Warmest but comfortable and long-distance boots

[Plugugly]

I prefer wearing socks for 3 trips in a row, works for me

[HikerGuy]

This is a bit prima donna and high maintenance but to keep feet happy have driving socks and climbing socks. When you get to the TH change out of your driving socks because feet sweat and now your driving socks are damp. You may not feel it, but they are.

+1 Always change into fresh (or dry) socks before a hike. I also carry an extra pair of socks in order to change out during the day if needed.

[a forest]

This is a bit prima donna and high maintenance but to keep feet happy have driving socks and climbing socks. When you get to the TH change out of your driving socks because feet sweat and now your driving socks are damp. You may not feel it, but they are.

+1 Always change into fresh (or dry) socks before a hike. I also carry an extra pair of socks in order to change out during the day if needed.

i bring one extra sock with me, and keep my phone in it

[a forest]

I got the Oboz Bridger 10" Insulated B-dry (400g) about a week ago. Wore them around the house and did some short pavement walks outside. This morning I took them out in single digit temps and tromped around snowy hills for a few hours with some boulder scrambling. My other winter boots are Salewa Mt. Trainer mids and Salomon Malamute snowboard boots (and floppy Sorels). I wanted a boot to do long cold hikes with snowshoes or microspikes, maybe some mellow crampon climbs but I figure by the time of the season I'll be on anything that steep I'll be in the Salewas (which I understand aren't winter boots). I've spent about 10 100+ day seasons in the Malamute snowboard boot (4-5 pairs) and the Oboz Bridger feels very similar, much smaller footprint and more ankle movement though, if anyone is familiar with that boot. I use Salomon trail runners as well.

My feet did not get cold this morning, the boot had okay traction on snow covered boulders and was comfortable for walking on frozen dirt. The top of the boot seems more open around your ankle than any other boot I've worn. I didn't wear gaiters but had ski pants with a good adjustable cuff around the boot. I walked up and down hills in knee deep snow and didn't get any snow in the boot. However, if I'm expecting any snow over boot top (which is almost every trip) I won't be wearing this boot without gaiters or pants that can cinch over the boot, the gap is that open. I was hoping to be able to wear some type of soft shell pant but one posthole and it seems like you'd have a boot full of snow.

With the Salewa Mt Trainer I am used to being able to edge on rocks quite well, the Oboz of course doesn't perform as well in that regard.

I was also considering the Salomon Toundra and Salewa Raven 2. REI had this Oboz in my size so I went with that because of the dividend and possible in-store return. I'm not unhappy with the Bridger, it's warm and waterproof (so far), seems like not a bad $180 spent. Non-technical winter aggressive walking boot.

[headsizeburrito]

I picked up the Oboz Bridger 10" Insulated a couple weeks ago partly due to this thread and have worn them a few times. My impressions are about the same as a forest above me. I found them to have pretty good traction, good comfort, and good warmth. Worked well on an easy snowshoe day in RMNP recently and kept me comfortable on Decalibron with a combination of some postholing in loose dry snow on the approach and low teens temps plus high wind up on the summits/ridges. They are pretty thick around the ankle so with adjustable cuffs on my softshell pants I felt no need for gaiters and didn't have any issues with the cuffs riding up while postholing, but YMMV. Some reviews talked about them fitting a little snug and suggested sizing up 1/2 size which I did, but didn't feel strictly necessary. I'd say try on your normal size (with your regular winter socks) and the half size up and see for yourself. Overall pretty happy with them, they seem like a great option for non technical winter hiking. Haven't tried them on any real scrambling yet so can't speak to that part.

[TomPierce]

I picked up the Oboz Bridger 10" Insulated a couple weeks ago partly due to this thread and have worn them a few times. My impressions are about the same as a forest above me. I found them to have pretty good traction, good comfort, and good warmth. Worked well on an easy snowshoe day in RMNP recently and kept me comfortable on Decalibron with a combination of some postholing in loose dry snow on the approach and low teens temps plus high wind up on the summits/ridges. They are pretty thick around the ankle so with adjustable cuffs on my softshell pants I felt no need for gaiters and didn't have any issues with the cuffs riding up while postholing, but YMMV. Some reviews talked about them fitting a little snug and suggested sizing up 1/2 size which I did, but didn't feel strictly necessary. I'd say try on your normal size (with your regular winter socks) and the half size up and see for yourself. Overall pretty happy with them, they seem like a great option for non technical winter hiking. Haven't tried them on any real scrambling yet so can't speak to that part.

Headsize: No idea if this will work with your pants, but if you look under the hem and see a couple of opposing eyelets, hopefully metal, your pants are set up for internal gaiters. If so, go to REI and get about 18" of the thinner elastic shock cord. Tie one end to an eyelet then size the cord to the other eyelet while wearing your new winter boots. Tie it off, you may need to fiddle with it to get it just barely taut. Once done the cord will go under the instep of your boot as you hike, those are now your gaiters. The cord will need to be replaced if you hike on a lot of rocks, but should last at least a season. Fwiw, I haven't used gaiters in almost 20 years, internal gaiters work fine except in sustained postholing in heavier snow. But...that's why you carry snowshoes, right? Just an idea.

PS: Put a drop of superglue on the knots once you are satisfied with the cord length, that way they won't come loose.

-Tom

[RyGuy]

This is a bit prima donna and high maintenance but to keep feet happy have driving socks and climbing socks. When you get to the TH change out of your driving socks because feet sweat and now your driving socks are damp. You may not feel it, but they are. Then powder your feet with baby powder to keep them dry and change into your clean warm climbing socks. That's my trick, clean dry socks and baby powder.

+ 1 for this. I also change socks right before hitting the trail in winter, that works well. Then I also will use a special (separate) stick of antiperspirant on both feet. That has made a big difference in winter.

[pvnisher]

Baby powder and anti perspirant for feet has been a trick of mine for years for skiing and winter climbs.

All that crap about "synthetics and wool insulate when wet!" is garbage. The point is keeping everything dry.

[ltlFish99]

I recently started using Toasty Feet insoles which seem to help. Also, I think wearing gaiters help keep feet warm too.

+1 on the gaiters recommendation.
I know it's common sense but nothing helps keep my feet warm like keeping them dry. Gaiters not only add a little but if insulation, but keep the wet, cold stuff out of my boots.

[shays_days]

Boots are expensive so don’t forget you can go used. I knew I wanted something I could use for both ice climbing and winter hikes (someone mentioned you wouldn’t want the same for both - I don’t see why not) so I got the Scarpa Mont Blanc Pros on Craigslist for $300 in great condition (Scarpa’s version of the Cube). I’ve climbed WI4, done 12 mile days, and gone down to -10 w/o windchill in them in some pretty beefy socks (went a little numb, wouldn’t push it much past 0 tbh).

They’re a little narrow for my foot but fine for my purposes, I’d recommend them! If I were doing higher altitude stuff or was climbing in New England I’d probably get phantoms, but for CO these are fine.

[nmjameswilson]

Baby powder and anti perspirant for feet has been a trick of mine for years for skiing and winter climbs.

All that crap about "synthetics and wool insulate when wet!" is garbage. The point is keeping everything dry.

I have fought sweating feet for years but never heard of using anti perspirant ... great tip thanks!

[TomPierce]

I used to use a spray on anti-perspirant on my feet in the winter. Did it help with dryness and thus warmth? Eh...maybe? I guess my experience was maybe, without any sort of objective testing, but it certainly wasn't a voila (!) "the warmth clouds have parted, all is now good" sort of effect. Worth a try, I suppose.

Believe me, I've had years of exposure (pun intended) to cold toes & feet in the winter, frostnip, so I feel the pain of those afflicted. But when I read of significantly damp feet, something seems amiss to me, i.e. too much warmth? Fwiw, I no longer really get cold feet at all, but admittedly I also have a couple of boots to choose from for cold to really cold conditions. But no cold feet, pretty much ever. The only thing I can point to is some experimentation, and a less-is-more realization: I stopped using gaiters, that seems to have allowed more foot moisture venting, some looser lacing, and fwiw my boots seem to have less plastic and arguably are made of maybe larger weave fabric, i.e. more venting of moisture? Just some guesses. Fwiw, my boots are definitely in the stiffer mountain boot catergory, full shank, set up for step-in crampons. Just my preferences.

Good luck to all with cold feet, I can really empathize.

-Tom