If the mercury drops or the heavens open, it’s often your feet that feel it the most. They’re in the firing line of wheel spray and puddle splatter, and once wet, wind chill can really start to bite. A cheap and simple solution is to run a waterproof sock inside your regular shoe, but the ultimate comfort blanket is a full winter boot.
Winter boots come in two guises – fully waterproof or thicker/high-top versions of a regular shoe. Both feature things like a fleecy liner, neoprene cuff and gusseted tongue where it’s joined to the upper, but it’s only the former that will keep your feet properly dry. With the winter warmers you only get splash resistance, but this type of boot is significantly cheaper, which matters in the current economic climate.
For a Gore-Tex boot you are going to pay upwards of £200, which is a serious investment, but as you’ll only wear a winter boot for a few months a year, you’re likely to get many seasons out of it before it needs replacing.
A winter boot is a luxury in some parts of the world, but in other areas it’s absolutely essential.
USED & ABUSED
How we test
With all the extra zips and straps it can be hard getting your feet into a pair of winter boots. To find out how long we timed a couple of testers putting the boots on to see which one glided on like Cinderella’s slipper and which ones felt like learning Japanese rope bondage. We then looked at how much the heavily lugged sole affected the ability to clip-in smoothly, along with the amount of heel, crank and cleat clearance. We also looked at whether the fastenings were easy to adjust and could accommodate different foot shapes. We evaluated the grip by pushing up a slick climb and tested the waterproofness by just slogging round in the slop – of which there was no shortage.
JARGON BUSTER
Know your winter boots
CLEAT POCKET
In the winter, mud and debris is going to collect around the cleat, so the bigger the cleat pocket the better. Also check the depth of the pocket because that can affect cleat engagement and float.
GORE TEX LINER
The best shoes have W. L. Gore’s
