The unspoken winter ritual in my house growing went something like this: You see snow, you get psyched, then you shovel the driveway, then we go for a walk, then we drink hot chocolate. It started at a young age. We were always big winter walkers in my family, in spite of the fact that most our boots were hand-me-downs. I can remember hours spent walking and wondering where everyone else was, walking down the middle of the road sometimes (not recommended, but totally recommended), helping strangers push their cars uphill and out from buried parking spots. I can’t remember how it started, but I can assure you that those are some of my fondest childhood memories, a tradition I’ve maintained to this day. Proper winter boots and related footwear is essential, and buying a quality pair of boots is a wise and worthy investment.
The North Face Four Shadows GTX is our pick for the most versatile winter boot. The Four Shadows also get our award for the most literary boot name, which is significant because rarely, if ever, do we get the chance to review products with names like the Patagonia Poe or the Mark Twain All Stars. Besides the name, we picked these boots because they have superior breatheability and excellent moisture control. They’ll comfortably take you down to temperatures below freezing, which is when the temperature reactive treads on the bottom of the shows harden to give you extra traction – big technical points for that. How many people do you know with winter footwear that reacts to the temperature (frozen-stiff uppers don’t count)? The recycled 400g PrimaLoft lining is a big plus on our scale.
The North Face Baltoro 400 II is our pick for those among us looking to spend time at dangerously low temperatures – no joke, these babies will keep your feet warm far south of freezing. I’ve had an earlier version of these boots for years that I’ve worn winter camping with great success (unrelated winter camping trick: Pour boiling water into a Nalgene, or two, and bring them into your sleeping bag at night). Complete with oversized pull tab in the back (particularly useful when you don’t want to take your gloves off), heel lip (for attaching cramp-ons or snowshoes), and D-ring in the front (for gators). Excellent padding throughout with a recycled 400g PrimaLoft lining keeps you comfortable and warm with plenty of room for thick layers of socks. Rated down to -40C.
 |
