Stylish, Functional and Durable Winter Boots - Too much to ask?

Originally Posted by Schnurretiger

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@chiral: How good is the performance of the sole of the Katadhin's on snow & ice?

bumping this question.

Also, how well do the Katadhin's provide traction in the snow, and how waterproof are they?

Originally Posted by raginberriodoom

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bumping this question.

Also, how well do the Katadhin's provide traction in the snow, and how waterproof are they?

I'll post pictures of my Kathadins at some point (I took some before sno-sealing, now I am waiting to get a little more wear in them).

The soles feel ok in the snow, and with my generous application of sno-seal, they seem pretty damn waterproof (I made sure to get it deep in the welt and all the seams/stitching). The problem is the ice, they are slippery. I am hoping they improve with a bit more wear (when I was on the ice, there was literally still sno-seal wax on the soles).

So far I like them a lot. The ice slipping is unfortunate but otherwise they are great. If I ever get them resoled, I might have them go with the commando sole instead (though the color wouldnt look as good). The good news is that partial restoration straight from the manufacturer is only like $60 (new soles, insoles, something else) and full restoration is 95 or something (adds, midsole, welt?, stitching...dunno what else). Most places I looked up online were 100+ just for resole on a pair of boots.

Will throw in pics eventually

In Chicago, the traction problem may be a problem since there is a lot of ice on the sidewalks, and I don't want to be falling every five steps to class.

Would sacrificing some of the appearance of the Katahdin's in favor of http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...464-ppxs&dds=y which is completely waterproof and provides traction in ice be a better choice?

I have thought briefly about "studding" them when I get back to chicago. They aren't so bad now, and I feel like I can deal with sidewalks (helps that I have good balance) but if not, I feel like I could drive some staples into the soles to provide just enough bite into the ice. They won't poke through (and I could cut them shorter) and they might actually work.

Just pull them out when the weather warms up.

Originally Posted by raginberriodoom

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Would sacrificing some of the appearance of the Katahdin's in favor of http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...464-ppxs&dds=y which is completely waterproof and provides traction in ice be a better choice?

Also, I have to add that I think the insulated versions look pretty bad. Bulkier look and without the captoe (and remember...the originals are already a little bulky).

I think liberal application from a $4 tub of sno-seal does a pretty good job waterproofing and wool socks do a pretty good job insulating if you need it when the temps drop. As I said, Chippewa will resole them for about $60 so if you buy them and they don't work great for this winter, you will get a nice boot whenever you need one for the summer and come next winter you can send them in for the other kind of sole to be put on.

Thanks for the replies otc, and when you talked about "stapling," did you mean just take a normal stapler and stapling the soles of your shoes? I'm kind of confused about that process.

Also, did you pick those boots up from LLBean or http://bootsusa.com/Chippewa%20Boots...r_styles_.htm?

I received a pair of these LL Bean/Chippewa boots for Christmas. For the record, the Chippewa brand are the same exact boot as the ones sold in LL Bean. I have the the Chippewa box, plus the boots have an LL Bean tag sewn into the inside of the tongue. Anyway, here are the boots as I received them: as you can see, they come a little bit distressed, though nothing outrageous. I plan to coat them with a layer of the Obenaufs, then some Sno-Seal. I can take some other pics of any other part of the boot if anyone is interested.

wow, yours came out mighty different than mine did.

Must have been jostled around a lot during shipping. The oiled leather finish they came from is kind of like suede in that it shows where it has been touched. Lick your finger and rub the marks and they will go away. They aren't really distressed to start with, just very easy to mark up. The sno-seal immediately made them a uniform color (as would wiping them with a wet sponge)

Originally Posted by otc

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wow, yours came out mighty different than mine did.

Must have been jostled around a lot during shipping. The oiled leather finish they came from is kind of like suede in that it shows where it has been touched. Lick your finger and rub the marks and they will go away. They aren't really distressed to start with, just very easy to mark up. The sno-seal immediately made them a uniform color (as would wiping them with a wet sponge)

I'll try that.

I'm not too worried about it anyway, as the marks adds character, etc.. Also, I've heard the Obenauf's creates a totally canvas, so to speak.


Also, worth noting, is that you can barely see those marks in normal light. I took those photos outside in the (rare) direct sun of NY.

For those who have the Katahdins, are they warm/dry enough for consistent winter wear? I'm probably going to end up going with them, but I can't decide whether to get the normal Chippewa/LL Bean ones or the waterproof version on the LL Bean site. The waterproof ones are more expensive and would probably protect my feet better, but I like the look of the normal ones better and they would seem to be more versatile than the waterproof ones. Anyone have experience wearing them a lot during winter and could fill me in on how they hold up? Thanks for the help.

Originally Posted by bsblguy31

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For those who have the Katahdins, are they warm/dry enough for consistent winter wear? I'm probably going to end up going with them, but I can't decide whether to get the normal Chippewa/LL Bean ones or the waterproof version on the LL Bean site. The waterproof ones are more expensive and would probably protect my feet better, but I like the look of the normal ones better and they would seem to be more versatile than the waterproof ones. Anyone have experience wearing them a lot during winter and could fill me in on how they hold up? Thanks for the help.

I don't have that experience, but I'll just say: the waterproof ones aren't as good looking, you can slather sno-seal all over the Katahdins, and you should probably be wearing thick wool socks anyway, so your feet will be warm no matter what.

Originally Posted by changed

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I don't have that experience, but I'll just say: the waterproof ones aren't as good looking, you can slather sno-seal all over the Katahdins, and you should probably be wearing thick wool socks anyway, so your feet will be warm no matter what.

+1 on sno-seal and wool socks. I havn't had these boots for too long but the temps seem just fine with my cotton socks (but I like it cold out) and I feel that if the temps drop too much, wool would be perfect.

To those who bought the Katahdins, did you guys already from that site listed in this thread, or did you go to the LLBean store/website to grab them?

My Filson Uplander boots have been holding up very well to the snow and rain that Seattle's had over the past month. I think the Highlanders will be in order for next year.

Originally Posted by raginberriodoom

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To those who bought the Katahdins, did you guys already from that site listed in this thread, or did you go to the LLBean store/website to grab them?

LL Bean. That site was confusing (listing womens sizes and showing inaccurate info) and I wanted to be sure I got the right things...plus LL Bean has a better service