The Ultimate Après Ski Boot
Nov 06, 2007 · 12:06 PM · permalink
These comfy-looking Vans shearling slip ons recently mentioned on the Goat got me thinking about one of my long-standing quests: the ultimate après ski boot. I don’t mean a boot for wearing to the lodge and impressing the ski bunnies. I mean a boot which, after seven hours of grueling work on the slopes, will make my feet happy. I have a few criteria which I’ve yet to see embodied in one boot:
- Slip-on: numb fingers fumbling with laces in a muddy parking lot will not fly.
- Warm and snuggly: when released from their prison of plastic and foam, I want to slide my feet into a hobbit hole of comfort.
- Suitable for walking in snow: should après ski munchies necessitate food-ambulation.
- Presentable: I would prefer prefer not to look like my feet were drawn by a child with a crayon.
- Flexible: I do not want vehicle operation to be hindered by feet straightjacketed in unwieldy galoshes of iron.
Is that too much to ask?!?
Here, then, is an overview of 18 boots I found surfing on the web which seemed to satisfy some of my criteria. I have “reviewed” them by the highly scientific method of, where possible, using factual information (such as weight and price) and, where impossible, just taking a wild-ass-guess and assigning a rating of between 1 and 5.
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Camper |
Pep Repelo (leather lining) |
15 | 5 | 2 | 2 | $193.95 |
Clarks |
Kamet | 16 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 | $93.95 |
Columbia |
Cascadian Crest (400g Thermolite insulation) |
27.8 | 1 | 4 | 4 | $73.95 |
Crocs |
Mammoth (Faux fur lining) |
-10 | 3 | 3 | $45.95 | |
DKNY |
Nile | 3.5 | 2 | 4 | $161.06 | |
Helly Hansen |
Elg 2 (Profleece insulation) |
4 | 2.5 | 3 | $99.95 | |
Hush Puppies |
Pavilion (Sherpa lining) |
23 | 4.5 | 4 | 3.5 | $93.95 |
Kamik |
Lunar (Faux fur lining) |
1 | 3 | 3.5 | $45.95 | |
Keen |
Dakota (Primaloft 200 gram insulation) |
18.8 | 2 | 3 | 4 | $120.95 |
Land’s End |
Trello Boot (400-gram insulation and faux shearling lined sockliner) |
2 | 4.5 | 4 | $49.50 | |
The North Face |
Nuptse Bootie (700-fill down insulation) |
23 | 1 | 4 | 3.5 | $73.95 |
Puma |
El Roo Mid (Faux fur lining) |
16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | $88.95 |
Salomon |
Snow Clog 2 (Textile lining material) |
18 | 1 | 2 | 4 | $78.95 |
Sorel |
Arapaho (200g Thinsulate insulation) |
22 | 2 | 3 | 4 | $73.95 |
Sorel |
Timberwolf Pull-On (200g Thinsulate Insulation) |
18 | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | $88.95 |
Timberland |
Winter Park (SmartWool lining) |
9.8 | 3 | 4 | 4 | $103.95 |
Tsubo |
Warra | 14 | 4 | 2 | 4 | $143.95 |
Ugg |
Beacon (Genuine sheepskin sockliner) |
3 | 4.5 | 4 | $178.95 |
Disagree with my evaluations? Got some info I missed? Did I miss the perfect boot? Tell me!
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