worlds. Sorels have long been popular, although they tend to feel bulkier and more cumbersome. And as mentioned above, outdoor brands like Columbia, Danner, and Merrell have released a number of options that are sleeker than in years past. We especially like the look of the retro Danner Arctic 600, which even features a fun side zip.
5. Traction
Winter boots are designed with traction on snow and ice in mind, so you’ll find a wide variety of grippy outsoles and tread patterns to choose from. The good news is that snow boots have a different lug pattern and rubber compound than their hiking boot cousins. The compounds are softer and don’t harden when temperatures drop, which helps them continue to grip on slick surfaces, and the lug patterns are aimed to prevent snow buildup. In general, hiking-ready models have the best traction, while casual boots can be more prone to slippage. And there are some specialized technologies like Vibram’s Arctic Grip and Michelin’s Winter Compound that hold pretty well on ice. You always want to be careful, but we’ve found the winter-specific designs do an admirable job preventing sliding.
