Wolverine ShiftPlus Polar Range BOA
Best features in a boot
Our take Managing your comfort level is key on winter hikes, and the ShiftPlus Polar Range offers a plush refuge for your feet. Its warm, cushy lining, padded-yet-firm footbed, low-density PU midsole, and easy-to-use BOA lacing system are all designed with trailhead-to-summit comfort in mind. “This boot feels like walking on clouds, making it perfect for the stop-and-start pace of hiking with my family around the Blue Hills Reservation in Massachusetts,” one tester says. We wanted more support for loads exceeding 25 pounds, though.
The details PrimaLoft Gold Aerogel kept our feet warm down to around 20°F. Rain and slush never penetrated the boot’s waterproof/breathable membrane. A downside to the boot’s robust feature set is its clunkiness, and we wished for a more precise fit on steeper trails. Ding: The ShiftPlus Polar Range doesn’t come in women’s sizes, but our female testers found the boot comfy when sizing down.
$230; 3 lbs.; m’s 7-14