My son just had his first quarter back at school, after his gap decade. He’s home for winter break now, but when he gets back to the state of Michigan there will be snow, and plenty of it. We live in California and know nothing of snow boots. Hey my snowy friends, what boots do you recommend for a kid who lives off campus and must trudge through the snow to get to class?
Sorels.
https://www.sorel.com/men/boots/snow/?icpa=lp&icid=subhero&icsa=hol18&prid=mens&crid=shopsnowboots
I love my Bogs https://www.bogsfootwear.com/shop/mens-winter-boots
ETA I got these https://www.bogsfootwear.com/shop/style/72108-001.html and they saw me through a harsh winter. Cold – below zero F – mud, deep snow (my dogs don’t break their own trail, nope), and standing around waiting for the animals to go to the bathroom (so a similar men’s boot would likely take very good care of your son standing around at a bus stop etc.) (or if he gets a dog and has to wait for it to go to the bathroom).
And belated happy back-to-school to your son!
The legendary LL Bean Boots. 25% off promo till 12/11
Sorels for warmth and grip although my boys each have a pair of insulated Bogs they wear when it is slushy.
I vote for Sorels too. LL Bean and Bogs are too slippery in icy conditions, IMO
Those who recommend Sorels: which ones? I’m totally naive here, and there are so many.
Doing the same for D for Sorel. I own 2 pairs- love them. We are buying from Amazon -they have the best selection. We ordered 3 different styles. For women lots of different fit & in one style needed a larger size. Still in the decision phase.
@Mwfan1921 makes a good point; while my Bogs have done great on streets and sidewalks, I do use a set of spikes that I pull onto them when our dirt driveway turns into an unintended ice rink.
Caribou is the classic style and the one used by people who work outdoors because of the grippy sole.
I’d go with the classic timberlands
https://www.timberland.com/shop/mens-6-inch-premium-waterproof-boots-wheat-10061024#hero=0
The thinsulate insulated LL Bean gum boots have been a staple on New England college campuses for decades. But they do sometimes get backordered.
My sorels are warm (and are what lots of ski lift attendants wear - testimony to warmth) but I don’t think they have great foot support for a ton of walking.
I like ones with grippy soles.
You don’t need $200 boots. Some don’t realize colleges shovel or blow snow off pathways. And generally have lots of heat inside buildings.
Yes, to Bean boots with Thinsulate. And warm socks. Everyone I know who winter hikes swears by their favorite warm hiking socks. Or sometimes, thinner and thicker, together. (The xmas threads always include mention of fav cold weather socks.)
In Maine, my girls swore by Bean boots and Uggs. The latter can be waterproofed. (May as well include gals in this thread.)
Congrats on him back in school, Fang.
Something that is waterproof with Thinsulate. Bean boots are great - they do have a bit of a traction issue, but that’s really just if you’re on ice. I went to school in the snow belt and insulated Timberland hikers did the job. Timberland quality now is nothing like it was in the 90s, though, so I’m not sure I’d recommend spending so much. $100 on a pair of Timberlands back in 1993 was definitely worth it. Not sure if $200 on a pair of Timberlands today would be.
Just remember - it is possible to go overboard with the socks. If they are too thick and cut off your circulation in the boots, then they aren’t helping. (My uncle taught me that the first time he took me skiing.)
Vans make a nice high top insulated sneaker boot that lots of kids around here wear. I have a winterized pair of Chuck Taylors that are waterproof and lined, perfect for kicking around and doing errands. I have some nice Pajar snow boots that I wear only when it is actually snowing out or really really cold.
I think I’ll look for something with grip. He lives off campus. Probably Kalamazoo College shovels the walks, but I’m not confident about how well he’s going to do shoveling his own walk at his own house.
In my experience, you are likely to get a better choice of warm winter boot in Michigan than in California. A good shoe or outdoor store in Michigan should have staff who can recommend some good boots. My daughters went to universities where the weather is not much different from where we live. However, we still needed to buy them better boots because university students are outdoors quite a bit.
One issue is that you want boots that are quite warm. Also, you will need tread, to make it less likely to slip on snow and ice. It is likely that your son will need at least two pairs of boots, one for the bad days and one for the milder days.
If you click on the Sorel web page from post #1, you will see that some boots have more tread, some have less. I think that you will want one with quite a bit of tread.
You are probably going to need to spend well over $100 for a good pair of boots, and might very well spend $200. Good boots are definitely worth it.
I have a pair of Sorels, one or two pairs of Cabela’s, and a pair of Irish Setter boots. The higher boots help keep snow from sneaking over the top of the boot to your feet when there is ton’s of snow, but take a while to get on and off and are clunky. I don’t drive when wearing my highest boots. I use lower boots for most days in the winter.
One of my pairs of boots says “thinsulate 400” which refers to the amount of insulation. You will want at least this much in Michigan for a warm pair of boots. Michigan is significantly colder compared to where I live in the Northeast.
Here is one possibility:
https://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-MENS-AVALANCHE-GM-WINTER-BOOTS/2725806.uts
Thanks, @DadTwoGirls. So what you’re saying is he needs a pair of taller boots for when it’s snowing or very snowy, and then a pair of warm grippy “snow sneakers” for when there is snow on the ground but it hasn’t snowed in a while so he’s not in danger of getting snow inside his shoes?
Also, @DadTwoGirls, in your opinion the Cabelas you recommend would be adequately high for the snowier days?
I just took out a tape measure to measure my boots.
On milder days I usually wear Cabela’s which are about 5" high if you only measure the boot, or 6" high if you include the sole. On snowy days I wear my Irish Setter boots which are 9" high. I also have a pair of Merrell step-in’s which are 8" high. They are a lot easier to put on than the Irish Setters, but because they are step in’s (no laces) they are not tight around my ankle, which allows snow to sneak in. Therefore the high lace-up boots are better when we just got 12" of snow and I am going out to shovel.