In 2010 I spent a month at Mount Everest鈥檚 Base Camp in Nepal. As part of a summit-expedition team, my assignment听was to write news, both for 国产吃瓜黑料听补苍诲 , from the comfort of a tent pitched at the terminus of the Khumbu Icefall.
Say what you will about Base Camp,听but I was there to do a job, and I found my work space to be stunningly beautiful and surreal. Where else can you wake to the rumble of an avalanche at dawn,听check out expedition听setups straight out of James Bond,听补苍诲 stumble across听artifacts (like a human arm) emerging from the melting glacier? Some mountaineering companies stake down absurdly luxurious glamping spreads, but ours wasn鈥檛 one of them. That鈥檚 why I grew attached to my Ugg boots. It gets听cold at 17,500 feet elevation, and those听boots kept my feet warm.
Last听January, my old Uggs died, their suede uppers听worn so thin that it finally slit at the seam. I was eager to buy the exact same pair,听but听soon learned that my 听had been out of circulation for years. To my dismay, I discovered听that the soles on the latest Uggs seemed more suited for an airport frequent-flyer lounge than the snow and ice at my home听in northern Minnesota, where temperatures frequently dip below zero.听So听I went on a hunt to find a replacement. Of course, not everyone lives in a polar vortex, which is why I tested boots in temperatures ranging听from 25 degrees to minus 20. Ultimately, I found four that will keep anyone听warm and upright in harsh winter weather.
Best for New Snow听
Steger Mukluks Klondike ($250)
Weight: 2 pounds听per pair
Temperature Rating: Minus听30 degrees
In 1985, Patti Steger started sewing mukluks in her Ely, Minnesota,听home after a ten-month Arctic expedition with her听husband, polar explorer Will Steger. She modeled her lightweight, 11-inch-tall, moose-hide 听after the footwear their Inuit friends wore. The warmth is the result of a听flexible rubber sole.听Because your feet can flex easily in these听补苍诲 more constantly stay in motion, blood flows better to the听distant听appendage than it might otherwise in a stiffer structure, creating听heat. Inside听the boot is a polypropylene-lined wool felt liner, and it comes with an extra felt insole so you can double up on听the听coldest days. Steger wears her boots without socks, because she swears they鈥檙e warmer this way,听so I tried that on a minus-18-degree morning walk to watch the sun rise over Lake Superior. The Klondike听kept my feet cozy听for an hour. This particular model lacks an aggressive sole, so it can be slippery on icy surfaces. For a grippier version听that also works in deep powder, try the higher ,听the go-to boot for nordic-skiing Olympic champion Jessie Diggins.
Best for Hiking on Hardpack
Muck Women鈥檚 Arctic Ice Nomadic Sport ($180)
Weight: 2.25 pounds听per pair
Temperature Rating:听Minus 20 degrees
I gravitate toward boots that I can slip on in a second, so I was thrown at first to see that Muck鈥檚 new has laces. Thankfully, a听rear pull tab means they鈥檙e still cinch to yank on without untying. I quickly learned that this boot is a lightweight hiker fit for Antarctica, with a 100 percent waterproof fabric upper, a thermal fleece lining, and a chunky Vibram outsole. My longest and coldest test in them was a six-mile hike up a frozen river north of Duluth when it was minus four degrees out. With the help of two pairs of ski socks, my feet stayed toasty without getting sweaty (an included antimicrobial, wicking footbed insert helped). The deep-lugged outsole, which is made from a rubber compound specially designed to grip on slippery听surfaces, crushed it on the icy hardpack.
Best for Doing Chores in Above-Zero Temperatures
Bogs Whiteout Fleck ($150)
Weight: 3.2 pounds听per pair
Temperature Rating:听Minus 58 degrees
The beauty of Bogs is how easy they are to pull on, thanks to big dual handles on the uppers. They鈥檙e an efficient, sturdy companion for everything from grocery store runs to mucking stables. Since through the bottom of our feet, and the is meant to wear in cold weather, Bogs听outfitted it with a thick, amply cushioned insole that acts as an extra barrier to ground chill. Its 100 percent waterproof, 13-inch-high upper, which is insulated with seven millimeters of neoprene insulation, creates additional warmth and protection in high snow. I wore the Whiteout听over several days, including on a听five-mile, snow-packed, occasionally icy trail through the woods in temperatures that ranged from 25 to minus 5听degrees. The heavily听lugged, slip-resistant outsole handled the terrain like a boss, but on the听negative-five day, my feet started to numb, making听me a little suspect of the generous minus-58-degrees rating.
Best for Icy City Sidewalks
Icebug Metro 2 Women鈥檚 Bugrip ($190)
Weight:听2.1听pounds
Temperature Rating: 15 degrees
If your nemesis is ice, look no further than Icebug. This Swedish company is known for its听traction technology in a range of kicks,听from running shoes to hefty winter boots. Because I walk on icy city sidewalks every day, I opted to test its听bestselling . With an ankle-high,听water-repellent, fleece-lined suede upper and a recycled polyester insole, the urban 鈥渟hootie鈥 is ideal for听sharply dressed urbanites who don鈥檛 want to break a hip. The听studded version听comes outfitted with 16 carbide-steel studs. They鈥檙e positioned evenly throughout a special rubber compound that鈥檚 flexible enough to allow each stud to听grip听independently, depending on where you weight your foot with each step. After testing the studded version over multiple days on an ice-packed city creek trail with steep ups and downs, I found that the shoes gripped as well as hiking crampons. My toes froze after about a half-hour on a subzero day, but the shoe isn鈥檛 rated for subzero temperatures.