Sorel Glacier XT

Sorel got it right.

These are great boots, warm from top to bottom. It looks like a few people have had issues with the Glacier boots where the tops come away from the bottoms. Well, that only happens when you do not undo the laces before taking them off, ripping the boots apart.

I own a lot of Sorel boots and a lot of pairs of boots from another Leading Canadian Brand and to be honest the Glacier XT's are in the top spot along with the other top pair of boots. There is no way a person's feet froze solid wearing these boots because if they had then they would no longer have a use for a pair of boots regardless of the brand,

I have tested the thermal qualities of the Sorel Glacier XT's and all the heat created by the wearer stays in the boot and is not lost to the external elements. If you buy the correct size IE go up one size compared to your normal shoe size then wear a normal sock and a pair of thicker wool-based knee length socks then they will fit close to perfect.

I always tie the laces, but I don't pull them down tight like you would a walking boot. I leave them loose so I can still slip my foot in and out of them easily then I don't have to remember to untie the laces each time and not risk ripping the boot off of the shaft,

Many boots on the market use foam for insulation but Sorel has elected to use a mixture of both with the added bonus of felt, which is a nice touch because they just feel more natural to wear and if you need spare liners to take on long trips Sorel has made them easily accessible and they come complete with spare 13mm felt inner soles so you can even add them to the existing inner soles for even more comfort, not that it is needed because the Glacier XT's are one of the if not the most comfortable boot you will ever slip on straight off the shelf,

The upper shafts of the XT's are made of a tough ballistic nylon which also has insulation within it which spreads the warmth from top to bottom and to finish off the shaft with a built in snow collar made from the same material as the shaft not some floppy wafer thin nylon.

The soles are another key element with widely spaced heavy duty lugs, which aid self cleaning along with a finer tread pattern in the middle of the sole for added traction on rocks and ice while still being flexible enough to wear all day. The toe box is another great design with the liner that flexes enough to allow for extra socks if needed. The upper toe box rubber is quite soft, which allows your toes to bend without any discomfort and is fully lined.

Comfort-wise they are like wearing sheepskin Ugg boots or sitting by an open log fire, and yet they are made to perform in the coldest places on the planet rated down to -73.3°c / -100°f.

When you find something this good it pays to cover all bets and look after them and they will look after you. So with that in mind I bought three pairs of Glacier XT's with three sets of spare liners, because finding something this good is very rare these days and I don't want to lose out if Sorel ever stops making them.

WTG, Sorel "Thumbs Up"