Winters in Newfoundland especially here on the east coast are not always freezing cold. We have warm day followed by cold days, we have snow followed by mild spurts which can make a mess of conditions in the woods, leaving bogs, ponds, and brooks flooded with water and slush. A regular rubber bottom nylon upper winter boot are great in snow & cold, but will almost guarantee cold wet feet in our conditions. Last year I went looking for a new pair of boots. I previously had a pair of old fashioned green rubber boots with the felt liner but found they weren't really all that warm. On the advise of friends I checked out the Dunlop Purofort Thermo+ Boots. At first glance they seemed very thin and had no liner so I didn't think that they'd live up to their -60F rating. However, I was told that these were definitely THE boot to have so I picked up a pair. I wore these boots all last winter, on cold dry days, and mild wet days alike. I've worn them walking long distance while hunting, snowmobiling, and clearing the driveway and they are awesome. With only a pair of thick cotton socks my feet were always warm and dry and the boots are very comfortable. I started wearing them last summer trouting, ATVing and out on the salt water for the food fishery, and they excel there too. Thick soles keep your feet comfortable especially when walking on small rocks that normally dig into the soles of cheaper boots. The grip provides great traction in all conditions, and I didn't find them too warm even in the summer. I don't know how the technology works, but it certainly performs awesome. These boots are safety rated with steel toes, and the SD static discharge symbol. Here are some specs from Dunlop's site:
If your looking for a great boot, I highly recommend these. They are not cheap at about $180 per pair, but the value for the dollar is certainly there. They can be used year round recreationally, are ideal as a winter/wet location work boot, and will last a long time with proper care.
2018 Update: After 7 years of constant use these boots are still holding up well! I regularly use them year round trouting, ATV riding, hunting and snowmobiling and they are still warm and easy to walk in, but unlike many other boots, they are still in great shape and waterproof. 2019 Update: My Dunlop's are still going strong worn regularly year round and are still in excellent condition. The only Item I've replaced was the boot liner when I found new style Dunlop Replacement insoles at Mercer's Marine. These great boots easily earn a 5-Star rating in my book.
Cheers, Mike Copyright © 2011 Michael Smith |