The perfect companion for when you are knee-deep, on the slopes or the streets.

Opening my door this morning, I was greeted with a blinding sight; the sun reflecting off of a freshly fallen (ankle high) dumping of powder. I instinctively looked down at my feet, cozy and warm, nestled in their wool sock sanctuary. With this part of our body connecting us firmly to the icy ground, extra care needs to be paid when considering what footwear to choose. It was definitely time to put the casual shoes away as the deep winter season was firmly upon us now. Luckily, I had just finished conducting my search for the ultimate winter boot!

The Pursuit

When embarking on the journey for a new pair of winter boots, various factors need to be taken into consideration when selecting a model: expected temperature range, lacing system, water-resistant material, lining, and most importantly, grip. This should provide the base framework that would allow one to narrow down the search for the right boot for the right environment. Mine being, the frigid northern island of Montreal, where temperatures can plummet to -35 degrees, and average annual snowfall can reach 80 inches. This provides excellent winter adventure conditions when leaving the city, but for those who stay on-island, icy sidewalks and dodging snow-ploughs are the norm. After an extensive search through the various notable brands in this space, I finally landed on the perfect pair. Before getting into my selection, notable mentions will go to the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor GTX, Arc’teryx Acrux LT GTX, and the North Face Verto Alpine Mid.

Buried Treasure

I’ve had lots of experience with the brand Salomon, having run marathons with their best in class soft-flasks, or snow trail running with their Wintercross Spike Trail shoes (long-term review inbound). My wife’s go-to cold weather running softshell jacket hails from this brand and she adores it. Naturally, they were one of my stops along my search for the perfect winter boot. After trying on multiple boots in their winter product line-up, one model stood out from the rest, as well as the other brands on my list. Enter : The X Ultra Snowpilot.

The Specs

-All Terrain Contagrip outsole
-Height : Mid
-Winter sockliner with 4mm EVA foam
-Lacing system with eyelets
-ADV.dry winterized waterproof membrane with PU coated leather upper
-Temperature rated to -20 degrees

When my feet entered these boots, I instantly knew I had found the model that would take me through anything this winter season could throw my way. The boots featured a plush and snug fit, aided by the eyelet lacing system and warm interior lining. The outsole was durable and had large treads which would be perfect to cut through snow and ice. The height was in the goldilocks zone, not too low to allow snow to enter, but not too high to make entry/exit cumbersome. The styling was also top notch, featuring a modern and rugged, yet very sleek silhouette. One small but welcome detail, these are some of the best laces I have ever handled, featuring textured paracord allowing for a firm grip with no slip.

Real-world testing has proven to exceed my expectations, providing excellent grip in icy conditions with minimal snow entry in the ankle region. I am pretty excited to take these for a spin in some trickier hiking conditions this season, off-island. See below for a cheeky wrist shot to go along with these industry leading boots.

-Mister Wrist(er)