Hiking Boots

Winter boots come in many styles. There are winter boots that look like they were meant for paratroopers to land in a foreign country and then hike for days to reach their destination. There are other winter boots that are lined with sheepskin or faux sheepskin and they come up to the knees and make you look like you are going to hibernate for the winter. And there are some winter boots that are actually stylish to look at and comfortable to wear.

The purpose of boots to be worn in winter is that keep your feet warm and dry. They have to be able to either resist the rain or snow and the waterproofing will not get you soaked to the soles of your feet. You also don’t want these boots to have slick shiny leather soles because this type of boot has to also keep you upright and slick soft leather soles do not have any traction and besides wearing those in the grey slush or a puddle of melted snow will absolutely ruin them. Leather stains easily and especially if leather boots get salt stains they are very hard if not impossible to clean. So a pure leather boot is not a good boot to wear in winter. Of course there are rugged leather boots that keep out the wet but they are not meant to be very pretty. They are rugged and they will often have a moisture wicking lining that is a good thing to have on the list when looking for boots.

There are many fabrics made today that are synthetics and they are very good at keeping winter weather at bay. Of course you can wear those boots made for mucking out a horse stall and your feet will stay dry but you will need good socks to keep your feet warm. So it is good to have a warm but lightweight lining in the boots for winter.

These boots should not have lacing or any other closure that is open to the weather. Make sure they lace or tie up or slip on without letting in moisture.