How to Choose the Best Winter Boots

Finding high-quality winter boots is a lot like finding a great pair of jeans. It seems easy enough, but the more you look into it, and from having any experience wearing low-quality winter boots, you understand a bit of thought has to be put into the shopping process. In this post, we are here to help you find high-quality winter boots that will fit your needs.

Know Why You Need Them

Before you start exploring your options, think about what you intend to use the winter boots for. Do you live in a metropolitan area that's cold during the winter but doesn’t get much snowfall? Or do you live in a rural area where you spend a lot of time working outdoors in the winter? Whether you live in a city or out in the country or you live in an area that gets lots of snow or hardly any snow, one thing is sure: you want waterproof winter boots (no one likes walking around with wet socks). Determine what you would most often wear the boots for, and then you will better understand which winter boot styles you should be looking at.

Casual Wear Winter Boots Vs. Rugged Trekking-Through-Snow Boots

If you simply need winter boots for your commute to work, to the grocery store, or to anywhere else you frequent regularly, you may only need casual wear winter boots. If you enjoy snowy winter hikes or you spend a lot of time outdoors during the winter, you will need boots that are much thicker and more durable. It’s also possible that you would need both a lighter pair of winter boots and a heavier pair of winter boots for the different activities in your life.

Determine How Much Warmth You Are Going to Need

When looking for winter boots that will provide you with the most warmth, you will need to take a few different factors into consideration. Think about the amount of activity you'll be doing. Are you going for a two-hour hike through the woods on a snowy winter day? Are you only going to be outside for a few minutes in between getting out of your car and walking into the office? Next, think about circulation, the boot's fit, and how thick your socks will generally be, as this will influence the fit and size of the boot you get.

Insulation is another big thing to consider when it comes to warmth. Different boot brands and styles are bad with different types of insulation. Synthetic fill is most commonly used because it’s great and keeps water out. Along with a thick, synthetic fill, some boots are also designed with an interior lining like wool or sheepskin, both of which do a great job of adding more warmth and protection from the elements.

Figure Out The Best Boot Height For You

One of the primary purposes of investing in high-quality winter snow boots is to not only keep your feet warm and insulated, but to keep snow, ice, and wet slush out. The height of your boot will play a big role in helping keep the elements out. Generally, the more length there is to the boot, the better it will be at keeping snow and ice out. It’s even better if you can find lace-up boots with additional wool or shearling fur lining for more snug insulation and protection.

Find The Style You Like Best

For some people, the style of their winter boots isn’t really a top priority. This could be the case for anyone who just wants a high-quality, long-lasting pair of winter boots that will protect their feet through snowy terrain. But for a lot of people, winter boots are worn in cities, commuting to work or school, or in various social settings, and thus, they want a pair of winter boots that will be just as stylish as they are durable. Fortunately, winter boot manufacturers understand people’s desire to maintain style while wearing winter boots, so there is a lot of variety to choose from. After you have covered the basics such as boot material, features, length, and insulation, you can get to the fun part: picking out the style you like best. For some people, they like ankle boots while others might like tall boots. Some may prefer laced-up boots while others want zip-up ones. There is also a wide variety of colors to choose from. However, it’s always a good idea to have one standard pair of black winter boots that you can wear with many different outfits. After you’ve invested in a high-quality pair of boots in a neutral tone, you can shop around for winter boots that make more of a fashion statement.