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With a great pair of winter boots on your feet, snow, ice, and the frigid temperatures won't stop you from having fun or getting your work done.
We considered insulation, tread pattern, lacing systems, and more to find the best winter boots.
The Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV Omni Cold-Weather Boots are our top pick, thanks to the comfort, support, and amazing insulation properties of these boots.
My favorite boots are comfortable, supportive, and have great treads for hiking on all sorts of terrain. They're reliable, they look great ... and they tend to spend many months of the year tucked away on a shelf instead of on my feet. Why? Because they're just not winter boots.
Boots have to provide two qualities to be suitable for use during the winter: insulation and water-resistance. If your boots can't help keep your feet warm and they can't keep your feet dry, then they're just not suitable for wintertime use. And of those two imperative qualities, waterproofing is the most important factor.
Once your socks grow sodden after snow, slush, or rain inundate your footwear, the insulation properties of the boots are no longer of much importance. In the winter, a wet foot is going to be a cold foot, and one more prone to blisters and infection. So while you can always help keep your feet warm with a pair of socks (or with layered socks), you have to use waterproof boots if you'll be hiking, working, or just walking around in areas liable to see snowfall or rain during those colder months. It's no coincidence that most of the boots on our list have the word "waterproof" right in the product title.
But what makes a great winter boot, beyond the warmth and dryness? It's largely relative. You need a winter boot that offers sufficient traction for activities in which you partake, but you don't need the same level of aggressive tread pattern for slushy sidewalks as you do for snowbound trails. You want enough support to help prevent a rolled ankle if you slip on ice, but your winter work boots probably don't need a calf-high rise. You want a lacing system that's snug and secure, but you also want it to be as simple as possible, as you might be wearing gloves or dealing with frosty fingers.
In short, you need to choose a boot that fits the places in which you'll use it and the tasks at hand in said locations. Don't choose a winter boot because it has lots of nifty features that seem clever and keen; choose a winter boot that's going to serve your purposes. We've rounded up the best winter boots you can buy for different use cases and styles. Read on to see which of our picks is for you.
Here are the best winter boots for men:
- Best overall: Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV Omni Cold-Weather Boots
- Best classic winter boots: L.L. Bean Shearling-Lined Duck Boots
- Best affordable boots for work: Ever Boots Ultra Dry Insulated Waterproof Work Boots
- Best for working outside: Wolverine Drillbit Waterproof Steel Toe BOA Boots
- Best low-cost boots: Kamik Men's Alborg Cold Weather Boots
- Best for wearing around town: Timberland White Ledge Waterproof Boots
- Best stylish winter boots: Red Wing's Heritage Moc Toes
- Best rubber boots for winter: Muck Boots Arctic Sport
Updated on 11/13/2018 by Owen Burke: Updated prices and added new picks to replace out-of-stock items.
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
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