Winter footwear advice?

My 318 GTX's are a "hot" shoe. I would not hike in them in the summer most likely, definitely not at low altitude. But in the winter with light snow and ice they work well (read non technical 14er's in fall and winter). In slush I'd definitely have to run a vapor barrier sock with the 318s to keep my feet warm and from becoming totally soaked with cold water as well. If you need the slushy shoes to dry back out outside in winter then you're going to have think about a) a shoe that drys fast and holds no water and b) a way to keep some insulation around your foot dry for your temperature range.

Edit: or a taller shoe/boot that doesn't let the water in in the first place.

Chris

I have a pair of Inov-8 390 GTX boots which can get warm in temperate conditions, however, once the temperature drops to around 40 F or below then they are fine. I am holding out for the non GTX Inov-8 370 due in spring for my warm weather hiking.

I do think that the GTX lining does increase the warmth of the boot and so I use non GTX lined boots (or shoes) once the weather warms up.

For slushy conditions, I prefer:
– a waterproof/breathable liner;
– a boot rather than a shoe.

The reasons for these choices are that I don't find a Gore-Tex or eVent liner too hot in these conditions and I have not found a good solution to stopping slush getting in to shoes. A boot with a gaiter works well.

The Inov8 390GTX looks ideal for these conditions, although I haven't seen a pair yet. I'm currently using Brasher Supalite XCR's, which aren't exactly super light at 43 oz, but still a lot lighter than full leather boots.

I wear Inov-8 Terroc 330's for the majority of the year, but recently decided to try the 390's only for the dead of winter snow conditions. I wore Roclites in the snow last year and although my feet became a bit damp in deep snow, they did stay comfortable and they dried out extremely quickly. The 390's should work well for hiking with or without my Kahtoola crampons and also with my MSR Lightning Ascents.

> I need to get some shoes that will be good for walking in slushy and/or icy conditions.

And Will Rietveld has written a couple of excellent articles on this subject. They will answer a lot of your questions.

Will's articles on winter footwear are amazing – most detailed, most informative piece I've ever seen on the subject. Learned a ton. You should read them before you buy anything. They'll save you a lot of time, trouble and money by helping you make good choices and purchases.

Thanks for the tip. That finally gave me the motivation to subscribe. After reading, I think I'll try Gore-Tex socks and gaiters.

I'm feeling awfully dense. Where are these articles? Links please.

-Michael

At the top of the main page, click on "Gear" and then, at the "Gear" page, look for "Techniques" in the topics and click the "more" at that topic to take you to a collection of articles where you'll find Will's articles, linked as separate articles for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Here's the link to his first article:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_footwear_systems_for_snow_travel_part_1.html

JRS

Magazine/Techniques/Techniques

Thanks for the link!

-Michael

I chose the Inov8 390s to test out this winter. I did not consider the possibility that the goretex lining would make the boots uncomfortably hot; I hope not.
My Inov8 330s are great in dry/hot conditions, but in wet/cold they left my feet cold and of course soaked since they are basically mesh.
I was going to return the 330s if the 390s worked out, but the comments about hot goretex suggest I should keep the 330s for hot conditions. Thanks again to info from BPL.(where I heard about this brand in the first place..)

How did you get on with the 390's?