My family is looking for some suggestions for a good pair of men’s boots that will work well in the snow, maybe in a style that’s popular among guys on a college campus. The recipient is a freshman experiencing his first Michigan winter, having grown up in California.
These will be a birthday gift. They don’t need to be fashionable or anything, but ideally something that works well (waterproof/warm) and that look nice enough that he’s going to want to wear them and that won’t make the ladies run away.
LL Bean leather duck boots are all the rage. I believe they were hard to come by last year because they were so popular. They are expensive but will last through college and beyond.
I also second LL Bean duck boots. My D moved to Pittsburgh from Texas and bought them her first year. Three years later, they look brand new. Worth the price.
My D has both Bean Boots and Sorels. The Beans are used for cold and rainy. The Sorels (Joan of Arctics …not for those wanting a masculine look lol) for Cold and snowy. You don’t need both but my D has a VERY generous grandma.
I still have the pair of LL Bean duck boots I got in college in the late 80s that are definitely still in great shape. However, if you are going that route I would actually recommend getting the insulated version as I find the uninsulated ones to be very cold even with high quality warm socks.
I finally replaced my Bean boots last year. I would have sent back the originals for re-soling but I figured after 35 years of heavy use I’d gotten my money’s worth from them! I’ve also had Sorrels, which I like, but which aren’t as popular as Bean boots on college campuses, and which are specifically a winter boot, unlike Beans which kids wear in the fall before the snow flies as well.
Another possibility for slush season (late winter-early spring) is a good quality rain boot with a liner. My Hunters have surprisingly good traction, and with the liner plus warm socks I can be comfortable in the cold while guaranteeing no slush will seep in if I step in a deep puddle. The tall version is also better than Sorrels or Bean boots at keeping out deep snow, so if you’re planning to be playing in a foot or more of snow you might want to consider them for a second pair.
For those dealing with serious ice, I recommend Yaktrax. These can be added to your warm winter boots (or any other footwear) for traction. https://www.yaktrax.com/product/walk
Please let your kid pick out his own boots! It is far more likely he will,wear them if he chooses them himself.
They do shovel snow in Michigan, so it’s not like he will need to slog through ten inches of snow if he doesn’t have boots right away.
We live in New England. My kids never wore boots…at all. Son went to college in Boston. He had a pair of ankle high Timberland boots that he claims he wore when it snowed. But really they looked brand new after four years of college.
You might consider also getting your son some warm socks to wear with his other shoes, and sneakers. That could really make a difference. If he can tolerate wool, I woild suggest smartwool socks. The are great…and warm.
I think the style of boots that are “in” will vary from place to place. Like I said…let the kid pick.
My sons like Timberland boots - the high schooler wears the light tan color, which is almost a uniform at his school. The college guy wears a dark brown version of the same boot. They’ve lasted for years and are warm and comfortable in all types of weather. One thing to keep in mind - the duck boots are too wide at the top for pants to fit over, so the legs usually bunch up at the top of the boot, while they fit over the Timberland style. The Timberland have a cleaner, more shoe-like look, but are still really functional with good treads and very waterproof. They made it through shoulder high snow in Boston last winter.
My boys also have duck boots, but they only wear them for snow sports because they are bulkier.
He might not be a boot person. Some people aren’t. I’m not and my h and s aren’t either. They’d only wear boots to shovel the driveway or some such, but are totally content with sneakers for their everyday walking around no matter what the weather. I have to say, I’ve had LLBean duck boots and some other snow boots for years but I might wear them once a season. He’s not going to be scaling snow drifts or anything. He’ll be on paved, shoveled sidewalks and streets.
My youngest in college loves his Timberlands for trudging from his apartment to campus. My two olders were always into Sorel pac boots. If a kid lives on campus he can probably do with lighter weight boots and even duck boots through winter because they do shovel the sidewalks. Mine have/had to deal with people who don’t shovel their sidewalks and up and over the piles to reach the clean campus sidewalks. Sneakers don’t cut it if you have to leave campus or an urban area where the city maintains the sidewalks.
