The grippiest winter boots I ever wore
January 28, 2019 2:58 PM Subscribe
Once, when I was a kid, I wore a friend's winter boots. They had the best grip of any winter boot I've ever worn. I've had no luck finding something similar. The bottom was soft, flexible, and had a pattern something like... uh... kinda sorta like the bottom of this fungus or this one. Has anyone seen a boot like this? Know what it's called? Know where to find one?
Slipping on ice is THE WORST part of winter.
That being said, the boots I've slipped the least in throughout two decades of New England winter have lug soles. Not quite as ... pitty, I guess, as crepe soles? To me, my lug sole boots look closer to your second picture whereas pictures of crepe soles look closer to your first picture. But my point is that the indentations of lug soles have provided me much better grip on ice than anything else I've worn.
However, a Toronto rehabilitation lab did a study a couple of years ago that tested 100 pairs of boots against walking on ice, and only nine pairs could handle an incline up to 7%, the equivalent slope of a curb cut. None could handle an incline up to 15%. The linked article lists the nine pairs that passed the slip test, but they're focused on boots available in Canada given their locale. (Tho I just checked your location so that may actually be more relevant than I originally thought!)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 3:57 PM on January 28, 2019 [4 favorites]
That being said, the boots I've slipped the least in throughout two decades of New England winter have lug soles. Not quite as ... pitty, I guess, as crepe soles? To me, my lug sole boots look closer to your second picture whereas pictures of crepe soles look closer to your first picture. But my point is that the indentations of lug soles have provided me much better grip on ice than anything else I've worn.
However, a Toronto rehabilitation lab did a study a couple of years ago that tested 100 pairs of boots against walking on ice, and only nine pairs could handle an incline up to 7%, the equivalent slope of a curb cut. None could handle an incline up to 15%. The linked article lists the nine pairs that passed the slip test, but they're focused on boots available in Canada given their locale. (Tho I just checked your location so that may actually be more relevant than I originally thought!)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 3:57 PM on January 28, 2019 [4 favorites]
I have a pair of these Merrell Men's Tremblant 8" Polar Waterproof Ice+ boots as my winter work boots and they are excellent on ice. They have a sole that has special materials in it that are kind of abrasive, almost like fine sandpaper. Merrell does other boots with a similar "Arctic Grip" sole.
However, all boots pale in comparison to the glory that is microspikes. Obviously a set of spiky chains is not something you want to have on your feet at all times, but if you're expecting a lot of ice and snow rather than just wanting to be prepared for a little bit of incidential ice and snow here and there, they will pretty much make the whole problem go away. They're the best thing out there short of real-deal crampons, and a whole lot more convenient not to mention cheaper.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:33 PM on January 28, 2019 [3 favorites]
However, all boots pale in comparison to the glory that is microspikes. Obviously a set of spiky chains is not something you want to have on your feet at all times, but if you're expecting a lot of ice and snow rather than just wanting to be prepared for a little bit of incidential ice and snow here and there, they will pretty much make the whole problem go away. They're the best thing out there short of real-deal crampons, and a whole lot more convenient not to mention cheaper.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:33 PM on January 28, 2019 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Crepe looks closer than lug, as the distance between grip thingies was on the order of 1-2 millimeters. I'm also seeing crepe come up in discussions of curling gripper shoes, which is surely an endorsement.
I haven't found any crepe or similar winter boots for kids yet, though. (I probably should've mentioned that I'm looking for boots for my daughter.)
The Toronto testers have kept it up - I would hope so, given how much it cost to build their giant tilt-y room - with new results yearly at Rate My Treads. No kids' boots, though, unfortunately.
posted by clawsoon at 4:37 PM on January 28, 2019 [3 favorites]
I haven't found any crepe or similar winter boots for kids yet, though. (I probably should've mentioned that I'm looking for boots for my daughter.)
The Toronto testers have kept it up - I would hope so, given how much it cost to build their giant tilt-y room - with new results yearly at Rate My Treads. No kids' boots, though, unfortunately.
posted by clawsoon at 4:37 PM on January 28, 2019 [3 favorites]
They're usually referred to as Duck Boots. Popularly, BASS and L.L. Bean.
posted by humboldt32 at 5:59 PM on January 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by humboldt32 at 5:59 PM on January 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
The texture on some parts of the soles of my old Sorels, which provide very strong traction on ice, looks vaguely similar to that, and some of their more recent kids boots apparently look even more so.
posted by sfenders at 6:47 PM on January 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by sfenders at 6:47 PM on January 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Mukluks from Steger Mukluks in Ely, MN, use a soft sole that some people report is...rubber, I think I read. I have them, and they look sort of fleshy and soft and spongy, but the grab the ice and snow pretty well.
I seem to recall reading some guy’s blog post about resoling a pair of old mukluks by pouring successive layers of a soft rubber (or silicone or something?) onto the bottoms of them.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:01 PM on January 28, 2019
I seem to recall reading some guy’s blog post about resoling a pair of old mukluks by pouring successive layers of a soft rubber (or silicone or something?) onto the bottoms of them.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:01 PM on January 28, 2019
I assume you're in Canada where Mark's Work Warehouse rates their boots for ice traction
posted by yyz at 7:40 AM on January 29, 2019
posted by yyz at 7:40 AM on January 29, 2019
This won't tell you what those boots you wore but a bunch of Canadian scientists came up with a standardized test for ice-grip. You might see if the women's boots rated might also make girl's sizes.
posted by girlpublisher at 9:40 AM on January 29, 2019
posted by girlpublisher at 9:40 AM on January 29, 2019
Response by poster: The duck boots and Sorels aren't it, unfortunately - those have much coarser tread. The grips on these boots really were as fine and randomly ordered as the fungal fins.
posted by clawsoon at 9:45 AM on January 29, 2019
posted by clawsoon at 9:45 AM on January 29, 2019
If you decide that it's crepe: be aware that crepe soles absorb grime like nobody's business, and change from a lovely cream color (when brand new) to a scungy gray (after a couple months of regular wear).
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:58 AM on January 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:58 AM on January 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Pandora Kouti: "However, a Toronto rehabilitation lab did a study a couple of years ago that tested 100 pairs of boots against walking on ice, and only nine pairs could handle an incline up to 7%, the equivalent slope of a curb cut. "
I bought the currently second highest rated pair of work boots (the Dakota 8901 Composite Toe Composite Plate HD3 Waterproof Work Boots) on the list. For the first time in my life I feel confident walking across snow/ice with out having some manner of ice cleat on my footwear. The boots are so grippy I can't wipe my feet off on a carpet/mat; the soles stick fast to the carpet surface. I've only had them for a week so no idea what the long term wear will be like but I'm extremely impressed right now.
posted by Mitheral at 7:28 PM on March 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
I bought the currently second highest rated pair of work boots (the Dakota 8901 Composite Toe Composite Plate HD3 Waterproof Work Boots) on the list. For the first time in my life I feel confident walking across snow/ice with out having some manner of ice cleat on my footwear. The boots are so grippy I can't wipe my feet off on a carpet/mat; the soles stick fast to the carpet surface. I've only had them for a week so no idea what the long term wear will be like but I'm extremely impressed right now.
posted by Mitheral at 7:28 PM on March 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by aspersioncast at 3:10 PM on January 28, 2019 [2 favorites]