Jump to content

Menu

Rec's for snowboots from people who actually live in areas where it snows


Liz CA
 Share

Recommended Posts

Ds lives in a state where they have real winters including snow.

Dh and I have not seen snow - except on mountains from a distance - and therefore could use some recommendations for good, solid snow boots. I am looking at Cabela's but don't know what to choose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorels are the warmest and most durable. I wore the same pair for eight years, 7-8 months a year. Not any of the fashion boots either, but these:

http://www.sorel.com/caribou-%7C-238-%7C-12-803298389464.html?gclid=CL6N16WO1dACFYVgfgodlroPgA&mid=paidsearch&eid=Google+PLA+US&s_kwcid=AL!3937!3!%7Bcreative%7D!%7Bmatchtype%7D!%7Bplacement%7D!%7Bnetwork%7D!%7Bproduct_partition_id%7D!%7Bkeyword%7D&CAWELAID=120221000000001056&CAGPSPN=%7Bifpla:pla%7D%7Bifdyn:dyn%7D&CAAGID=%7Badgroupid%7D&CATCI=%7Btargetid%7D&ef_id=VspObAAAAIadO088:20161202084042:s

 

If you need something even more seriously warm, Baffins. They're really toasty and heavy, I don't find I need those but my husband wears them when he goes up to the north slope (-60 rated). Their non-industrial boots are less heavy duty but still very warm:

http://winterboots.com/baffin-suka-womens-extreme-winter-boots.html

 

My kids do wear Boggs but I don't recommend them for warmth - they're convenient, especially in slush, but even running around and sweating in snow gear their toes do still get cold when the temperature drops below about 20F. Kamiks are better but not super durable, and Columbia footwear is a joke. Keens are nice but better suited to wet weather and warmer temps, like 30-50F and rainy. Hope that helps :)

Edited by Arctic Mama
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our Sorels have held up well, and I believe our Kamik boots have as well. I can also say that our many pairs of Lands' End boots have lasted, and they've been very warm and waterproof. I've got a few pairs that have been through 4-6 toddlers, some of them multiple winters with the same kid, and they still look like new. My own LE boots (which are from the kid section because I have tiny feet) are about nine years old and still going strong, although they don't get heavy use. (Haven't bought LE boots in years, thanks to their longevity, so it's possible they have declined in quality.)

 

For my older kids, DH has gotten them army surplus boots on discounts, and those have worked well for heavy snow, and they're going on three or four winters thus far and still doing well. I can't remember what brand DH's winter boots are, but I can ask him.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't live up north but spooke to some Canadian friends before buying snow boots last year. Baffin, Bogs, and Sorel were most frequently mentioned, IIRC.

 

Baffin boots are the warmest that I have found. Sorel might be as warm, but I gave away my pair a few years ago and cannot do a direct comparison. Shoebuy and 6 pm have good prices; I always wait for a 20-30% off sale at Shoebuy-30% is the cyber week sale but it will be over in a few days.

 

I've been researching Pajar Canada boots, and they seem to be good, although some styles can get really expensive.

 

I would love to hear from someone who has a pair of Steger Mukluks-I think they are extremely warm but don't know if they are waterproof. They are pricey, but DH seems to think they are the mother ship of winter boots.

 

http://www.mukluks.com

 

Those Baffin and Sorel boots Arctic Mama listed look heavenly. :wub:

Edited by trulycrabby
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

How much will you be visiting? How much will you be outside? We are in Michigan and many people skip the boots for daily running around.

 

If you are going to be out in the snow a great deal then Sorrel or Bogs (make sure to get the winter rated ones as some are more just rain boots) or Muck boots. Bogs you tend to need to size up with some styles.

 

The bogs are great though as are the muck boots as they can be worn as rain, mud boots as well. Kids around here wear theml sake ones year round....from shorts to snow gear.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For actual playing in the snow, we like sorrels or kamiks. Bogs are nice because they just pull on but we don't find them as warm or as amenable to actually getting in the snow. But are nice for wet conditions.

Uggs are the warmest IMO, but can't really get very wet. I use my Uggs day to day for running errands, etc.

So I think it depends where you are going to be and what conditions will be like.

ETA If you are just visiting I might hold off and go buy a cheap pair if you need them. Good boots are super expensive and I would invest unless I were using them a bunch.

Edited by WoolySocks
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pah...bunch of weaklings. I wear flipflops.

 

Which you'd think is a joke. Sort of. I don't really, but I once went out in stocking feet to shovel the porch. It felt warm that day so I thought hey why not.

My DS prefers flip flops. I have made up a rule that if there is snow on the ground he must wear shoes with socks.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So much depends on what is going to be DONE in boots, and how much snow we're really talking.

 

We have 6 month winters, give or take.  Dustings to 2+ feet.  Often more ice than snow.  I own Kamiks, but only pull them out a few times a year, usually if the kids have an activity in the woods or if we have especially high snow drifts to shovel for hours.  I mostly go around in sneakers or dress boots during the winter.  If it's especially icy, one of us will throw spikes on our sneakers to take the dog out.

 

We're not serious winter mountain hikers, and haven't found a need for serious winter boots in 11 years here.  (But I do drool over the Mukluk catalog every year.)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could just wait and try on boots when you get there.  They'll be really different with how they feel.  If you have a brand of shoes you like, you might see if they have a boot offering.  I just got some Born boots that have flannel lining.  Like the others are saying, unless you're talking hiking through the mountains or significant, significant snow, you might be fine with just about anything.  I just bought a pair of little furry short boots that have good soles.  The brand is Northside (nothing special) and they're more than adequate to buzz to town, walk up the driveway if it's too slippery to drive, etc.  I wouldn't trudge through 2' of snow in them, but you may not be trying to do that, kwim?  Womens Northside Jaxon Boot Brown They're sorta like this link, but mine are slip-ons.  These would probably be nice too.  

 

Ooo, found 'em!  Womens Northside Kayla Slip On Honey  These are what I just got.  I have other boots for being in the snow, but just for going around town, walking in shoveled places, etc., these are adequate. And they're very warm for your CA toes.  :D

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pah...bunch of weaklings.  I wear flipflops. 

 

Which you'd think is a joke.  Sort of.  I don't really, but I once went out in stocking feet to shovel the porch.  It felt warm that day so I thought hey why not. 

 

Are there penguins in your ancestry??? :lol: :lol: :lol: Asks the woman who thinks it's a cold morning when the temps dip below F50. :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I missed the part about just visiting. I wouldn't invest in any unless you'll be spending your time snowshoeing or something. If it's just for getting from here to there during a visit, regular hiking boots or shoes with decent traction will do fine.

 

Sorry - I posted this last night and was not clear. The boots are a gift for my son and he lives in an area with several months of winter and temps below F20 and occasionally sub-zero.. I don't think it gets quite as low as -30 but we'd like to get him a good pair of snow boots and not just a Western California version of winter boots. :)

 

We may end up giving him a gift card so he can select the right boots but I am going to take a look at your guys' suggestions because dh always likes to buy the "real" thing versus a gift card. I think he feels like he has not given anything if he hands over a card. ;)

 

Edited by Liz CA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry - I posted this last night and was not clear. The boots are a gift for my son and he lives in an area with several months of winter and temps below F20 and occasionally sub-zero.. I don't think it gets quite as low as -30 but we'd like to get him a good pair of snow boots and not just a Western California version of winter boots. :)

 

We may end up giving him a gift card so he can select the right boots but I am going to take a look at your guys' suggestions because dh always likes to buy the "real" thing versus a gift card. I think he feels like he has not given anything if he hands over a card. ;)

That makes sense. He will probably want to try them on, though. Some are really wide, which can be cold if there's extra space around your foot. Too narrow obviously constricts and also leads to cold feet.

 

20 isn't so cold he'll need much protection--I don't know any men here who would bother with actual snow boots for every day wear at that temperature--but it depends what he needs them for.

 

Nice gift idea--good luck!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorels are what the ski lift operators in Vermont wore if they had to stand outside all day in the snow at -25 degrees.  They are butt ugly but they are also waterproof and warm.

 

Columbias are rated the same, and are extremely warm; but my first pair actually came apart at the forefoot seams spontaneously and suddenly after a few years.  It was so weird.  Luckily this occurred at an airport, and I took them back to REI and exchanged them right away; but if this had happened out in the wild it would have been very dangerous.  Whereas I have never heard of Sorels failing like that.  

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

DW and I both have the classic "1964" Sorels. Mine are 20+ yo and I've replaced the liners once and they have some tarnish on the eyelets but other than that are in perfect shape.

 

When DW was middle and high school in VT/NH everyone had sorel's and folks just used different color shoe laces to tell them apart.

 

The kids have LL Bean northwoods boots that are indestructible. We have bought Kamiks in the past and had trouble with durability. The rubber shell eventually dries out, gets brittle, and cracks. It takes 3-5 years but we've never had that problem with Bean boots.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before writing off Bogs and Muck boots know that they do make different types of boots - some are only meant for rain. We got the wrong ones one time on Amazon and had to get rid of them right away. We have winter/snow over half the year and I wear this type of boot almost every day for outdoor farm chores. They are so much easier to pull on and off than Sorels (lace ups) and I never have a problem with cold feet. The pull-on Bogs and Mucks are not for hiking but work well for daily activities.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry - I posted this last night and was not clear. The boots are a gift for my son and he lives in an area with several months of winter and temps below F20 and occasionally sub-zero.. I don't think it gets quite as low as -30 but we'd like to get him a good pair of snow boots and not just a Western California version of winter boots. :)

 

We may end up giving him a gift card so he can select the right boots but I am going to take a look at your guys' suggestions because dh always likes to buy the "real" thing versus a gift card. I think he feels like he has not given anything if he hands over a card. ;)

 

Is there an REI or something where he is?  That's just tricky to do without him being there to try on.  My dh would never want a pair of boots he didn't try on.  A guy might have a sense of what his peers are wearing and want something you aren't expecting.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before writing off Bogs and Muck boots know that they do make different types of boots - some are only meant for rain.

My Bogs are definitely for cold weather, not just rain, and my toes get cold! Of course, they also got cold in LandsEnd boots rated for some ridiculously low temp, so it could just be my feet. ;)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Bogs are definitely for cold weather, not just rain, and my toes get cold! Of course, they also got cold in LandsEnd boots rated for some ridiculously low temp, so it could just be my feet. ;)

My feet were always cold, year round, so much so that I never thought about it because I never experienced anything different, UNTIL I got my first pair of double layer ThorLo socks.  WOW!  Now I am spoiled.  I expect warm feet in the winter and cool feet in the summer.  Unfortunately those old ThorLos are no longer made, but other double layer socks keep my feet warmer than before.  

 

I realized that I have sweaty feet, and even in wool socks, which supposedly stay warm even when damp, my feet were always cold.  Once I started wearing socks that wick that dampness away, I didn't have cold feet anymore.  Try it!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fwiw, wool socks would be an easier thing to guess right than boots, and they'd probably go over big.  You can get liner wool socks or regular ones or both. For me they're kind of a splurge, but I love them.  The liner wool socks I wear with boots when it's less cold out, then I wear thicker when it's colder.  I got mine at REI online.

Edited by OhElizabeth
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry - I posted this last night and was not clear. The boots are a gift for my son and he lives in an area with several months of winter and temps below F20 and occasionally sub-zero.. I don't think it gets quite as low as -30 but we'd like to get him a good pair of snow boots and not just a Western California version of winter boots. :)

 

We may end up giving him a gift card so he can select the right boots but I am going to take a look at your guys' suggestions because dh always likes to buy the "real" thing versus a gift card. I think he feels like he has not given anything if he hands over a card. ;)

 

I'd just give him a cheque so he can find the store and boots that work best where he is. The styles and selection will most likely be greater in the location where the people actually use the boots.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would get him some wool socks and/or nice long underwear and/or nice hat or gloves and wrap them all up with a gift card or check and a note to say that you want him to get the right pair of boots. That way, your DH feels like you've actually given a gift to him, and he will get to pick out just the right ones.

 

You're a sweet Mom to think of him. Good boots can be expensive and out of a young adult's price range.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would get him some wool socks and/or nice long underwear and/or nice hat or gloves and wrap them all up with a gift card or check and a note to say that you want him to get the right pair of boots. That way, your DH feels like you've actually given a gift to him, and he will get to pick out just the right ones.

 

 

 

I think this is a fabulous idea! I will see what dh says and if this satisfies his gift giving parameters. :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My feet were always cold, year round, so much so that I never thought about it because I never experienced anything different, UNTIL I got my first pair of double layer ThorLo socks. WOW! Now I am spoiled. I expect warm feet in the winter and cool feet in the summer. Unfortunately those old ThorLos are no longer made, but other double layer socks keep my feet warmer than before.

 

I realized that I have sweaty feet, and even in wool socks, which supposedly stay warm even when damp, my feet were always cold. Once I started wearing socks that wick that dampness away, I didn't have cold feet anymore. Try it!

Thanks for the tip. I wear big thick Smartwool socks and still cold. I will look into some Thorlo substitutes. :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had a pair of Sorel for a few years, just now starting to wear them regularly due to my trek from the parking lot into my work. So warm and toasty, I love them. Not too heavy/bulky for the near mile long  walk to my building. I looked them up recently and they still sell them, I believe the style name is the Angel boot or something similar. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...