Who Cares About Good Winter Boots?
The Lord says everyone surrounded by snow needs a nice pair of winter boots. Cold, wet, snowy, and icy conditions make people slip and fall. None of that is a problem when you’ve got some warm boots acting as warmers, water repellents, and your personal anti-slip and balancing tool for your feet. Peep this when picking some boots:
- the activity you’ll be doing
- waterproofing and breathability
- warmth & insulation
- traction & grip
- one-piece or two-piece design
- weight & bulk
- fit & size
- accessories
“Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
Exodus 9:1 of the KJV Bible
Picking Winter Boots Based on What You’ll Be Doing
There’s boots for casual, everyday and hiking boots for some serious, long winter hikes.
Casual Winter Boots
Casual boots are good for activities like everyday wear, commuting or going to work, or light outdoor use. They’re lighter and often more stylish. They have decent grip or traction in most situations, so you usually won’t have to worry about slipping or falling. Unless you’re out for long hours their insulation will keep your feet pretty warm. Just about all of them are waterproof around the feet if you walk through wet slush or puddles. Don’t pick up casual boots if you’re going to be in rough terrain or weather or if you plan to be outside for long periods.
Winter Boots for Hiking
Winter hiking boots is what you need if you plan to be out for long hours, are snow shoeing, or are heading into some mean weather or terrain. Back country hiking boots are better at keeping your feet warm and keeping you from slipping and falling due to better insulation and traction. Light back country models are the best for winter hiking or snowshoeing. The thick and warmer back country hiking boots are the best for outdoor work or more idle activities when it’s cold out.
Finding Waterproof & Breathable Winter Boots
Waterproofing measures how good your boots keep out moisture, such as water, and keep your feet dry. Everybody’s had that moment trying to figure out how to juke those giant puddles around town. Wet feet means a cold you even if your boot has a temperature rating of -30 or -50 degrees Celsius. Look for some boots with a seam-sealed construction, as this blocks water from getting through seams. The things that make a boot waterproof are:
- whether it’s a one-piece or two-piece boot design
- your boot’s total height
- your boot’s tongue
The Waterproofing of One-Piece and Two-Piece Designs
One-piece and two-piece boot designs have different levels of water proofing. One-piece boots usually have a thin, waterproof, and breathable membrane sandwiched between the outer sole & inner felt lining. While they are waterproof, using it for long periods eventually lets moisture enter the membrane.
Making Your Winter Boots Waterproof Through Their Height & Tongue
A taller boot is more likely to keep snow and ice out, especially if you’re not wearing snow pants or wearing gaiters. It’s easier in person to look at the boot’s design and try it on in person. There are multiple ways to gather a boot’s height, from shaft height or total height. Shaft height measures the distance between the footbed to the top of the boot. Total height measures the distance between the boot sole’s bottom to boot’s top. At the low end many hiking boots usually have shaft heights of six to seven inches. These are good until the snow gets deep. On the other hand, casual boots have shaft heights of up to ten inches because they’re with warmth and style in mind.
You may find yourself in water that is ankle-high or even deeper. It is mandatory to keep your boot’s tongue connected to your boot’s upper as high as possible. The opening in the tongue will let water get through if this doesn’t happen. Another snow boot tip is to never let snow enter from the top of your boot collar. You can block it out by wearing pants that go over your boot, like snow pants, and also tighten your boot closely at the top. If you’re hiking or snow shoeing throwing on some gaiters is your best bet for staying dry.
Picking Winter Boots Based on Warmth & Insulation
Warmth is one of the main reasons people decide to rock a pair of boots. You’ll have to look for these factors to learn how warm your boots are:
- gram rating
- temperature rating
- insulation material
- activity level
- circulation
- sock type & thickness
- boot’s fit
Insulation for Your Winter Boots
You need your feet to be warm and also stay warm. This is where insulation comes in. Insulation traps the warmth inside your boot and doesn’t let cold air in. This is measured by their gram rating. Lighter and heavy boots have different levels of insulation.
Light boots typically come at insulation levels of 100 grams. These bad boys are even warmer than regular leather boots. On the other hand, heavier boots can be found at 400 grams of insulation or more. These snow kickers are warmer in cold temperatures and are usually fully waterproof. Stay away from these if your budget’s not too high or if you’re trying to go for a long walk wearing these. Don’t catch yourself wearing a knee-high and heavily-insulated boot if you’re hiking in the winter. You’ll be sorely disappointed to learn how uncomfortable wearing these bad boys are for this activity. Hiking’s a high output activity that will warm you up anyway, so the insulation would be too much compared to an activity like walking your dog or walking around town.
Insulation Material
Boots have different types of insulation material, such as synthetic fill or down.
Synthetic fills are the most common insulation material. They work when microfibers trap air molecules within the insulation. The more fibers and the finer they are, the more air they trap. This stops the movement of cold air molecules and maintains warm air molecules surrounding your foot inside your boot.
Thinsulate is the most popular because it has the finest, smallest fibers. Some boots made with these materials have separate removable felt liners or sheepskin or wool interiors. Another solid material is Gore-Tex, which makes waterproof and breathable kicks to keep your feet warm and toasty. If you’re not stacking bread, but still need some boots with a mini-bread budget, you can pick up some boots made out of nylon or nylon or polyurethane upper (PU) and a waterproof coating.
Down insulation material nature’s best insulation material, typically made from the undercoat of fine, fluffy feathers of water birds. It’s warmth-to-weight ratio is above other insulation materials. It resists water, but keeps insulating when wet. This is a problem if water enters your boot or if your feet get sweaty.
Shearling, also known as fine fleece, is a type of leather from a sheep that’s just been sheared. The wool is stays on the sheep as leather is processed to make soft and very warm insulation material. It does have durability problems. It compresses and breaks down relatively quickly if used a lot. For this reason this is not your ideal hiking boot material. When used to make hiking boots it’s often made with other materials to protect its leather.
Leather has been around forever, but is not as breathable as synthetic fabrics. On the plus side it’s naturally waterproof and can be treated with additional finishes.
Temperature Rating
Lots of companies that make boots advertise their temperature rating, such as -25, -50, etc. Don’t just focus on this rating because there’s no standard rating system to measure how warm boots are. Be sure to peep the other specs for the boot you’re checking out.
Finding Safe Winter Boots Based on Their Traction & Grip
Safety should be your number one decision factor for picking some boots. As cool as that ice or snow looks it doesn’t budge when people slip or fall because of it. You’ll need boots that have high slip resistance on wet and cold ice. There are loads of grippy outsole materials and tread patterns to pick from. However, a boot’s tread pattern alone won’t determine this. You have to test each pair you see on ice to see how good they’ll keep you balanced. Casual winter boots and winter hiking boots typically have different levels of traction.
A major factor for some boots’ traction is the out sole material. For example, boots made with special materials made with a rough surface embedded with certain types of fibres of hard particles. These will outdo regular rubber out soles because materials have better grip, especially on melting ice.
Casual winter snow boots have a different lug pattern & rubber compound than hiking winter boots. They’re typically softer and don’t harden when temperatures drop. This helps keep a grip on slick surfaces and the lug patterns prevent snow building. However, their traction is weaker than winter hiking boots. Hiking boots have the best traction. Moreover, winter-specific designed winter boots have excellent traction.
Traction devices are an accessory you can add to your boots and wear them if conditions get wild. These are situations like a steep terrain or ice everywhere in sight.
Winter Boots Based on Their Style & Activity You’re Doing
Boots come in different styles. These styles revolve around what activity you’re doing. Boots also come in one-piece or two-piece designs. Shout out to the anime fans out here. The different styles will be more comfortable and keep you warm depending on which activity you need it for.
Two-Piece Designs
Two-piece boot designs are classic and very common to see. They have a thick outer shell, typically made of leather, and an removable liner inside the shell also known as felt.
This design has lots of upsides such as:
- great waterproofing to keep that water out and your feet dry
- you can remove the liner to dry or wash it
- you can replace the liners if they start degrading before your boots break down
- usually softer than one-piece boots
The only thing that’s whack about two-piece designs is that they’re not good if you’re doing any of these activities:
- covering long distances
- snow shoeing
- going hiking
One-Piece Designs
You want a one-piece winter boot if you’re trekking for long distances, snow shoeing, or taking a hike. In addition, the one-piece winter boot design shines in these areas:
- moves better
- less sloppy
- less moving parts to rub or feel out of place
- weighs far less than two-piece designs
- they’re the most common active use boot
Weight and Bulk
Your boot’s weight doesn’t make a difference unless you’re snowshoeing or hiking for long hours. For activities like that you’re better off with a light or nimble shoe. Bulk can be a real factor because you don’t want to wear big, burdensome boots. It’s good to check the weight alongside the overall build.
Fit & Size
You want boots that fit right. A bigger boot gives you room to wear thick winter wool socks without inhibiting your blood circulation and compromising your boot’s warmth. The boot size can be different depending on what you’re doing, such as walking around town or hiking.
If you’re walking around town your boot’s fit doesn’t need to be perfect for your feet to stay warm. On the other hand if you’re hiking you’ll have to do some more homework to keep your feet warm and your blood well circulated. Since you’re going to cover a lot of distance and out for many hours you’ll need to:
- get fit dialed to avoid hotspots and discomfort
- try the boots on in person
- research and prepare to get sized up if buying boots online
Accessories
Accessories can be added to your boots to do things like add extra insulation, temperature regulation, and wicking away moisture. For example, you can wear thick merino wool socks when it’s cold out or add traction devices to your boots. Cotton socks are another accessory that is not recommended. This is because they don’t dry out or wick away moisture well.
There’s also removable traction devices, such as micro-spikes or crampons, that you can add to your boots to limit how much slips and falls you’ll have. Heavy winter is where these bad boys shine. As good as they are, they don’t guarantee slipping or falling. As a matter of fact, these can increase your tripping hazard if you’re walking on an uneven surface like a city sidewalk.
Summary
What boots do you rock when winter rolls around and there is snow and ice everywhere? How long have you had your boots for? What do you mainly use them for? Leave a comment and be sure to share the content!
