Winter Boots Vs. Hiking Boots

I go to college in New England. Last winter, I trekked .8 miles (1.6 miles both ways) up the infamous Science Hill at least three times a week for classes. The route featured slush.  There were often street-rivers, which originated from melting slush. My sneaker-bound my feet endured a winter of misery.

This year, I will put up with cold feet no more. I bought a pair of winter boots. I will write an update on my feet when the winter is done.

This article is about things to know when buying winter boots.

Photo by some dude called Jamie.

I did a bit of research online to figure out what type of boots to buy on a college-size budget. If for you, it is possible to get the best, most pricey boots on the market, then go for it. And then donate an equal amount to charity.

I write this because I could not find a concise analysis people who want to specifically keep their feet dry during the winter on a budget. I will share my findings as well as some great resources that I found during my research.

1. Winter boots are not hiking boots.
   The main takeaway is that winter boots can't take the same beating that hiking boots should. Additionally, unless you have really well made, pretty pricey hiking boots, the water-proofing is not as good as in winter boots.
   Typically, winter boots are meant to insulate feet warmth and to keep feet dry. Hiking boots are designed to be hiked in on unpredictable surface, which sometimes entails extra ankle support and/or materials that can support large internal stresses. Hiking shoes are not usually very insulating.  Often, hiking boots feature waterproof features. In a popular material is this techno-fabric called Gore-Tex. However, the design of many hiking boots is such that they may not handle more than a few inches of snow or puddle-depth very well. Additionally, it's necessary to apply leather water-proofing spray to leather/suede hiking boots, otherwise the leather will eventually become water-logged. This is sometimes true of winter-boots, too (I'll address this in a bit).
   Don't hike in winter boots.


2. Winter boots are more waterproof than hiking boots.
   The main takeaway is that winter books features some sort of rubber or synthetic material like TPU. These materials can be dry-sealing, which is helpful for slushy city navigation. For example, compare these "duck boots" from Sorel  to these  KEEN Waterproof Hiking boots.
   
   

   

   Images totally stolen from Amazon.com.

   
   You can imagine that higher rubber/plastic content repels water/slush/snow best. The laces flap on the hiking boots are also viable for water entry, which the duckboots can avoid somewhat.


3. If you spend most of your time outdoors during winter, consider insulation.
   Some winter boots have more insulation than others. If you are going to be outside most of the day during the winter, you'll definitely want more insulated boots (and probably not the boots that I ended up buying, see below). Also, if you really are going to be outside all day, consider buying pretty quality boots. You're feet are worth it. In particular, this Reddit thread has some good suggestions:
    

   

   Reddit.


4. Consider is durable.
   Self explanatory. Durability is important. With the boots stay watertight after multiple winters? Read online reviews. Ask friends who own boots. Check out the resources I compiled at the bottom of this article.


5. I don't known what you should do if a stylish boot is your primary concern or if you are a woman.
   I care more about durability and waterproofness than style. If you're gonna but fancy-ass suede boots, I don't know if you should waterproof it with a product like Nikwax or not. Look it up an let me know. If you are a woman, I'm not sure what your feet need. Maybe consult the resources below, as they have reviews for women's boots!

BONUS: L.L. Bean products have a lifetime warranty.
I didn't get L.L. Bean duckboots, and I'm not quite sure how this warranty works out, but it's worth looking into.

BONUS: Cabela's sells some cheap winter boots.
I don't know if they're any good. Please let me know if you have experience with them.

These Kamik NationPlus are the boots I bought: 

Kamik NationPlus winter boots. Photo by Jediah Porter.

Worth it? $59.95 at Sports Authority online store on Black Friday. Also got half-off soccer cleats with this purchase.

I found out about these boots through the very informative website Outdoor Gear Lab, which features comprehensive field tests of lots of outdoor gear. According to their review, these Kamiks are a "best value" buy, offering good water protection and durability at a very inexpensive price. I definitely payed below MSRP, too. I will write again after this winter to let you know how the boots performed.

RESOURCES:

Here are two great websites with field-tested boot reviews (winter boots and hiking boots):

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/shoes-and-boots
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Footwear/Boots/