What are the best snow hiking boots? Well, the best snow hiking boots should be warm, lightweight, waterproof, comfortable, maintain a good grip in lower temperatures and simply walk comfortably on snow. Finding snow hiking boots that score well on all areas was pretty challenging. However, after doing enough research I was able to come up with a list of very good options
Best snow hiking boots
In this section I will go over the best options for snow hiking boots. I will discuss the research and add more information about snow hiking boots in the next section.
Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV Omni-heat
These shoes would be my number one overall recommendation for snow hiking boots. Why? Well, for starters, they have no big downsides and they have everything you need in a hiking shoe. On top of that, they are very lightweight for this type of shoe.
The grip of this shoe is made out of Michelin rubber – optimized for low temperatures. I will talk more about grip at low temperatures later in this article. For now, I will give a very short explanation. The rubber of your sole acts different at lower temperatures, this might lead to shoes that have great grip in regular temperatures, but they lose a lot of traction on lower temperatures. I was unable to find any hiking snow shoe that had better traction than the Bugaboot plus IV in low temperatures. This Michelin rubber simply performs amazing at low temperatures, they keep a firm grip up to -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 degrees Celsius).
Of course, these boots will mainly be used to walk on snow. However, if you are going on a serious hiking trip, there is a big chance that you will also encounter rocky/icy areas. If this is the case, you will really benefit from the traction these boots provide (especially on difficult/technical parts). If you are going to use your snow hiking boots only for walking on snow, I would actually recommend to go with one of my other recommendations instead.
These boots have 200g insulation and are rated -25F/-32C. The weight of the insulation in comparison with the temperature rating is very low. How did they do this? They use a special omni-heat reflective lining. That said, these shoes also come in a more extreme version – called XTM. These are heavier (600g insulation), but they are rated -65F/-54C. I will include links to both shoes below.
As I said before, they basically have everything you could wish for when looking at snow hiking boots for hiking. The only real negative could be that these boots will eventually let water seep through at the tongue when they are submerged in water for multiple minutes. If you are hiking in extreme wet conditions, these shoes might not be optimal for you. That said, in most situations, these shoes will prevent your feet from getting wet, regular snow, rain and splashes will not get through. Also, there are warmer alternatives, but they will be slightly heavier than this pair.
The only boot that would be a direct competitor with these shoes would the The North Face Chilkat 400, these shoes are also very good all round. However, the grip is simply not as good as the grip of the Michelin rubber on the Columbia Bugaboot.
These shoes are also covered by a limited 2 year warranty.
Let’s take a quick look at the pros and the cons:
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Best low temperature traction
- Warm for it’s weight
- Good abrasion resistance
- Affordable
- 2 year warranty
Cons:
- Not the most waterproof snow shoe
- Some complaints about sizing (wider than expected)
These shoes are available on amazon:
Men: Columbia Men’s Bugaboot Plus Iv Omni-Heat Mid Calf Boot
Women: Columbia Women’s Bugaboot Plus Iv Omni-Heat Mid Calf Boot
For the extreme (XTM) version:
Men: Columbia Men’s Bugaboot Plus Iv XTM Omni-Heat Mid Calf Boot
Women: Columbia Women’s Bugaboot Plus Iv XTM Omni-Heat Mid Calf Boot
Salomon Toundra Mid WP
Your next option would be the Salomon Toundra. These shoes are a bit more expensive than Bugaboots. The main advantage of these shoes is that they perform better when it comes to being waterproof. Also these shoes are warmer than the regular Bugaboots (not the XTM), they are rated -40F/-40C.
These shoes can also be considered lightweight for what they have to offer.
The downsides? Well, the grip of the Toundra is definitely not as good as the Bugaboots. Additionally, these boots are quite a bit more expensive. Is it worth it? For most hikers, I would say no. Only if you value the additional waterproofness, these shoes might be the right option for you. Especially if you will be walking through a lot of ice cold streams, or simply in very wet conditions, I would recommend these shoes.
Just like the Bugaboots, these shoes are covered by a limited 2 year warranty.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Completely waterproof
- Very warm
- Durable
- 2 year warranty
Cons:
- Mediocre traction
- Expensive
These shoes are available on amazon:
Men: Salomon Toundra Men’s Mid WP
Women: Salomon Toundra Women’s Mid WP
KEEN Durand Polar Hiking Boot
Another good option would be the Keen Durand Polar hiking boots. These are very similar to the Salomon Toundra Mid WP, scoring points on waterproofness and warmth but losing points on grip and traction.
Just like the Toundras, these shoes are rated -40F/-40C, which is great for snow hiking boots.
The Durand Polar outperforms the competition when it comes to comfort. First, complaints about sizing are rather rare. Second, they just feel very comfortable on your feet when wearing them.
Also, these shoes are once again very lightweight considering what they bring to the table.
As I said before, one of the main downsides is the lack of traction. Depending on how often you will be walking on a rocky/icy surface instead of on snow, these could be a minor/major deal.
These snow hiking boots are not as durable as the other options on the list. They do provide a warranty, but only a 1 year warranty.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Completely waterproof
- Very warm
- Very comfortable
Cons:
- Mediocre traction
- Mediocre durability
These shoes are available on amazon:
Men: KEEN Men’s Durand Polar Hiking Boot
Women: KEEN Women’s Durand Polar Hiking Boot
Salomon X Ultra Winter CS 2
The last option for a snow hiking boot would be the Salomon X Ultra Winter CS. These are pretty different from the other options on the list. They are even more lightweight, but they are also not meant to be used in such extreme cold conditions. This is not always a bad thing since this is probably the only option in this list that I would recommend wearing at temperatures above 10F/-12C. That said, I would also not recommend wearing these shoes in areas where it gets a lot colder than 10F/-12C.
The Salomon X Ultras are also a very popular choice to use in combination with snowshoes.
Looking for a great hiking snow boot, but you won’t be hiking in below 10F/-12C temperatures? Forget all my other recommendation, “Salomon X Ultra Winter CS 2” is your best option.
Pros:
- Very lightweight
- Completely waterproof
- Not bulky
Cons:
- Not for extreme cold
These shoes are available on amazon:
Men: Salomon Men’s X Ultra Winter CS
Women: Salomon Women’s X Ultra Winter CS
What to look for in snow hiking boots
I have based my recommendation on a lot of research. I have written down my findings. In case you want to know what you should look for in a good pair of hiking snow boots.
Grip
Grip is always important for a hiking shoe. However, when you are looking for the best snow hiking boots, everything becomes a bit more complicated.
See, the rubber of your shoe should be soft enough so that it molds to the rock, this way, there is a bigger contact surface, and this increases traction. More traction means a better grip. The problem is that most of the rubbers that are used on a hiking shoe will lose that softness once the temperature drops below a certain degree. This is obviously a very important consideration when it comes to researching a hiking snow boot.
Sure, you might be walking on snow most of the time, but once you start walking on a rocky or even an icy surface, traction is still a very important factor. Note that you can use additional winter traction (micro spikes/crampons/snow shoes) on snowy/icy areas. However, if you are not using these – or if you might encounter some rocky areas – a good low temperature grip is still highly recommended.
This could also be a problem with reviews. Certain hikers might claim that a certain shoe has amazing grip, but they might have tested it at higher temperatures… Make sure to do proper research on what rubber is being used before trusting the grip of a snow hiking boot.
For more information about the subject, I would suggest this article about friction science.
Warmth
I probably don’t need to explain to you that warmth is also very important for a snow hiking boot. However, you should know that warmer boots are not always better. Boots can be too warm and if they are, you are not going to have a comfortable hike. Make sure to do proper research. You really need to know the temperatures you will be hiking in.
Hiking in 10 degrees Fahrenheit? No doubt, the “Salomon X Ultra Winter CS 2” is your best option.
Hiking in -20 degrees Fahrenheit? Forget the “Salomon X Ultra Winter CS 2”, go with the “Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV Omni-heat” instead.
Will the temperatures be even lower? Take a look at the “Salomon Toundra Mid WP” or the “KEEN Durand Polar Hiking Boot”.
Warmth should be the first thing to look at when narrowing down your potential options.
Water resistance
A good snow hiking shoe should be water resistant by definition. However, there is still a difference between being water resistant and being completely waterproof when fully submerged.
Every single recommendation in this article is water resistant and will keep your feet dry even after hiking in snow and rain for many hours. However, some are more efficient than others when it comes to walking in streams for example. Quickly crossing a small stream won’t be a problem, but after being submerged for multiple minutes, some hiking boots will start to let water in through the tongue. The tongue is indeed the weak spot (most of the time) when it comes to waterproofing hiking snow boots.
Comfort
The recommendations in this article are all consider lightweight snow boots. However, snow hiking boots are generally a lot more heavy than regular hiking boots. The main reason for this is obviously that adding insulation also means adding weight. Hiking in heavy boots tends to be less comfortable. Therefore, you should make sure that they fit perfectly and that they feel very comfortable.
Weight
As I said before, snow hiking boots will weigh more than regular hiking boots, because adding insulation results in heavier boots. Since the weight of the shoes has a lot of impact on comfort, convenience and energy consumption. You want to look for shoes with high quality lightweight insulation. Something like the omni-heat reflective lining that is used in Coumbia’s Bugaboot is a good example. They add a lot of warmth in comparison with the weight.
Conclusion
The best snow hiking boots should be warm, waterproof, water resistant, lightweight, comfortable and maintain a good grip at lower temperatures.
Sadly, there is no such thing than the perfect snow hiking boot. However, Columbia’s Bugaboot gets pretty close. The only real downside is that it isn’t completely waterproof after submerged in water for multiple minutes. For most people this won’t be the worst thing in the world. If it is, there are plenty of alternatives you can go with. The Salomon Toundra Mid WP would be a good option.
What’s very important is that you know in what kind of conditions you will be using these snow boots. Will you only walk on snow? How cold will it get? How wet will the snow be? Do I need them for stream crossing? Make sure you have the answer on all these questions before finding the optimal snow hiking boot for your needs.