It’s easily the first question we think of when we’re shopping for winter footwear - will it keep us warm? Will it protect our toes from going numb in the freezing temperatures outside?

Thus, we have decided that one of our main criteria categories is insulation, or how much warmth one Sorel boot design can preserve.

Of course, we have to mention here that whether someone’s feet are warm or cold in any given situation largely depends on that individual. The warmth that we feel depends on our physical build, our metabolism, what we ate that day, our health condition and many other factors that vary from one day to the next. So, to get the bad news out of the way quickly - if one Sorel boot works for your friend or family member and keeps their feet nice and toasty, it may not do the same for you. That is just the unavoidable fact.

However, that does not mean that there aren’t ways to assess the probability of a boot keeping you warm.

One of the main methods for determining if a Sorel boot design is a good insulator or not is by giving it a temperature rating. You’ve seen this in our list - this option keeps you warm down to minus this many degrees, another one down to minus this many degrees… However, this method of rating the potential of the design to keep you warm isn’t the most reliable. Because of all the varying factors we mentioned above, just because a model keeps someone warm at -25 F doesn’t mean it’ll do the same for you.

What is more reliable, though, is the number which represents the weight of the insulation used. You have also seen this in our guide - 100g of insulation, 200g of insulation and so on.

Generally speaking, 100g and 200g are good choices for those who will keep active outside, around the town, for walking, participating in snowball fights or sledding. 400g on the other hand, is great if you have poor circulation if the climate is unbelievably cold (think Siberia), or if you know you will be standing still for an extended period of time.

Sorel, in particular, makes the whole concept of insulation practical and convenient, as they often create Sorel boots with removable felt inner boots. These can be taken out, washed, and put right back in without any problems. Felt is a material which has outstanding qualities all around - it is resilient, wear resistant, moisture-wicking and a superior thermal insulator.

One last thing on the subject of insulation - please be careful what kind of socks you wear with your Sorel boots. Cotton, for example, is a poor choice, since it absorbs all the moisture and becomes wet and cold, effectively lowering your body temperature. The material you should be looking for is merino wool, as it will preserve all the warmth even if your feet start sweating.

Weather resistance is a product’s ability to withstand a wide range of weather conditions - from heat, humidity and direct sunshine, to winds, rain, and snow. This means that the product won’t lose its shape, fall apart or otherwise deteriorate no matter what weather it is exposed to.

There is a difference between weather resistant and weatherproof. Weather resistance doesn’t guarantee that the product will hold up well against extreme or harsh conditions such as hail, or strong winds. Weatherproof, on the other hand, means that the product will remain almost as good as new regardless of the climatic changes.

Some of the Sorel boots we have on our list are weatherproof (for example, the Joan of Arctic), and some Sorel boots are merely weather resistant (the Emelie and the Lea).

Sorel itself labels its Sorel boots in terms of what is the worst type of weather a design can endure. In our research, we have encountered anything from ‘casual/everyday use’, to ‘light rain’, ‘heavy rain’, ‘light snow’, and even ‘heavy snow’.

How resistant a Sorel boot is to different weather conditions is in direct correlation with the materials and the techniques used in its construction.

Full-grain leather, for example, is an incredibly durable material, especially if it is coated with PU. It can take snow, slush, salt, wind, rain - pretty much anything you throw at it. Suede, by contrast, is more delicate than that and gets easily scuffed or stained in conditions that are harsher than rain.

In terms of outsoles, Sorel uses vulcanized rubber for most, if not all, of its outsole shells. Vulcanization is a process in which different chemical agents are added to rubber, heated up and molded, and the end result is a material which is far more durable and resilient than regular rubber.

And finally, almost all Sorel boot designs in this list are waterproof. This brand uses special waterproofing agents, as well as seam-seal membranes to keep the water out. This enables you to walk in any type of wet conditions in your Sorel boots and to be confident that your feet will stay dry and warm no matter what.

Having a Sorel boot which keeps you warm and which you can wear in inclement weather is all nice and dandy, but what happens if it is uncomfortable? What if the toe box is too tight, what if it pinches you at the heel, what if there is a seam which digs into your skin? What good is a solid boot that protects you from the cold and the wetness, if the mere thought of wearing it again makes you wince?

This is why, on top of what we’ve mentioned so far, your winter footwear should also be comfortable.

This can be achieved in any number of ways, but here we’ll discuss the ones utilized in the designs from our Sorel boot list.

First and foremost, many Sorel boot options have molded EVA footbeds and EVA midsoles. EVA is a material which has exceptional shock-absorbing qualities. It is mainly used in running sneakers, as well as those for high impact sports, such as tennis, soccer, and basketball.

The problem with walking is that with every heel strike there is a force which travels up your foot, into your ankle, knees, and hip, putting unnecessary strain on your joints. What EVA does is, instead of allowing that force - or shock - to put pressure on your leg and lower back, it absorbs it and evenly distributes it through the sole of the shoe. That way there is no accumulated effect of constant pounding of the heel, and the risk of developing medical conditions such as plantar fasciitis is greatly reduced.

Furthermore, Sorel pays special attention to the arches and knows the value of good arch support. This keeps your foot in a natural position inside the shoe, and prevents it from rolling inward or outward as you walk. Good arch support also helps in minimizing foot fatigue, meaning that at the end of the day your feet won’t feel so tired, regardless of the amount of time you spent walking outside.

And finally, when it comes to blisters and hotspots, Sorel boots strive to utilize only those materials which will be gentle on your skin. Most of the Sorel boot designs in our list are lined with microfleece, a sinfully soft, abrasion-free material, and even the top cover of most EVA footbeds is layered with this luxurious fabric.

When it comes to comfort, the important thing is what works best for you - your foot shape may not be similar to that of another person, and thus not every model will feel as good to you. Find a Sorel boot which makes you feel well-supported and cushioned, which doesn’t rub you the wrong way and doesn’t make you feel restricted or confined. If you intend to spend a lot of time in the snow, you really don’t want to be gritting your teeth in pain with every step you take, so make sure to try on the design at home before you set foot outside.

With winter and snow, you can expect ice and slippery terrain. We’ve all been there - an insecure step, a skid, a mini heart attack as we flail about and either roughly land on hard ground or somehow manage to stay upright, losing about seven years of our lives.

It’s not pleasant, and we’d all like to avoid it if we can.

Traction is the shoe’s ability to adhere to the ground, and to provide us with a solid, stable foundation to walk on, no matter what the surface type is. Footwear with good traction helps you keep your balance on clean, polished floors, on carpets, on rough, gravely terrain and anywhere in between.

But a special kind of traction is required to prevent you from slipping on ice and slush as you brave the city streets in the winter.

Traction, in general, is achieved through various patterns in the outsole of the shoe. These grooves may seem like they don’t have much rhyme or reason to them, but they are carefully designed to provide you with the ultimate stability on unfavorable terrain.

The one pattern which we have mentioned several times in this Sorel boot guide - and which is widely regarded as one of the best when it comes to traction - is the herringbone design. These diagonal lines are most commonly found in sports sneakers, such as for basketball or volleyball, where athletes have to change direction quickly and without warning and not lose their footing. They offer stability in several directions, and as long as you’re not running or otherwise behaving unsafely on ice you shouldn’t have any problems with staying on your feet.

Other than a herringbone pattern, we have also come across lug outsoles. Lugs are deep grooves or indentations in a rubber outsole, and they provide additional traction on top of rubber’s natural slip-resistance properties. Lug outsoles are heavy, and as such are reserved for heavy-duty footwear such as work boots, those for hiking, fishing, and trudging around in harsh winters.

If you live in an urban area and don’t expect much snowfall than a simple, lightweight herringbone pattern outsole will suffice for your Sorel boots. However, if there will be a lot of snow, a lot of ice, and if you are not simply going on a short shopping trip or to a lunch with friends, then definitely go for a more secure lug outsole on your Sorel boots which will keep you on your feet at all times.

Let’s face it - we all want to look good. We want to wear footwear which reflects our personality and fashion aesthetic, and which goes well with the outfits we have in our wardrobe. Sure, a design can keep us warm and dry and comfortable and prevent us from slipping on ice but at the end of the day, do we like it? Is it visually appealing to us?

Well, in terms of style, Sorel is a bit all over the place. In fact, we can divide their models into two groups - those which are functional and maybe not that attractive (the Snow Angel, the Caribou), and those which are not as insulating or weatherproof, but which are aesthetically pleasing, and just what we needed to pair with those new skinny jeans we bought (the Lea, the Emelie).

It all comes down to what your priority is. Do you want your winter footwear to be both practical and chic? Or do you not mind the visual so much, as long as it keeps you protected? Or maybe you are just looking for a cute design to add to your autumn collection?

These things are important to consider before you decide on a purchase - what fits your tastes, what looks good on you, and whether you even care if it looks good on you; whether it is a good idea to wear a Sorel boot design with a heel or not.

No one can decide these matters but yourself, and so take a moment to scan the Sorel boot choices we’ve laid out for you, and choose the ones which you find the most attractive.