Footwear Experts Advice On What To Look For When Buying Winter Boots

With the heavy snowfall here it’s finally time to break out the winter boots. But since it might be the first time you’re putting them on, maybe you need a new pair. If that’s the case, then before you go shopping, you should know what footwear experts themselves look for when buying their own winter boots.

It starts with knowing what you want them for. Are they just for getting you to work? Do you have to dig out the driveway? Or are you going to be walking around in them a lot. Depending on what you want to do, will change what you need a bit.

But for basic winter boot requirements you want the following:

Breathability and waterproofness

Keeping your feet dry is about more than keeping the water out. For Claudia Inkel, the buying director at Altitude Sports, breathability and waterproofness are as important as utility and warmth when it comes to a winter boot. Sweat will make your feet wet as easily as a puddle, which is why your boots need to breathe and be waterproof.

Sealed seam construction on a boot means water cannot get in through the seems, and if you can afford boots with Gore-Tex material, it is breathable and waterproof. If not, look for something with a waterproof bottom and a breathable fabric treated with waterproofing for above the ankle.

“You want to make sure that it keeps your feet dry,” she said. “I think everything goes back to this, because in the end, if your feet are wet, you’re going to be cold, even if you have the best boot that goes up until –30 C, –40 C, –50 C.”

Warmth

Insulation matters to keep you warm. But more insulation makes a boot heavier, and the taller the boot the harder it will be to walk in as well. If you need to be digging out the driveway, a good tall, heavy boot might be helpful, but not if you’re taking the dog for a walk on snowy trails.

“Insulation weights will give you a good idea of how warm the boots are going to be,” Hinton said. MEC, for example, carries insulated boots with anywhere from 100 grams to 600 grams of insulation. A style with 100 grams of insulation is light, but still warmer than regular leather boots, while boots with 400 grams of insulation are heavier, but will be warmer in “really, really cold temperatures,” suggests Hinton.

Grip

Traction on your boot keeps your body out of traction. Slipping during the winter is one of the easiest ways to injure yourself. Icy conditions often exist underneath freshly fallen snow, and the combination can be deadly. Having good traction on your boots can help avoid injury.

Sophia Li, a scientist and manager at University Health Network’s KITE Research Institute, believes safety should be a top priority when you’re shopping for winter footwear. According to Li, one factor that does make a difference when it comes to traction on ice is the outsole material. Outsoles made with special materials — those that have a rough surface and are embedded with certain types of fibres or hard particles, for example — will typically perform better than regular rubber outsoles, because the materials offer better grip, especially on melting ice.

Accessorize

If you can’t find just the right pair of boots with everything you need, or if you can’t afford two pairs of boots to suit your different winter activities; there are always options to adjust your footwear for the situation. The right pair of socks can improve the breathability or insulation. While a set of crampons can improve your traction. Just be sure you know what it is you are buying, how it works, and how to adjust your walking with them on.

Hopefully this helps ensure you pick out the right boots to protect you and your feet this winter.

Source: https://bit.ly/3HcxOEC

Image – Emma Dau / Unsplash