Winter Boots – I typically review photography equipment but the recent dumps of snow we’ve gotten lately (more snow than the last two years!), has made me re-evalute my winter footwear equipment.
At this point we have an inch of ice as a base layer followed by six inches of crust and then a layer of about 8 – 12 inches of fluffy snow. On the sides of the road we have waist high snow plow created berms and then anything between ice and waist deep drifts of snow in the fields.
I can no longer keep putting off new winter boots. My last pair must be about 10 years old and the soles are nearly worn through, the laces are long gone and water is seeping through holes in the sides.
I have several pairs of shoes for the winter:
A short pull on sneaker like shoe with very aggressive soles for when I’m walking in shoveled area. Mine are kind of like these from Merrell but mine were made by Salomon and have an even more aggressive soul. When they came out on the market they were an entirely new kind of shoe. Something you could slip on to go from the ski lodge to the car. I don’t know why they stopped making them, they were very unique and different than anything I’ve seen since. Mine and my wife’s pairs are still going strong after about 12 years of use in the snow.
A mid-height insulated “duck hunter” type boot that great for wet sloppy stuff. But I don’t like fiddling with the laces!
And a tall winter boot for deep snow, snowshoeing and snowblowing/shoveling the driveway. Plus for jumping over banks and into drifts of deep snow to capture some winter photographs.
My criteria for winter snow boots is the following:
- They have to be warm.
- They have to be waterproof, at least on the bottom few inches.
- They have to be easy to slip on and off as I’m going out to get firewood and have to come in an out several times.
- They have to have a good grip on ice and snow.
- No laces – I’m done with having to lace them or having the laces break constantly or come undone.
- I have to be able to drive with them on.
I ended up getting these as my replacement for my old used up Sorrells.
Its a basic boot that meet the criteria I need to attack the drifts and climb the snow mounds. Thick sole, high sides, no laces other than a pull string at the tip to close up the boot to snow, dirt, salt crystals or whatever. Easy to pull on and off these will be great for tackling the rest of the winter season.
The Kamik Men’s Greenbay 4 Cold-Weather Boot –
Protects to -40! Kamik: an Inuit word meaning “foot covering.” Kamik Boots Company has operated over 100 years and, much like the Inuit, they know a thing or two about staying warm in the deep freeze. Waterproof; Flexible Duration 600 nylon uppers; Lace lock snow collar; Self-cleaning PULSE Rubber HE outsole; Removable Thermal Guard moisture-wicking lining; Rear pull-on loop; Rated to -40 Degrees F.; Each approximately 14″ height, 31 ounces; Imported; Half sizes, order the next larger full size. Kamik Greenbay Men’s Waterproof 4 Winter Boots, Black
You’ll scoff at wintery weather in this high-tech snow boot from Kamik. Constructed with a lightweight yet durable waterproof nylon shell, the Greenbay 4 features a removable felt liner and a lace-lock snow collar designed to keep warmth in and cold out. Rated to -40° Fahrenheit, the boot has a mid-foot adjustable Velcro closure strap to help keep the foot snug and a thick treaded rubber outsole for traction on slippery, icy surfaces.
FCC Disclaimer: I purchased these boots myself. No product was provided.