Best cold weather boot

[muskies4fun]

 The big thing ice fishing is warm (dry) feet. I have had about every boot known to man and never found anything that could keep me warm all day at -10.Hell I was lucky if my feet were warm for an hour.
 I was told about the Northern Outfitters EXP Arctic boots and how a lot of guys that run the Iditarod wear them.
 They are expensive new at about $200 but I lucked out and found a new pair on Ebay for $125 and I can tell you that these are the most incredible boots made.
 This winter I was out several days that the temp was below zero and my feet were never cold and always dry.Even at warmer temps my feet are dry because of the design of the boot and the way it wicks away moisture from your feet..and get this...they are made to be worn barefoot/no socks.
 The first time I wore them I took one off because the foam sock was sort of twisted and I wanted to adjust it....it was -12 and steam rolled out of the boot.
 This has got to be the best winter clothing investment I have ever made.
 Just thought I would pass this along

[Mayfly]

What boot was it? I checked their site and saw a couple different kinds.

[thunderpout]

Steiger Mukluks "Artic Weathermates" .... Have had em for like 15 years... Best thing about em is you get em in double /triple wide for room to ADD insulation layers and they breath!  Ya want warm feet, ask an eskimo... they dont wear sorels etc. ... I still wear my rubber bottom sorel superiors when its sloppy out,  but if ya get cold feet, dont bother with anything else, they're made in Ely MN, by Will Steigers wife Patti,  they make prettier, fancier & more expensive models, but the artics are what all the people use on the artic expeditions.  They are more comfy than anything except maybe slippers.  They're made of moosehide & thick canvas.  Mukluks RULE!       -thunderpout

[muskies4fun]

What boot was it? I checked their site and saw a couple different kinds.

 The EXP Arctic boot

[muskies4fun]

Steiger Mukluks "Artic Weathermates" .... Have had em for like 15 years... Best thing about em is you get em in double /triple wide for room to ADD insulation layers and they breath!  Ya want warm feet, ask an eskimo... they dont wear sorels etc. ... I still wear my rubber bottom sorel superiors when its sloppy out,  but if ya get cold feet, dont bother with anything else, they're made in Ely MN, by Will Steigers wife Patti,  they make prettier, fancier & more expensive models, but the artics are what all the people use on the artic expeditions.  They are more comfy than anything except maybe slippers.  They're made of moosehide & thick canvas.  Mukluks RULE!       -thunderpout

UH...Does this mean new technology can not be as good....Mukluks are only as good as what you put in them for layers.....I have a pair of Baffin Bay Sealskin Mukluks That are about as good as you can get and the Northern Outfitters EXP Arctics beat them hands down...if for no other reason than the fact they breath and stay dry in any temperature  without having to mess around with layers....and I bet the EXP's will be still going when my Baffin Bays are worn down to the gaiter ties...Just slip your bare foot in and you are good to go
 I would not even remotely put the Sorels in the same catergory as my EXp's...

[Babes]

I personally like my Alpha Burly boots by LaCrosse. They are reasonably priced, (less than $100.) very comfortable, with 1000 grams of Thinsulate insulation. With a good pair of moisture wicking sox on I can take the below zero temps up here in Ely in comfort. Being that the are calf high and waterproof I don't get my feet wet when drilling 30-40 holes in a day.
Good luck with your search.

[tripnchip]

Are the Mukluks waterproof or not?

[mnfisherguy]

I just found the  Northern Outfitters EXP Arctic boots  on AMazon for 75 bucks plus shipping.. DO they come in small and large only?? That is what it says there ?

[thunderpout]

All I know is I used to be a cold feet person, and not anymore since gettin my Steiger Mukluks years ago... as far as it being a negative putting layers in them, well, ive never had to put anything else in mine, just what came with them, liner and insole... Layers are for adjusting to activity... if you were say, trudging thru snow for a while, dragging a deer, things like that, your sweat is what will make you cold...if you're sittin in a stand, sittin on a bucket ice fishin, not moving around will make you cold... therfore, when sweating, you dont want boots that trap moisture, whether is wicks it away or not, your feet will eventually get cold from that trapped moisture.  Now when you would want more insulation would be if you're sitting still for periods of time/non-strenuous activity(not sweating), then ya want insulation, or more layers, right?  No Im not saying anything against newer technology, all the poly/capaline wicking stuff is awesome! BUT in boots, if that wicked moisture has no where to go, like when being trapped by the outer boot or by waterproof membranes that dont release moisture as fast as you sweat, you'll be in trouble when that insulation,whatever it is becomes saturated...  Being able to adjust for different levels of activity is what is nice about mukluks, if your gonna be runnin around all day, allways on the move, even if its really cold, ya dont need a lot of heavy stuff on right? just wicking, breathable things on....and the other extreme, sitting around, when its really cold, ya need insulation/layers to keep ya warm.  Ive sat in a deerstand for half a day, many times at 10-15 below and out on walker bay at the poutfest at 25 below and my feet were the warmest part of my body...The artic expedition teams use mukluks because of extreme AND variable conditions so they can adjust to different activity levels/temperature variences... Im sure the EXP's are warmer than my Superiors, but then they are 20 years old and have no tread left on the sole and I have had replaced the liners a bunch of times over the years.  I have em still for using when its sloppy, and wet out, and when the conditions are such, it aint that cold out, and the mukluks stay at home.

[lazer224]

No question, the warmest and most comfortable warm weather footwear: Steiger Muklucs. The best part about them is that they are so light. Its like wearing bedroom slippers. I've used them for ice fishing, deer hunting, trapping etc. in weather down to -30 and no problem. I snow sealed mine to make them more waterproof.  When it's really wet, I wear my rubber Burley boots. I can't add any thing more than what Thunderpout said. My wife also bought a pair after having cold feet no mater what we tried. No more cold feet.
Bill

[thunderpout]

Yeah Lazer, I forgot about the weight factor, they weigh about as much as a pair of tennis shoes.  The only negative with em is the natural rubber soles dont mix with gas/oil... like when pumping gas, wearing around town... but they grip ice better than man made rubber soles.... When I was in Ely last year the steiger folks said the new mukluks have an improved compound sole....