Boots, Made for Walking

With cold Canadian winters comes cold Canadian's toes; we want to make sure that you are putting your piggies in the right type of boot for this coming winter season. Some questions that we hear often are "what are these rated for?" "what makes it warm?" "are these good on ice?" We're going to give you some great tips to help you find exactly what your looking for, and enlighten you on the warm world of winter insulation.

he needs warm boots.

The first question you need to ask yourself is: What am I using this for? Second is "what size do I need?"

Obviously when buying a winter boot, you want it to fit properly, but fitting winter footwear can be a bit trickier than a popping your foot into a flip flop. The most common technique to see if the boot fits is to try and find your toe by pushing the top of the boot; in most winter footwear the outer material is much thicker making rather questionable whether that bump in the top of the rubber is your toe or a thick seam. Our solution: if it's possible take the insole out of the boot (many winter boots have a removable liner, that's fine too) and stand on it. Ideally, what you're looking for is about a thumb width from the top of your toe to the end of the insole. In children's footwear, a thumb and a half is generally a good rule since they grow like a snowball rolling down a hill.
Keep in mind that even though there is a fair amount of insulation, trying on a winter boot with a thicker sock is always good to make sure you have space on those -35 with windchill days. Take into account that you might want an extra bit of space for a nice cozy sock.

maybe not thiiiis big. 

Warmth is variable; keep that in mind when shopping for winter footwear. We get the warmth question a lot - and it is a great question, but the answer is difficult. Preventing frostbite is the whole reason we buy insulated footwear. However, there is no uniform way that the outdoor industry rates footwear. Most companies will ballpark a temperature and base it on many things like layering, full bellies, activity levels and personal hydration (optimal conditions). This is where you need to be aware of what you are using the footwear for. If you are using it for every day use like walking to work or snow fort building, try picking up a boot that is rated lower than what you expect. For higher activity like winter trail running or snowshoe racing, try something of a milder temperature with a sneaker-like fit. The temperature is just an estimate, and how well the boot performs in colder climates is fairly dependant on your personal conditions.

Making a toasty boot comes down to what is stuffed into it, like warm holiday stuffing. That'd be gross. Usually insulated boots are filled with a synthetic insulator, and on occasion, you may find a down boot.
Finding a warm synthetic boot comes down to how much insulation (in grams) is filled in the boot. The higher the number in grams, the higher the temperature of the boot so to speak. Synthetics are a great fill in boots because they tend to keep their warmth when damp, as opposed to down which loses loft and warmth when wet. A synthetic can sometimes be bulkier than a down but they are certainly more common to find. A great choice for a filler in a winter boot is Primaloft. This synthetic is as light and packable as down, and comparable in warmth; overall, a great choice in warmth to weight ratio.

Now that you've maybe found a nice warm boot that fits you, can you stand on your own two feet?  Defeating the evil villan that comes to town every season takes down hundreds: ice.
Nothing is going to be perfect on ice. That is the truth, but there are huge strides in what the sole of a boot can do. When trying to find a boot, check the bottoms and inspect the rubber. You want to look for something with good tread and a fairly sticky rubber. The North Face has created a technology worth checking out called "Ice Pick" which is a temperature sensitive rubber set strategically into the sole of the boot which hardens to make a "pick" jabbing the ice.
If a boot fits all the criteria but does not have the stickiest sole, you can always pick up a product to put onto your boots to help keep you vertical.

Now that you have read the rules of winter boot buying, here is a video to scare you from purchasing bad boots, or fill you with seasonal joy, depending on who you are.