Cob Jockey

What with holiday gift shopping season coming up, I'm going to try to knock out a few product reviews in the next week or two. Enjoy!

Since I'm staring down my first non-full-care boarding winter ever, I knew I had to up my winter boot game, both for riding and for chores.

Pretty quickly after a few days of scouring the internet for good contenders, I realized the horse market just sucks at winter boots, which sounds crazy, but it's true. The reviews tell the tale - either they're not warm enough for truly cold climates, or they are, but they only last six months. And I've done the cheap winter boot rodeo too many times to fall for that again.

So for chore boots, I looked outside the horse industry. What do, like, cattle farmers wear? I wanted something warm, durable and something that I could just jump into while running out the door every day with minimal fuss. And that's how I ended up with LaCrosse Footwear's Women's Alpha Thermal Winter Boot.

When I first opened the box, I was underwhelmed. They didn't look THAT warm - from the reviews I was expecting something with like enormous amounts of fill or something. But when it finally got cold, that's when I got it. These boots do have a fleece lining, but the neoprene works like a wetsuit almost. They are warm.

Cozy. Also not apologizing for the Husky hair, welcome to my life, lol

You do need to give them some time to break in, which I wasn't expecting out of something made of rubber and neoprene, but it's true. At first they felt insanely clunky and like I would never be able to drive with them on. But within a week of wearing them daily, they started bending at the ankles easier and felt great.

Note the crease above the ankle. Until they broke in like that, they were pretty clunky.

So far I've worn them in temps down to the mid-20s, and when paired with my Ariat alpaca winter socks, I don't even need footwarmers. We'll see how I feel about them when it gets really cold later this winter, but based on their performance so far (and the fact that I can definitely fit a second pair of socks in there and still have an air bubble around my feet) I think I'll be fine.

I see people compare these to Muck Boots online, and the biggest features people like about the LaCrosse over the Muck Boots happen to be my favorite features of these boots, such as the adjustable calf:

I have small calves, and this allows me to get a snug fit that doesn't let cold air in

And the generous - no, that's not a spur rest. That's a designer understanding how people actually take their muddy boots off at the door and putting a heel step on the boot.

Size-wise, I bought my true street size which is a 6, and I would say that was a good move. They ARE big, but that big-ness allows the boot to 1. keep you above the snow/mud with a thick platform-like sole, and 2. gives you room for the type of socks you'll want to wear with this boot. They feel a little big with thin athletic socks on (but I do still wear them that way sometimes), but with winter socks on they feel perfect. 

And I do realize I'm reviewing these A) before I've had them long-term and B) before I've had a chance to wear them in temps below the mid-20s which are my two biggest complaints about other boots, but based on the years of reviews for both longevity and cold performance on LaCrosse's website as well as how they've performed so far, I feel good about both. And I'll update this review in the spring.

Bottom line: If you live in a cold climate and are looking for chore boots that will keep you warm and dry AND last more than one season, the LaCrosse Footwear Alpha Thermal boot is a great option.

What: LaCrosse Footwear Women's Alpha Thermal Boot

Where: Amazon or LaCrosseFootwear.com

Colors: Four color combinations available 

Price: $170

Disclaimer: Bought these with my own hard-earned dollars, am not affiliated with LaCrosse and there are no affiliate links in this post.