3 Best Snow Hiking Shoes in 2023

Paul Ronto
Paul Ronto on
3 Best Snow Hiking Shoes in 2023
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Keep your tootsies cozy on your next chilly escapade with the right pair of snow hiking shoes. After trudging through ice and snow in different pairs of shoes, we picked our chosen models that will keep you warm and protected all winter long.

The current offerings are actually pretty superb when it comes to high-quality snow-specific designs, features, and overall performance. From trusted and dependable brands like Chaco, Adidas, and Vivobarefoot, your precious piggies will definitely remain comfy throughout the adventure.

We’ve done the investigation, field-testing, and even lab testing to rank our selections of the best snow hiking shoes available in our inventory. To get you started right away, we have created our in-depth shoe profiles and reviews of each pair on the list.

Best snow hiking shoes overall

What makes it the best?

There is no shortage of winter fun in the Terrex Free Hiker Cold.RDY. Indeed, sporting this insulated Adidas shoe translates to ending up in your icy trail destination triumphantly with happy, cozy feet. While it does hide behind a steep asking price, its strengths spell hiking confidence, especially for cold-season adventurers.

Pros

  • Impressive comfort
  • Keeps your feet toasty
  • Waterproof
  • Grippy
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Missing pull tab
  • Too expensive
Full review of Adidas Terrex Free Hiker Cold.RDY

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Unisex
Any color
Shadow Maroon/Wonder Red/Pulse Lilac (GY6759)
Focus Olive/Pulse Olive/Impact Orange (GY6757)
Black (FU7224)
Black (FU7217)

Best waterproof snow hiking shoes

What makes it the best?

Captivating on quick and easy hikes—this is quite a befitting description for the Outbound Prism GTX. A cunningly versatile piece, this Salomon shoe takes you through cityscapes and mildly rugged environs with brisk strides you never thought were possible. It is barely the perfect hiker, but for unplanned hikes that ideally last half a day, this should do it!

Pros

  • Out-of-the-box comfort
  • Spot-on fit
  • Excellent waterproofing
  • Lightweight
  • Versatile in use
  • Well-made
  • Affordable
  • Visually appealing

Cons

  • Poor ventilation
  • Heel slips
  • Outsole lacks durability
Full review of Salomon Outbound Prism GTX

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Men
Women
Any color
Blue (L415910)

Best value snow hiking shoes

What makes it the best?

If you’re still deciding whether to go with an urban hiker or a day hiker to take to your next adventure, the Terrabite’s all-day comfort, durability, and value for money gives it a cut above the rest. The memory foam insole and excellent arch support give these shoes the stability and coziness that you need for work or play. Adding this shoe to your rotation means adding happier days for your feet.

Pros

  • All-day comfort
  • Great grip
  • Reliable arch support
  • Memory foam insoles
  • Insanely affordable
  • No break in required
  • Wide toe box
  • Fits like a glove
  • Dependable durability

Cons

  • Heavier than expected
  • Laces get untied easily
  • Needs better breathability for warmer days
  • Insoles are glued to the shoe
Full review of Skechers Terrabite

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Men
Women
Any color
Black Leather Pu Mesh Charcoal Trim (BKCC)
Brown (BRN)
Brown/Orange (320)
Brown/Black (203)

Comparison of the 3 best snow hiking shoes

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Best
CoreScore
Users rating
Experts
Best price
Ranking
Popularity
# of colorways

How we test hiking shoes

For this guide, we’ve subjected each model to a battery of real-life hiking tests, clocking up 30-50 miles of chilly outdoor jaunts. We’ve also brought all the shoes inside our RunRepeat shoe lab for closer inspection and analysis of the materials and technologies integrated into the models.

Our ranking process involves:

  • Putting in the time, energy, and our own money to buy the snow hiking shoes for our wear tests. This ensures the 100% objectivity of our assessments.
  • Taking each pair on actual hiking excursions to get a personal experience of its fit, comfort, insulation, traction, and overall performance. We test all the models further to see how they perform during moderate to extreme winter conditions.
  • Dissecting the shoes to see and measure all of their components. We also quantified the properties of the shoes. One example is the midsole and outsole hardness which we record by pressing our durometer to the said parts, displaying the hardness level in the HA unit of measurement.
Author
Paul Ronto
Paul Ronto

Over the past 20 years, Paul has climbed, hiked, and run all over the world. He has summited peaks throughout the Americas, trekked through Africa, and tested his endurance in 24-hour trail races as well as 6 marathons. On average, he runs 30-50 miles a week in the foothills of Northern Colorado. His research is regularly cited in The New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, etc. On top of this, Paul is leading the running shoe lab where he cuts shoes apart and analyzes every detail of the shoes that you might buy.