Whoa! Sweet! These are like German ninja boots! After slipping and sliding in Danner Desert boots in the snow last year, I got a pair of Lowa Couloir GTX boots to try. These incorporate Lowa’s G3 sole unit which has dual-compound rubber lugs with textile “studs”. Between the softer rubber lug center compound and the textile, these boots are just short of metal studs insofar as grip on packed snow and icy surfaces. I’m not sure how they came up with the textile idea, but it works. The normal compound lends the sole normal traction, feel, and noise on everyday surfaces at normal to cold temperatures. You’d be slipping and sliding on concrete and tile if you had metal studs, or didn’t take yout Yak Trax or similar traction devices off. With the G3 sole, the transition between clear sidewalks, icy streets and snowy areas is seamless. The only surface that these still have traction issues are streets covered with churned-up brown tire slush, which is where you’d really need the metal spikes or crampons. The Partelana wool/polyester fleece lining and wool felt insole kept the insides warm. These are seriously the best thing I’ve ever walked in during winter hands down. As a bonus, they’e not made in China! Like my Scarpa Kailash GTX’s, they are made in an Eastern European republic.
Highly recommended
Four out of four monkeys not falling on their asses on the ice
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