This post may contain affiliate links.

10 Best Winter Hiking Boots of 2024

10 Best Winter Hiking Boots of 2021-2022

Today’s winter hiking boots are waterproof, insulated, and compatible with traction aids such as microspikes, crampons, and snowshoes. While 200-gram Thinsulate insulated mids are fine for commuting and short local walks down to about 10-20 degrees (F), we recommend buying boots with higher calf coverage and 400-gram Thinsulate insulation for all-day hikes and mountain climbs in colder temperatures. We are experienced winter hikers with hundreds of successful mountain summits and understand what it takes to stay safe and comfortable on long and challenging winter hikes.

Here are our top 10 best winter hiking boot recommendations:

Men'sWomen'sInsulation
Oboz 10" Bridger InsulatedOboz 9" Bridger Insulated400g
KEEN Revel IV High PolarKEEN Revel IV High Polar400g
The North Face Chilkat V 400The North Face Chilkat V 400400g
Salomon Toundra ProSalomon Toundra Pro400g
Oboz Bridger 8" InsulatedOboz Bridger 7" Insulated200g
KEEN Revel IV Mid PolarKEEN Revel IV Mid Polar200g
Columbia Bugaboot III Columbia Bugaboot III 200g
Merrell Thermo Chill WP BootsMerrell Thermo Chill WP Boots200g
La Sportiva Nepal Evo GTX (Unisex)La Sportiva Nepal Evo GTX (Unisex)GTX Duratherm
Scarpa Ribelle HD (Unisex)Scarpa Ribelle HD (Unisex)37.5 Tech.
Note: The boots listed below are single layer boots designed for all-day winter hikes and snowshoeing trips in subzero weather. You can use them for overnight trips if you wear a Rab vapor barrier liner sock or a plastic bag (see our FAQ) to prevent the lining from getting wet from perspiration and freezing overnight. Alternatively, you can buy a double-layer boot that has a removable liner, like the Baffin Borealis (see our review) or a Scarpa Inverno Mountaineering Boot, and sleep with it in your sleeping bag to prevent it from freezing at night. 

Best 400g Insulated Winter Hiking Boots

Most 400g insulated winter hiking boots are suitable for all-day winter hikes and snowshoeing excursions in temperatures in subzero temperatures. Most 400g boots have calf-high uppers which makes them warmer than mids because more of your lower leg is covered by insulation. While many manufacturers claim they’ll keep your feet warm down to -40F, that assumes that you’re actively hiking and not sitting around doing nothing. Realistically, they’re best worn in temperatures from 30F down to -15F.  (If you plan to climb 4000-footers in winter in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, we recommend using 400g boots)

1. Oboz Bridger 10″ Insulated Winter Boots

Oboz Bridger 10” 400g insulated boots
Oboz Bridger 10″ Winter Boots are lined with a waterproof membrane and insulated with 400 gram Thinsulate. The uppers are covered with synthetic leather for added protection, along with a beefy toe cap, and snowshoe-compatible heel cup. An arched sole and front D ring provide gaiter compatibility, while aggressive lugs provide excellent traction on snow. The Bridgers have a PU midsole and nylon shank for added undercarriage protection and come with a wool-covered reflective insole for added warmth. They’re available in wide sizes. A 9″ women’s model is also availableRead our Oboz Bridger 10″ Review. These have been my goto winter hiking boots for the past five years. I bought a replacement pair for the time when my current pair wears out. 

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

2. KEEN Revel IV High Polar Winter Boots

KEEN’s Revel IV High Polar Boots are rated to -40F with 5 mm lugs for added traction in snow. These winter boots have KEEN’s large signature toe box and run a bit wide, so they’re good for people who have a hard time jamming their feet into narrow boots. A beefy toe kick, heel ridge, and excellent side protection make these boots ideal for challenging terrain. A thermal heat shield insole is included for added warmth. Wide sizes and a women’s model are both available. These are warm boots with a wide-toe box. They have fewer technical features than the Oboz Bridger above but are still perfectly suitable for hardcore winter hiking. 

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

3. The North Face Chilkat V 400

The North Face Chilkat V 400
The North Face Chilkat V 400 is a warm insulated winter hiking boot with a durable waterproof outsole that provides excellent toe protection. Their high calf cuff provides excellent warmth while gaiter rings and a heel arch provide compatibility with high gaiters. They also have heel ridges that prevent the rear straps on snowshoes from coming off, which is a premium feature. Their soles provide excellent traction and have a curved rocker designed for hiking. They are a bit heavier than other winter hiking boots, but they’re very warm and the lack of seams around the outsole means you’ll never have to worry about leaks. A women’s model is also available.

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

4. Salomon Toundra Pro

Salomon Toundra Pro CS WP
Salomon’s Toundra Pro was the first winter hiking boot to incorporate ultralight Aerogel insulation developed by NASA for spaceflight. Rated to -40F, these popular winter hiking boots have a large comfortable toe box, a reinforced toe kick for added protection, and a heel cap that is compatible with microspike and snowshoe bindings. An arch in the midsole provides gaiter compatibility, while a fleece-lined tongue and upper boot provide a cushy, comfortable fit. The Salomon Toundras run true to size. A women’s Toundra Pro is also available. I wore a pair of these for a few years and think they’re great cold-weather hiking boots. 

Shop at REIShop at Amazon
Please note: Salomon has had some production issues with these boots in recent years resulting in spilt seams. While our 2023 current pair has not demonstrated this issue, we still recommend purchasing them at REI so you can return them, even if used, should you experience a seam failure. We still believe they are excellent boots, but thought it best to tell you about this past issue. 

Best 200g Insulated Winter Hiking Boots

Most 200g winter hiking boots are ankle-high mids and retain less lower leg heat than calf-height 400g boots. On the flip side, they’re a little easier to hike with because they’re lighter weight and feel more like regular hiking boots. 200g boots are best worn in temperatures from 30F down to 10F and are best used in milder winter conditions and shorter duration hikes where there’s less chance you’ll be caught out after dark when temperatures fall.

5. Oboz Bridger 8″ Insulated Winter Mids

Oboz Bridger Insulated 8"
Oboz’s Bridger 8″ Waterproof Insulated Boots have 200g of winter insulation. They’re quite similar to the Bridger 10″ insulated boots listed above, but only come up over the ankle instead of mid-calf. The uppers are covered with synthetic leather for added protection, along with a beefy toe cap, and snowshoe-compatible heel cup. An arched sole and front D ring provide gaiter compatibility, while aggressive lugs provide excellent traction on snow. The Bridgers have a PU midsole and nylon shank for added undercarriage protection and come with a quality insole for added support. They’re also available in wide sizes. The women’s version is called the Oboz Bridger 7″ Waterproof Insulated Boot. I own a pair of these Oboz Bridgers and use them in autumn and spring when temperatures are below freezing but there’s little snow.  

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

6. KEEN Revel IV Mid Polar Winter Boots

Keen Revel IV Mid Polar Boots

The KEEN Revel IV Mid Polar Boots are waterproof and have 200g of insulation good for mild winter weather. They’re very similar to KEEN’s Revel IV High Polar boots which extend to mid-calf instead of just over the ankle. The Revel IV Mid Polar has KEEN’s large signature toe box which is particularly useful when you’re wearing a heavier sock in winter. They run a bit wide, so they’re good for people who have a hard time jamming their feet into narrow boots. A beefy toe kick and heel protection make these boots ideal for more challenging terrain. A thermal heat shield insole is also included for added warmth. Wide sizes and a women’s model are both available. These have the original KEEN fit, so they’re a good choice if you own other KEEN shoes and like your sizing. 

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

7. Columbia Bugaboot III Insulated Winter Boots

Columbia Bugaboot III
The Columbia Bugaboot III is a winter hiking boot with 200-gram insulation, leather uppers, and a wide waterproof rand that provides superior toe and side protection. While it is styled as a pac boot, it has rockered soles that make it easy to hike in. Deep lugs provide excellent traction while a lightweight midsole provides extra support for heavy loads. They have a front gaiter hook and snowshoe ridges on the heel to help keep straps from slipping. The Bugaboot III is available in wide sizes and a women’s model is also available. These are dependable hikers good for winter hikes in milder weather. The wide rands provide superb waterproof protection in slush and snow. 

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

8. Merrell Thermo Chill Mid WP Boots

Merrell Thermo Chill Mid Waterproof Boots

The Merrell Thermo Chill Winter Hiking Boot is insulated with 200-gram insulation with a wraparound outsole that provides excellent toe protection and moisture protection. The boots have a compression molded EVA midsole and a molded nylon arch shank for stability and comfort, while 5 mm lugs provide good traction on snow. These boots have a metal gaiter ring at the base of the tongue and metal hooks for secure and durable lacing. A women’s version is available.

View at REI

Best Mountaineering Boots for Winter Hiking

Mountaineering boots have rigid soles that make them compatible with crampons that lack flexible center bars, for use on rugged mountains with higher slope angles or thick ice. While you can hike in them, it’s a very different feeling than a soft-soled 400g or 200g insulated winter hiking boot. While insulated, most mountaineering boot manufacturers do not rate their boots’ temperature ranges, so you need to rely on anecdotal word-of-mouth assessments of their warmth level. If you hike across glaciers or on trips led by mountaineering guides, it’s usually best to ask them for their advice on what boots to bring. They may even rent you boots to use.

9. La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX Mountaineering Boots

La Sportiva Nepal Evo GTX Mountaineering Boots
While most winter hikers use lightweight insulated hiking boots with microspikes for traction, there are times when a stiff-soled mountaineering boot and full mountaineering crampons are required. The La Sportiva Nepal Evo is a single-skin leather mountaineering boot lined with Gore-Tex Duratherm, a lightweight and waterproof insulation layer. They have a rigid TPU last and innovative lace locks so you can get the lacing tight enough to front-point with crampons. An integrated mini gaiter helps seal the top of the boots for greater warmth and keeps out debris, while front and rear welts enable compatibility with all crampon types. Sizing is unisex. These hardcore mountaineering boot are made with leather which is soft enough that you can winter hike in them too. Many of my hiking/climbing buddies swear by them. 

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

10. Scarpa Ribelle HD Mountaineering Boots

Scarpa Ribelle HD

The Scarpa Ribelle HD is a leather mountaineering boot that has a large toe box and doesn’t require a long break-in period. They’re waterproofed with HDry and insulated with 37.5 technology which is designed to keep your feet at a steady 37.5C (99.5F) of warmth regardless of the external temperature. While the Ribelle HD is a stiff boot and compatible with semi-automatic crampons, their low weight, enhanced sole rocker, and flexible uppers make them quite suitable for winter hiking with light traction and even backpacking on rocky alpine routes. Sizing is unisexThese are great boots that combine running shoe design with mountaineering boot support to make a boot that excels on approach hikes, but still has technical chops for serious alpine routes. 

Shop at REIShop at Amazon

How to Select Winter Hiking Boots

Winter boots should be waterproof and insulated to keep your feet dry and warm, they should have laces, they should be comfortable so you can wear them all day, and they should be compatible with traction aids like microspikes and snowshoes. While the amount of insulation you need will vary, winter boots with non-removable synthetic insulation are the lightest weight and therefore the easiest to hike in. Boots made with synthetic materials are also lighter weight and more waterproof than leather boots.

The reason you can’t use your regular 3 season boots or shoes for winter hiking, comes down to waterproofing and insulation. Most insulated winter hiking boots are guaranteed waterproof out of the box. Many have lowers made with rubber or waterproof synthetics so you don’t have to worry about the fabric absorbing water. If you do get moisture in your boots, insulated winter boots will still keep them warm. The same can’t be said about leather hiking boots, even when treated with waterproofing creams and sprays. If your regular hiking boots absorb water in winter, they can freeze and lead to frostbite.

Some boot manufacturers provide temperature ratings for their products, but there’s no standard way for measuring the warmth of winter boots. Understand that these ratings are estimates at best and that users will have varying experiences based on their activity level, health, weight, sex, metabolism, and other factors.

Some winter boot manufacturers publish the thickness of the insulation in their boots, while others don’t. For example, some boots have 200 gram Thinsulate insulation, a popular synthetic insulation, while others use 400-gram insulation.

  • Four of the boots listed above have 400-gram insulation or the equivalent, so they can be used well below zero. This is the insulation we recommend if you hike in the backcountry, where winter hikes may last far longer than anticipated.
  • Four more have 200-gram insulation which is suitable for hiking in temperatures down to 20-30F, especially in later fall or early spring when there isn’t that much snow on the ground.
  • The other two pairs of boots are intended for light-to-mid mountaineering, but can also be used for more serious winter hiking.

Key Winter Boot Features

Temperature ratings

While you need to take the manufacturer’s temperature ratings with a grain of salt, they are a good indication of the relative warmth of a boot. While it’s difficult to make warmth comparisons between boots that have different kinds of insulation, knowing the amount of insulation used in boots can help you compare the warmth of different models made by the same manufacturer.

Gusseted tongue

This is just like a regular boot tongue, except the sides are closed and sewn to the side of the boots to prevent water from leaking into the boot when you step in puddles.

Reinforced toe cap

In addition to providing more protection, a beefy toe cap won’t collapse the front of the boot when worn with microspikes or crampons.

Lugs

The soles of your boots should provide good traction when walking on loose or packed snow. Look for boots with a deep tread like a Vibram sole, although you’re likely to augment your boot with microspikes.

Cuff

Looks for boots with a soft cuff that closes off the gap between your leg and boot.

Gaiter ring

A gaiter ring is a small ring attached to the top of the boot that you can hook your gaiters onto. It’s not the end of the world if your boots don’t have one since can still hook the gaiter to your boot laces.

See Also:

Check Out All of SectionHiker's Winter Gear Guides!

SectionHiker is reader-supported. We only make money if you purchase a product through our affiliate links. Help us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, beginner FAQs, and free hiking guides.

16 comments

  1. I own the La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX Mountaineering Boots, have taken them out in ridiculously cold temps and never felt the slightest bit of cold in my feet. Amazing boots.

  2. Look at all the women’s versions!! Finally!!

  3. I’m trying to get the right size of a pair of women’s Revel IV High Polar Boot. My 3 season Keen boots are size 9 but I think I need a full size up for my 400g boots to fit liner socks, thick wool socks, and possibly thermal insoles.

    Have any of you had to go a full size up for your 400g boots? Thanks for any feedback.

    • Those boots are so well-insulated, you probably don’t need to augment them with thick wool socks. If you don’t wear liner socks now, I wouldn’t bother wearing them in those winter boots. You do want space for your toes – they’ll stay much warmer. The only thing I do is to tape my heels with Leukotape, which is probably not entirely necessary either.

  4. I got the women’s Salomon Toundra Pro a few years ago and loved them until I walked more than a mile.

    It wasn’t noticeable initially, but after 20 to 30 minutes the bend in the fabric of the gusseted tongue rubbed one of my ankles and quickly became excruciating.

    Which was a bummer. They are super warm and have plenty of room in the toe box for my wide feet.

  5. The Salomon Quest insulated boot is a really nice boot. Super warm, only for the really cold days. The Salomon Toundra has a history of failure at the seams up front.

    • The problem with the Winter Quest, which is a nice boot and fits exactly like a regular chunky 3 season leather bott, is that it’s not as warm as the Toundra. Salomon only rates the quest down to 10 below (its on the hang tag – I have a pair) whereas the Toundra is rated down to 40 below. That is curious considering that both are 400g boots. To achieve these temperature ratings you have to be actively hiking not standing around. While the Quest is probably good in 200g boot territor (dow to about 0F air temp), it wouldn’t be my first choice for an extended jaunt above treeline.

  6. The only winter hiking boot for me is ankle high and 400g. Why carry the extra weight of a calf high when I wear gators? Thus why I wear a Cabela’s boot, and continue my 10 year search for a decent boot that fits.

  7. Regarding the Oboz Bridger 10”, you say “I’m breaking in a third pair this autumn because I liked the first two pairs so much.” I’m curious what fails on this boot that requires replacement. I have a pair that’s a couple of years old, love them, but they seem to be less warm this winter. Maybe it’s just early season adjustment to the cold weather or maybe the insulation is failing. Thanks!

  8. I just moved from a pair of the Thermo Chill to Oboz Bridger 10″. Today I was wearing the Bridgers that I bought Oct. 23. When we got to the trail head the parking lot had 1″ of snow on ice. Getting out of the car I couldn’t believe how little traction the Bridger had. Ended up putting micro spike on in the (flat) parking lot which I never had to do with the Thermo Chill. When I got back I wanted to find out what makes for good/bad ice traction.

    • It’s rare that I don’t use a traction aid in winter. I honestly don’t think much about traction and tread claims sic ethey have nothing to do most of the time with winter hiking, but with urban commuting. I’ve never been impressed and I’ve tried a LOT of different boots.

      • With the Thermo Chill I didn’t need to spend more money on a 2nd pair of commuting boots. What’s worse is OBOZ didn’t publish the review I left saying how slippery the Bridgers are.

  9. I picked up a pair of the Merrell Thermo Chill Mid WP Boots and swapped out the stock insoles for a pair of Superfeet HUNT Wool Winter Insoles that I had in a prior pair of boots. I am very pleased with the recommendation so far. Without much forethought I took the Thermo Chills on a 7 mile overnight loop a day or two later and had no issues with hot spots or break in. Everything was very comfortable and they breathed surprisingly well with a normal pair of Smartwool full cushion mid calf socks.

    It wasn’t a particularly long or aggressive loop hike, but after gathering wood and other camp chores the boot and socks were dry and kept my feet warm around the campfire down to 15degree F with 15mph winds for several hours. I left them in the vestibule and didn’t have any issues with freezing, I popped a pair of handwarmers in them an hour or so before I wanted to get dressed in the morning to warm up the toe box and they went on just like a fresh pair out of the box.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Solve *