Last weekend, I woke up, went to run water for coffee, and nothing came out of the tap. I rushed around the house testing all the sinks before finally checking the weather and realizing the air temp was -45°F. My garage door cable had snapped the day before and now my pipes were frozen solid and in danger of bursting. In a panic, I threw on the closest pair of boots and rushed to the hardware store for space heaters, to the grocery store for drinking water and a consolation muffin, and to the pharmacy for antibiotics because (of course) I was also sick.
The best news is that I avoided disaster after 16 hours of climbing in and out of the crawl space managing the pipes and the main water valve. The second-best news is that while hustling across a parking lot clutching four gallons of water, I noticed that my hands and face were in pins and needles, but my feet felt fine, thus discovering the Bogs Whiteout are a really, really warm pair of boots.
I had shoved my feet into these boots not because I thought they were the most appropriate footwear, but because I was panicking and they were nearby. Had I stopped to think, I probably would have put on different boots — compared to my other options, the Bogs don’t look particularly warm. The Whiteouts are a full pound lighter than my heavier winter boots, and nearly two pounds lighter than my winter-work pac boots, They are barely larger in profile than a standard pair of rain boots, and they’re way easier to walk in than classic insulated boots that rely on wide toe caps, reinforced liners, and felted insulation.
These calf-height, waterproof boots use just seven millimeters of dense Neo-Tech insulation, a highly efficient material that looks like tightly packed sheep’s wool and helps keep the streamlined silhouette. I’ve always worn Classic Bogs for chore boots, and the Whiteout looked and felt so similar that it didn’t occur to me to wear them as snow boots in absurd temperatures. The traction is super-secure thanks to the speciality “GlacialGrip” rubber on the outsole, which not only holds better on packed snow and ice but resists freezing and stiffening in frigid temps. Maintaining that flexibility isn’t just key to avoiding cracking, it keeps more of the outsole in contact with the ground, which is critical for grip.
The unreasonable weather continued over the next four days, and I wore these boots through it all. I stomped through the snow at the dog park, I helped a friend move, I ran my errands, I shoveled my driveway, and I spent too much time crouched in my subzero crawl space moving heaters around. Even with a standard-weight pair of socks, my feet never felt cold, and the sweat-wicking liner materials meant they never got clammy either.
It’s important to note that even though this weather was extreme, I live in Montana and I am accustomed to subzero temperatures. These boots are rated down to -50°F, but your feet might have a different tolerance, so prepare with winter-appropriate socks and toe warmers and remember that everyone’s circulation operates differently!
And if you want more of my Montana-winter-approved gear, I wrote about all the clothing that gets me through the coldest days working outside here.
And, incidentally, here’s our Best in Class guide to the best winter boots for women.
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