There really isn’t the perfect boot, per say. Just perfect technical specs of said boot (in our humble opinion).

We wrote about this in detail a year ago: If the Boot Fits, Go Outside blog post.

But we are here to share an update AND provide some new boots we found this year.

Once our kids outgrew their Snobuster Kamik boots from two years ago, we decided we should go on the search for a different brand. To see what else lies out there beyond the horizon. There are plenty of boots, can we find more that fit our strict requirements that we can share? The answer is YES.

As a reminder, there are our 3 must-haves for the boots in our family:

1. 100% waterproof – all rubber shell
2. Drawstring top
3. Removable inner liner (so you can dry it – waterproof boots = sweaty feet)
4. (BONUS: reflectors)

Why the all rubber shell, you ask? They are harder to find, sometimes they aren’t the cutest or coolest looking BUT in Northern Utah we have pretty wet falls and springs AND winters. Yes, it doesn’t get subartic here like it does, in say, Canada or Minnesota. So we have to be extra vigilant in the waterproofness of our boots. Whereas places where their winters are literally -40 degrees, they don’t care much about wetness and more about freezing-ness.

All three of our kiddos attended two years of outdoor preschool, during that time we were religious with our Kamik Snobuster boots. We loved them, they got the job done, and would last us two seasons (unless someone decided to have a mega growth spurt).

Now that all the kids are in big kid schools, we are mixing it up. On our search for finding a new boot we narrowed it down to:

1. Western Chief Neoprene Cold Weather Boot
2. Baffin Ice Castle Boot

Both of these are actually truly fantastic options.

We ultimately chose Western Chief Cold Weather boots because they seemed to be taller (rise up higher on the leg) and have a thicker, more robust sole. Our kids are so hard on their boots, which is good, means they are using them!

However, the one downside to these boots is that the inner lining is not removable. There is a footpad insert that is removable. The Baffin Ice Castle boots do have a removable liner which is super nice for winter to help the boots dry out faster.

We’ve updated our boot lists to have additional boots we’ve discovered:

Notable brands:

• Western Chief Cold Weather Neoprene Boots
• Western Chief Cold Weather faux fur boots
• Western Chief Kids Element Rain Boot
• Baffin Ice Castle
• Baffin Little Hunter
• Kid’s Orion Waterproof Insulated Rubber Winter Boot
• Kamik Snobuster 1
• Kamik Snobuster 2
• Kamik Snobust 3
• Wheat Thermo Rubber
• Didriksons Slush Kid’s Boot
• KidORCA Kids Rain Boots with Above Knee Waders (If our kids were smaller, we’d totally get these!!!)
• Bogs Snow Shell
• Stonz Trek (not an exact fit for what we are looking for but in the same vein)
• Oh our hearts…the Stonz Booties – Baby boots are killing us with cuteness
• Tretorn KIDS GRANNA VINTER (US purchase)
  • GRÄNNA VINTER RUBBER BOOT (EU purchase)
• Aigle Giboulee boot
• Bisgaard Kids Thermo Boots

Amazon finds links:

• Western Chief Cold Weather boots
• Western Chief New Kids Element Boots
• Baffin Ice Castle
• Kamik Snobuster 1
• Kamik Snobuster 2
• Kamik Snobust 3
• Bogs Snow Shell
• KidORCA Rain Boots and Above Knee Waders
• Stonz Booties

As a reminder, NoBads, when researching what boots make sense for your family reflect back on what your family’s goals are for adventuring outside. Consider the normal temperatures and weather conditions you live in.

These specific boots may not be the right fit, but we hope that through our process of finding the right boots, we’ve convinced you that only one pair is needed for our young adventurers (and you too!).

If you’re concerned about costs, we get it. That why we broke down ideas on how to afford the right outdoor gear in our previous boots blog post. Check it out!

Don’t cancel plans, make more!

Love,