What Kind of Boots to Wear in Snow Conditions?
When you’re getting ready to take a walk in the snow, shovel off your driveway, or go for a winter hike, and now, you are at a loss for what kind of shoes to put on.
While boots are the obvious choice, there are many different kinds of boots. Not all of them will stand up to the job that you have to do, so you’ll want to be smart about your selections.
What Are the Different Types of Boots?
How do you decide what kind of boots to wear in snowy conditions? Generally, that all depends on what you want to do with your feet. To guide you, here are the most common types of boots for snow:
1. Snow Boots
Proper snow boots are boots that are made to keep your feet dry and warm even when dealing with deep snow conditions. In this type of boots, you can trek through massive snow drifts or shovel your driveway without feeling the winter conditions between your toes. These shoes will also have very thick, cozy fur or lining, which keeps your feet very warm even.
Keep in mind, though, that snow boots are made to be used in the snow. This means that they can be a bit clunky and uncomfortable to use when you aren’t trying to protect your feet from the cold. They also tend to be more expensive than other types of winter boots, and they are not typically as stylish as other boots.
2. Winter Fashion Boots
Fashion boots are made more to help you rock the latest trends than to keep your feet protected from snow efficiently. While it is possible for winter fashion boots to do a good job of keeping you comfortable when you’re doing limited walking outdoors in the snow, you wouldn’t want to rely on them as your primary form of protection from the snow.
This type of boots is meant for light city walking or short trips outside as opposed to keeping your ankles supported and your boot treads in place while doing heavy work outside in the snow.
3. Leather Boots
Leather boots are another popular choice for people to wear during the winter, but some people are not sure if they are the right choice or not.
Real leather boots can be a great choice to wear in the snow provided that the leather is waterproof and treated properly for the winter. If you do not treat the leather, the snow, rain, and salt throughout the season will cause the leather to get hard, rot, and become stained. For that reason, you should always treat your leather with protecting substances.
Additionally, leather boots are not known for their warmth if you’re going to be outside for a prolonged period. If you plan to wear leather boots in that type of situation, you will want to make sure that you have space to wear warm socks to keep your feet from getting cold.
4. Hiking Boots
Hiking boots that are good for snow are essential when you plan to be out on the trails during the winter. Even if it's not currently snowing, ice and slick spots can pose dangers.
There are different types of hiking boots that are specifically manufactured to help make your trek easy and safe even when the winter weather isn’t agreeing. Winter hiking boots are traditionally waterproof and well-lined. These two features help to ensure that your feet will be protected from cold, wet conditions.
The best winter hiking boots will also have high-quality traction on the bottom of the shoes. When you’re dealing with snowy conditions on the trail, you don’t want to risk slipping and falling; therefore, good traction is a necessity.
Hiking snow boots with the highest quality will also carry a hefty price tag. This is because they have both the characteristics of a great snow boot and a great hiking boot. When you need all of those qualities, you should expect to pay for them. Thankfully, the boots will also usually have a lifetime of durability, making it worthy of an investment.
Choose Your Snow Boots Wisely
Have you figured out what kind of boots to wear in snow for your needs? If not, that’s okay. It can be hard to discover which one of these boots will work best for you.
In the end, you might need to end up with more than one type of winter shoes to help keep your feet warm and protected in all kinds of conditions. Of course, you don’t have to make this investment right away.
The best thing to do is to start by choosing the pair that you need most right now. From there, you’ll be able to learn what additional types of shoes you would benefit from having in your closet in coming winters!