Comfortable, warm, winter walking/work boots

December 27, 2021 5:10 AM

My favorite pair of boots died and aren’t available anymore. Tell me what comfortable winter work/walking boots you really like.

I need a pair of boots that work well in very icey/ snowy conditions, are hard wearing enough for spending an hour plowing the driveway daily. yet are comfortable enough to slip on to go and walk the dog. I had an old no-name pair from a department store that I haven’t found again. Looking for recommendations.

My ideal boots would be
- Comfortable for walking for a mile or two
- Lined / warm in temperatures down to -10F
- Waterproof
- Great grip in snowy conditions
- Robust enough to have yax-trax or other traction type devices installed on them frequently (this is what ultimately killed my old boots - the pressure from the straps dug into the boot and caused holes)
- Possibly the hardest ask - slip on / zip-up and comfortable to wear without socks (for rolling out of bed and easily putting on at 5am when the dog demands to go out / I need to clear a foot or two of snow on the driveway early to get the kids to school )

It may be I am really looking for two different pairs of boots but hoping to find in one pair….

posted by inflatablekiwi to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

Men's or women's?
posted by NotLost at 5:38 AM on December 27, 2021

Best answer: I like the winter blundstones. You’ll need socks as they aren’t lined all the way up, but the footbed is fleecy so could be fine for short jaunts without.

For context I’ve gone for two hour walks in mine (with medium weight smart wool socks), in snow, and been fine.
posted by Jobst at 5:40 AM on December 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Where in the world are you shopping from?
posted by Too-Ticky at 5:47 AM on December 27, 2021

Best answer: I bought a pair of LL Bean Boots a couple of years ago and they're great winter boots. I usually lace them up for walks or working out in the snow, but can easily slip them on and leave them unlaced for quick trips outside with the dog.

Some people might recommend insulated slip-on Muck Boots, but I had a pair of those and the soles started to separate after about a year.
posted by pilibeen at 5:55 AM on December 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I've been wearing Storm Chaser boots from L.L. Bean; insulated & good traction. Mine are an older version with a side zip.
posted by theora55 at 6:37 AM on December 27, 2021

Best answer: I absolutely second the suggestion of the thermal winter Blundstones — I wore mine for three Minnesota winters and they are still the best winter boots I’ve had. Easy to put on, yaxtrax compatible, lightweight, comfortable for walking in, and they look like normal shoes, not winter boots.
posted by heurtebise at 8:20 AM on December 27, 2021

Response by poster: Sorry men’s boots and in the US (Utah). Should have added that above!
posted by inflatablekiwi at 9:20 AM on December 27, 2021

The winter Blundstones (Thinsulate/fleece) are too hot for Ohio winters, my partner sweats in his. This is another vote for them!
posted by Lawn Beaver at 11:29 AM on December 27, 2021

Thirding the winter Blundstones, I bought my wife a pair and she absolutely loves them.
posted by Happy Dave at 11:56 AM on December 27, 2021

I swear by my Army surplus "Mickey boots." They've given me years and years of dry feet through the wet New York winters.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:02 PM on December 27, 2021

I was planning to post a similar question for a friend, who's seen several recent reviews of the Blundstones saying they'd recently switched to Chinese manufacturing and the quality had dropped a lot.

Has anyone bought Blundstones recently? Are they still good?

Thanks for posting this, inflatablekiwi!
posted by kristi at 7:37 AM on December 28, 2021

I bought the pair for my wife a year back and they have been completely fine. I have heard that Redback Boots are the new hotness for those that no longer rate Blundstones.
posted by Happy Dave at 3:51 AM on December 29, 2021