Name: Baffin Chloe Women’s Boots
What it is: An arctic boot designed to keep your feet warm even when temperatures are 40 degrees below zero. The exterior shell is synthetic rubber, and the midsole is a proprietary cold-resistant ethylene-vinyl acetate compound that is lighter than rubber. The rubber outsole has an integrated arch support, and the removable seven-layer liner boot has Thermaplush to keep your feet and calves toasty. The liner leaves room to tuck snow pants into the boot for extra warmth and dryness. The boots run slightly small, so I buy a half-size up.
The good: These are the most comfortable snow boots I have ever worn. The arch support is better than in my Asics running shoes. Chloe kept my feet warm on winter trips to Switzerland and Alaska and offered spectacular traction on icy surfaces. My feet stayed bone-dry walking through puddles and melted snow. The Timberwolf Leather Natural Shearing on the uppers makes Chloe look marvelous. And because Baffin made the seven-layer inner boot liner removable, you can easily dry them after sweating in them or replace them if they wear out.
The bad: Extra lining in the toes or perhaps a bit of the cold-resistant compound in the midsoles would help. The only part of my foot that got cold in subzero temperatures were my toes when I was outside waiting for northern lights.
Cost: $137 (U.S.). The Baffin website displays Canadian dollars.
Available from: baffin.com, amazon.com and zappos.com (check for sale prices)