Best Boots For Men: What We Look For
Of course, the best boots for men depend on how someone plans to use them and their personal preferences.
As intrepid travelers, we might ordinarily be searching for the best boots for traveling. But with long-distance travel on hiatus, my husband wanted a pair of warm, winter boots he could use on long walks closer to home and for puttering around outside the house (including shoveling snow off the generator).
My husband tested two pairs made by Northside USA, a family business located in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1985, the outdoor footwear brand has made boots for men, women and kids, as well as other outdoor apparel. Their men’s line includes general cold-weather and all-weather boots, boots for hiking or trekking, snow boots, hunting boots, and even water shoes. They come in a wide variety of colors and styles.
My husband fell in love with the Northside Albany Winter Boot because of its comfort, functionality, style and sensible pricing.
The Northside Albany Men’s Boot
Best Boots for Men: These boots are made for walking
Comfort
The most important criteria for most men is comfort (admittedly, women sometimes opt for style over comfort). After trying the Albany Winter Boot on for the first time and walking around, I noticed that my husband had returned to his desk to work and was sitting there with his boots on. When I asked why, he told me that they were so comfortable that he forgot to take them off.
They turned out to be just as comfortable outdoors and did a great job of keeping his feet dry and warm in deep snow.
Functionality
The high-performance boots are lined with Thinsulate to keep feet snuggly warm. The water-resistant, thick crepe rubber soles have heavy, non-slip treads that offer traction in snow or on ice. The boots aren’t too high on the calf to be confining yet offer ample protection from the elements.
Another nice feature is the boots’ side zippers that make for easy-on and easy-off. My husband had tried another pair and had a hard time inching his foot into them. (Of course, I had discovered the pleasure of zippered boots many years ago!) And a gusset (little loop) at the top of the boots also help make them easy to pull up.
Style
Dark brown with an attractive suede upper, these stylish boots have a rugged, outdoorsy look that is timeless. The tops of the boots have a nice fabric trim.
Affordability
The entire Northside line seems to be very sensibly priced. The Albany Winter Boot is currently priced at $49.99 on Amazon. Most of the Northside men’s products are priced well under $100 and many cost less than $50.
If we take these boots on a trip, and don’t have the room to pack a dirty pair in a suitcase when we return, we would feel sadly about leaving them behind–but certainly, less so than if they had cost twice the price or more.
Buying options: Northside USA sells direct to consumers; shipping is free for orders over $100. The company offers a 90-day return policy. Alternatively, the boots are carried by retailers like REI and Kohl’s, or at Amazon (where shipping is free).
Disclosures:
We received two pairs of boots for Review from Northside USA but any opinions expressed in this post are our own. This is a fair and honest review; if we couldn’t endorse a product, we wouldn’t write about it.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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