Cold Weather Boots
Insulated or uninsulated hunting boots: pick by activity, not temperature
An uninsulated boot plus the right sock beats an insulated boot you sweat into. Here is the dividing line, and what each one is genuinely for.
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Quick picks
| # | Product | Insulation | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | LaCrosse Grange 18-inch Uninsulated knee-high water work | None (uninsulated) | 8.0 | $99.95Amazon |
| Rank 2 |  LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro 18-inch, 800g One boot for most of the season | 800g | 8.8 | $199.98Amazon |
| Rank 3 |  Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GTX Scouting and warm-weather miles | None (uninsulated) | 7.6 | $233.81Amazon |
| Rank 4 |  Irish Setter VaprTrek 8-inch, 400g Light miles in cool weather | 400g | 7.9 | $219.95Amazon |
| Rank 5 |  Darn Tough Hunter Boot Sock, heavyweight The default serious hunting sock | Not published | 9.0 | $31.95Amazon |
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The short version: buy insulated if you sit still, buy uninsulated if you move, and let your socks do the work either way. That rule disagrees with how boots are marketed, and it is what experienced hunters converge on.
| Insulated | Uninsulated | |
|---|---|---|
| Warmth sitting still | Much better | Depends entirely on your sock |
| Warmth walking | Often worse - you sweat | Better, because moisture escapes or does not form |
| Temperature range | Narrow, centered on its rating | Wide, because you tune it with socks |
| Early season | Too warm | Correct |
| Dries out | Slowly - that is the problem | Fast |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
| Lifespan | Liner compresses over years | Nothing to compress |
The case for uninsulated, which nobody makes
An uninsulated rubber knee boot - the LaCrosse Grange has been in the catalog for decades - is a temperature-neutral waterproof shell. You decide how warm it is by what you put inside it. A midweight wool sock in September, a heavyweight in November, a heavyweight plus a liner in December. One boot, three temperatures, and it dries overnight because there is no insulation holding water.
Compare that with an 800g boot: warm in a 15-degree band, too warm above it, not warm enough below it, and slow to dry. The uninsulated boot is more versatile and cheaper. What it is not is warmer when you sit still in genuine cold - at some point a sock cannot replace 1,000g of Thinsulate, and that point is around 25F for most people.
Where the line falls
- Above 50F: uninsulated, always. Insulation here is purely a liability.
- 35F to 50F: uninsulated with a heavyweight wool sock if you walk; 400g if you sit.
- 25F to 35F: 400g to 800g. This is where insulation starts to earn its place even for walkers.
- Below 25F sitting still: insulated, and the gram chart tells you how much.
- Below 25F walking: 400g to 800g and change socks when you stop. More insulation here is a mistake.
One of each, priced
An uninsulated knee boot, an 800g version of the same idea, an uninsulated hiker, a light insulated lace-up, and the sock that makes the uninsulated option work.
#1 · Uninsulated knee-high water work
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LaCrosse Grange 18-inch
LaCrosseAn uninsulated ZXT rubber knee boot that has been in the catalog for decades. Buy it for water, not for warmth, and put the warmth in your sock.
| Insulation | None (uninsulated) |
|---|---|
| Shaft height | 18 in |
| Upper | ZXT rubber |
| Liner | Unlined |
| Fit | Pull-on |
Specifications per LaCrosse Footwear published specifications.
What it does well
- Cheap, nearly indestructible, and the pattern has barely changed because it did not need to
- Uninsulated means you control warmth with socks instead of being locked into one temperature
- A sane early-season and chore boot that happens to be scent-free
Where it falls short
- Cold on its own below about 45F - this is a feature, not a flaw, but buyers get it wrong
- Plain rubber is stiffer across the instep than a neoprene boot
Our rubric
- Warmth
- 4.0
- Waterproofing
- 9.4
- Fit
- 7.8
- Durability
- 9.4
- Value
- 9.4
#2 · One boot for most of the season
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LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro 18-inch, 800g
LaCrosseThe same boot as the 1,600g with half the insulation, and for most hunters in most of the country it is the smarter buy: warm enough sitting down to about freezing, survivable walking in.
| Insulation | 800g |
|---|---|
| Shaft height | 18 in |
| Upper | Vulcanized rubber over neoprene |
| Calf fit | Adjustable back gusset |
| Liner | Removable EVA footbed |
Specifications per LaCrosse Footwear published specifications.
What it does well
- The widest usable temperature window of any boot here - roughly 20F sitting to 50F walking
- Same gusset, same rubber, same scent profile as the 1,600g version
- If you are buying one rubber boot and do not know your conditions, this is the one
Where it falls short
- Not enough boot for an all-day December sit in the north
- Still heavy for covering ground
Our rubric
- Warmth
- 8.2
- Waterproofing
- 9.4
- Fit
- 8.4
- Durability
- 9.0
- Value
- 9.0
#3 · Scouting and warm-weather miles
Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GTX
DannerNot a hunting boot in the insulated sense - an uninsulated Gore-Tex hiker that happens to be the right tool for August scouting and September archery.
| Insulation | None (uninsulated) |
|---|---|
| Shaft height | Not published by manufacturer |
| Upper | Suede leather |
| Waterproofing | Gore-Tex (manufacturer) |
| Outsole | Vibram SPE/Megagrip |
Specifications per Danner published specifications.
What it does well
- Comfortable out of the box in a way no insulated hunting boot is
- Vibram Megagrip is the best wet-rock outsole in this list
Where it falls short
- Zero insulation - this is the wrong boot the moment it gets cold
- Suede needs treating and does not love sustained mud
Our rubric
- Warmth
- 3.0
- Waterproofing
- 8.6
- Fit
- 9.4
- Durability
- 8.4
- Value
- 8.4
#4 · Light miles in cool weather
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Irish Setter VaprTrek 8-inch, 400g
Irish SetterA deliberately light 8-inch boot with just 400g of insulation - the right spec for an early-season walk-in where the problem is weight and sweat, not cold.
| Insulation | 400g |
|---|---|
| Shaft height | 8 in |
| Upper | Leather and nylon |
| Waterproofing | UltraDry membrane (manufacturer) |
| Fit | Lace-up |
Specifications per Irish Setter published specifications.
What it does well
- Genuinely light for an insulated boot, which is the whole point of the model
- Breaks in faster than a full-leather 12-inch boot
Where it falls short
- 400g and an 8-inch shaft is not a cold-sit boot - read the spec and believe it
- Nylon panels wear faster than full leather in heavy brush
Our rubric
- Warmth
- 6.2
- Waterproofing
- 7.8
- Fit
- 9.0
- Durability
- 8.0
- Value
- 8.6
#5 · The default serious hunting sock
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Darn Tough Hunter Boot Sock, heavyweight
Darn ToughMerino with a full cushion, knit in Vermont, guaranteed for life. The sock we would buy first, and the cheapest real upgrade to a cold boot.
| Material | Merino wool blend |
|---|---|
| Weight | Heavyweight, full cushion |
| Height | Boot height |
| Warranty | Unconditional lifetime guarantee (manufacturer) |
| Made in | Vermont, USA (manufacturer) |
Specifications per Darn Tough Vermont published specifications.
What it does well
- The lifetime guarantee is honored, which changes the cost-per-season arithmetic completely
- Fine-gauge merino cushions without the bulk that makes a boot tight
- Wool keeps insulating when damp, which is the whole reason not to wear cotton
Where it falls short
- Three times the price of a drugstore wool-blend sock
- Full cushion needs boot room. If you are already snug, size the boot up before buying the sock
Our rubric
- Warmth
- 9.0
- Moisture handling
- 9.0
- Durability
- 9.8
- Fit
- 9.0
- Value
- 8.0
The sock is not a detail
If you choose uninsulated, the sock *is* your insulation, and a cotton sock means you have bought a cold boot. A heavyweight merino sock is the minimum, and the ability to change into a dry pair at the stand is what makes the system work. See best merino wool hunting socks and sock layering.
The two-boot answer, honestly priced
An uninsulated knee boot and an insulated lace-up together often cost less than one premium insulated boot, and between them they cover a whole season properly. If you can only own one, the honest default is 800g in whichever construction suits your ground - which is the argument in best insulated hunting boots.
Frequently asked questions
Are uninsulated hunting boots warm enough?
Should I buy insulated or uninsulated hunting boots?
Can you make uninsulated boots warmer?
Why are insulated boots sometimes colder?
Sources
Read next
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The full gram-by-gram table with separate temperature ranges for sitting still and walking - the column other charts leave out.
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Cold Weather Boots
The best insulated hunting boots, by what you are doing in them
Five insulated boots from 400g to 1,600g, each matched to a temperature AND an activity level rather than ranked on warmth alone.
Hunting Socks
The best merino wool hunting socks
Six merino socks by weight and height, plus the guarantees that make the expensive ones cheaper per season.
Rubber Boots
Early-season rubber boots: buy uninsulated
Most rubber boots sold are insulated, and in September that is the wrong boot. What to buy instead.