winter boots for…winter activities,snowshoeing

For a true winter boot, a higher cut may be nearly unavoidable. Generally they are higher to keep snow out of the boot. I can often get by with my hiking boot (which I buy large) and a good sock combination down to about 30, but after that I'm switching to my Pac boots -or- I just recently picked up some Muck Arctic Sport boots that theoretically are good to -40 (I doubt that rating is accurate) that I plan to test in various temps over the winter but they too are only available in either a mid-cut or high-cut, no low cut although you could trim them since they are 100% neoprene upper. One thing I really like about the Muck Boot is the traction is fantastic- I feel like Spiderman on snow and ice. They must use a really good rubber formulated for winter. LL Bean has a series of winter chore boots that are shorter cut that might work for you, also.

"my current boots,merrell norsehund,make my feet sweat and do not keep my feet warm below 40deg."

I'm a bit confused by your statement above. If your feet are sweating, then that means they are warm. If they were cold, they would not sweat.

Billy

1.-> regular feltpacs like Sorrell

2.-> NEOS waterproof shells with feltpacs inside

You MUST have a VBL sock (vapor barrier lining) to keep sweat from getting in the felt pac liners and ruining the insulative value.
Afer trying everything else I much prefer thin neoprene diver's socks which I have seam sealed. Wear them over thin polypro or polyester sock liners for comfort and blister prevention.

i know my feet got cold at times and when i took the boots off my feet were damp so maybe these leak.They dont have much insulation at all and are rated for 25deg.
Also thinking about a boot with removable liner.

also…thanks Dena.

If they leak take them back (or use neoprene or gortex liners)… You can test by putting them in a bucket of water or the bathtub…

If they are leaking cold snow melt to the inside your feet will be very cold..

if it's just sweat, my experience is that my feet are still warm… that's why they're sweating, they're warm…

Personally, it's hard to imagine having cold feet while snowshoeing at 40F as you wrote in your original post… snowshoeing is vigorous exercise and your feet should be sweating like pigs on a 100F day… of course, when you stop and stand around in snow for an extended time that's a different story… time for a dry socks change

as far as the rating goes you can throw that in the trash…
just like sleeping bag ratings…
everyone's circulation in their feet is a bit different… some will need warmer boots…

Further, if you have too much sock or tighten the laces or snowshoe bindings too tight you could limit the circulation in your feet… in that case it could be that no boot will keep your feet warm…

Billy

I only do day-hikes or snowshoe outings in winter, so I may not be typical. But so far, just wearing my standard leather GoreTex hiking boots Bean Cresta Hikers with SmartWool hiking socks and poly sock liners has been plenty warm.

It’s always amazing how different the clothing requirements are for moving/active versus stopped.

I have classic Sorels that I wear for snow shoveling and so forth, but I can’t imagine wearing them for hiking/snowshoeing

I'll echo the sentiment above.

I've found that it comes down to your sock choice. I wear a pair of medium weight Smartwool Phd socks with a Smartwool sock liner in my unlined hiking boots (Scarpa Kailash), and my feet are plenty warm for the winter hiking and snowshoeing that I do. Years ago, before I realized how important quality socks are for outdoor activities, I'd wear cheap cotton crew socks and my feet would sweat (inevitable) and then freeze, so I'd go looking for more insulated footwear, thinking that the boots weren't warm enough. Then I picked up some decent wool socks and realized how much better they insulated and dealt with moisture, and I've been using them since.

What type(s) of socks have you tried?

I wonder if boot size plays a role? For a variety of reasons, I made sure my hiking boots are plenty big in the toe box. I can wear either a 9.5W or a 10W in the Bean boots, but always get the bigger size, so I have plenty of wiggle room across the toes, even with medium weight smartwool socks and sock liners. It makes me wonder if tight boots might be colder?

I have room for heavyweight smartwool socks. I think I've worn them once and decided it wasn't necessary.

I wear the same med weight socks with poly liners summer and winter. Don't need them for the warmth in the summer, but I've never gotten a blister, even wearing the boots brand new out of the box. If it ain't broke, don't fix it…

Boots that are too tight will definitely make your feet colder. There are some insulated boots out there that are roughly the same size as hikers. I know I have a boot from Cabela's – maybe called Snowrunner? that is insulated and I have used it for snowshoeing – works fine.

I was stranded in Iceland during a snowstorm in May (long story) and purchased a pair of Viking shoes. These, combined with good wool socks, kept my feet warm and DRY, even while hiking the volcanoes. Loved them, and I believe you can order them directly.

http://www.vikingfootwear.com/en