Chippewa Arctic 50
I bought the Arctic 50's in the 6" model, men's size 6 EEE. I'm female and wear a women's size 7.5/8 US, but have wide feet and always have a hard time finding quality footwear that fits me properly. Not so with all of the Chippewa stuff.
I got these on sale and am very pleased with the look/comfort and performance of these rugged boots. I do snowplowing in the winter and am often out in snowy/wet/cold conditions for more than ten hours at a time. These boots are warm, comfortable, and I'm hoping they will last for years to come as everyone has indicated. Sounds like they will if I take care of them.
I just got them (Oct 2010) and have been wearing them daily for about a week now and can say they are so very comfy I look forward to putting them on in the morning. My feet are not sweating either and yesterday it was almost 80F degrees here.
Hold one of these boots in your hands and you can feel and see that they are made tough with high quality materials. And they are made in the USA which was important to me as not all of the Chippewa boots are anymore.
I'd buy these again and if I can ever find them on sale I may even get a pair of the 9" model. Looked at various boot brands at Bobs Store here in Massachusetts and they had a large selection of brands, but nothing came close to feeling as strong and comfy as the Chippewa.
Very pleased with this purchase and look forward to having warm/dry/comfy feet this winter!
Materials: Leather/shearling/wool/patented "chip-a-tex" WP
Use: hiking, winter/snow
Break-in Period: one week
Weight: 4.6 lbs
Price Paid: $106
I was in the Army from 1974- 2003 and I was issued the black minus 40's and I thought they were the warmest boot I ever wore, very seldom did I switch to the mickey mouse boot. In all that time I only got two pairs but I didn't need to keep replacing them cause they were so comfy and I took care of them.
Now that I'm retired I wear the minus 50s and wow the shearling lining is fantastic and even warmer than my black 40s. I figure I'll never need any more cause these will last my life time cause I take care of them.
As for wet areas use snow seal regularly and really put it to the seams and where the leather meets the soles alway clean and brush them and put more snow seal and I promise you'll never have wet feet even if you stand in a river.
Price Paid: $195
I have had these boots for years in everything except extremely wet conditions and they have performed flawlessly.
There are only two things you really need to know before deciding to buy these excellent boots, they are heavy and they have little rocker. I would not recommend them for extremely wet conditions (all the time) but if you wear wool sock (ALWAYS wear wool socks) they will perform very well year round. You might think you can't wear these in the summer, but with a nice wool sock they are very good for your feet. Any sweat is wicked away by the sock and shearing lining -- very nice.
One awesome boot, excellent support, year-round use, comfortable, and I can't imagine anything tougher. Take care of them and they'll outlast anything else you're ever going to own.
Materials: Leather
Use: Heavy backpacking, off trail use, general hiking, daily wear
Break-in Period: very comfortable out of box, but stiff
Weight: heavy
Price Paid: $165+
Great boots for hunting and hiking in the winter, but I would not use them for winter camping because they do not have a removable insert.
I've had these boots for about 3 years. Originally I bought these for hunting and they work great, but this year I tried them for hiking in the White Mountains of N.H. this winter.
It was in the single digits and winds around 20mph at the summit and 2" to 1 foot of snow. I started out at 7:30 am and finished at 3:30 pm. <y feet were warm, dry and the weight of the boots didn't bother me.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: Gift
I bought my Arctic 50's in January 1990. They are still going strong, although I have replaced the sole two times due to wear.
They have traveled the world and done extremely well. They have been to Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Japan, Italy, Germany, Sicily, Canada, and Spain. They have taken a beating from lava of Mount Etna and Mt Fuji, and they have also done well with crampons and snowshoes.
If you are in it for the long haul, I'd recommend them. I'm looking to buy another pair next month for my birthday. Enjoy!!
Materials: leather
Use: moderate trails and back country hiking
Break-in Period: short
Weight: don't recall
Price Paid: $109
Extremely comfortable boot with a relatively short break-in period. Pound for pound the warmest boots I've ever worn. Must be due to the wool fleece lining...very similar to that of Australia's UGGS. After break-in, I began wearing mine with "no socks", the way Uggs recommends to wear their boots. Even worn on bare feet, they're very comfortable and keep my feet warmer than many other brands! I highly recommend them!
Materials: leather
Use: work and hunting
Break-in Period: 1 week
Weight: 4.5 lbs/pr.
Price Paid: $160
VERY well made boot, wool lined for great warmth, .25' felt sole, crampon compatiable. Deep Vibram sole, sewed on. Was surprised by the comfort/warmth these boots offered with excellent support. Last March in New Hampshires White Mtn.s, my friend wore plastic Koflachs which caused him lower shin bruising. These boots will last a lifetime.
Materials: Leather
Use: hiking, cold weather travel, hunting
Break-in Period: 5 miles - very short
Weight: 2.25 each
Price Paid: $159 on sale
These are the best boots made period! I have a pair that
I have owned for 34 years (originally bought in my hometown of Chippewa Falls, WI). You won't find a better built, more comfortable, or warmer boot anywhere. I wear these boots in temperatures that range from +40 to -20 degrees.
Materials: leather
Use: hunting
Break-in Period: sitting
Weight: 170 pounds
Price Paid: $75