Best kids’ snow boots to keep little feet warm and dry all winter

These Columbia kids’ snow boots tick loads of my boxes. The moulded EVA shell extends over the foot up to the ankle and the plastic is thicker on the heel and toe for durability. Despite all this plastic, they’re surprisingly lightweight – my tester is not inhibited at all by wearing them.

The shaft of the boot is water and wind resistant; water beads on this area of the boot. Columbia claims these boots can withstand downpours, and from my testing I’d agree with that. As the boring grown up, I appreciated the removable lining which kept the warm sock pretty snuggly in my testing. The felt lining is made from recycled polyester, which isn’t super breathable but it does dry quickly.

The boots have a wide opening that extends to the ankle so they were easy for my tester to put on. A Velcro strap at the ankle keeps the boots on snuggly and traps warm air in the boot, while an elasticated toggle at the top of the boot will stop any snow or water ingressing at the top of the boot.

These boots have been made with younger kids in mind. They’re fairly lightweight, and some colourways have a fun design on the leg area of the shoe. They also performed as the best boots for independent dressing. The wide opening, Velcro strap and expandable leg made everything very easy in terms of getting dressed. These are lined with a fleecy lining, which although not super thick and toasty, would be absolutely enough for chilly UK days; the boots fared middling in the hot-sock test.

There are multidirectional lugs, but they’re not super deep – again, fine for a bit of snow and mud, but in really icy conditions you might find your tot starts slipping around. While the shell is moulded, it has seams on it, which after a while might start to show wear and tear – my testing period didn’t give me long enough on this to find out. I really liked the large gusseted tongue, which will keep all the worst water out. It’s also worth noting these boots are water resistant, not waterproof – this is because the upper part of the shoe isn’t fully waterproof. These boots are decent for playing in the snow, but if you’ve got a die-hard puddle jumper you might be better sticking to wellies.

Some snow boots have a very plasticky aesthetic, but not these ones from Wheat – they’re almost like fashion boots. The outer is made from grownup-looking leather and suede. Sandwiched between the outer and the wool lining is a tex membrane. This is a thin waterproof, breathable layer that will stop water seeping in but let sweat out – super smart.

The wool lining is great too, as wool is naturally temperature regulating and antimicrobial, so feet should stay snug without getting sweaty or stinky. These are some of the warmest boots I tested using the sock test. However, these boots lack a gusseted tongue and aren’t ideal for puddle jumping as the shaft doesn’t come up very far.

The lugs on these boots aren’t as heavy duty as they are in other snowboots on this list, such as the Columbia snow boots. However, they are pretty decent and are multidirectional – so a tick there. While these shoes are stylish, they aren’t the easiest to put on. The laces are for style – there’s a zip on the inside side. However, it caused our tester a bit of frustration getting them on as a certain degree of wiggling and jiggling is required.

I’ve tested kids’ school shoes in the past and was always impressed with the quality of Geox, so I was keen to see how their snow boots performed. These winter boots are very well made – they’re fairly heavy, but in a reassuring way. The soles still bend and flex with the tester’s movement.

My tester found them easy to put on thanks to a double velcro fastening and wide openings. The tongue is only partially gusseted though, which means deep snow might breach the top of the boots. The tester reported they were “really comfy – I could wear them all day”, so a big tick there.

It’s worth noting the lugs and tread here aren’t heavy duty – these are not built for hiking in icy conditions, but are great for a chilly dog walk or playground jaunt. Although they have a waterproof membrane in the shoe, the shaft doesn’t rise very far meaning they’re not great for very wet conditions. However, because they’re made from lightweight synthetic fabrics these shoes dried really quickly during testing. And all the padding and fleece lining means they’re warm around the foot (perhaps slightly less so around the ankle).

These boots prove you can still look chic in very cold weather. The high shaft offers great coverage, and will offer protection even in deeper snow falls. The boots are lined with wool, which makes them snug yet breathable and also stops feet getting sweaty or stinky – an absolute win. Because the boots are so high, dressing was slightly more difficult. It is made easier with the three velcro straps, but still required some help from an adult for our tester to get them on.

During my hot-sock test the boots proved their worth – they kept the toes of the sock fairly warm even after 30 minutes. The drawback of these boots is the tread – the lugs are very shallow, which means kids might find they can’t get enough traction to walk in very icy conditions. Another slightly annoying thing our testers found was that they are quite restrictive – the boots are built to last and are heavy duty, but they made bending at the ankle a bit more challenging.

These traditional-style snowboots are very sturdy indeed. The waterproof shell feels really premium and not at all plasticky – much more a shoe than a welly. The bottom part of the shoe is rubber, while the upper part of the boot is PU-coated leather for a fully waterproof finish. They fared very well in my shallow tray of water, staying as dry as a bone. The tongue is gusseted for further protection.

My tester did find these snow boots more of a challenge to put on – the leather is quite stiff and the shaft is quite long. However, they were relieved it wasn’t “proper” laces, rather a toggle. These laces aren’t elasticated, which might be less appealing in the short term but makes them more likely to last longer as elasticated laces are prone to perishing.

The Sorrel boots sailed through the hot-sock test; the thick felt lining is removable and washable, cuffed with a Sherpa cuff for extra warmth all the way through the boot. Sorrel has also included a felt frost plug in the sole of the shoe to prevent chills under foot.

These snow boots win out for those who are dedicated to barefoot-style shoes. If you’re not in the know, barefoot shoes are designed to mimic walking in bare feet. These shoes will let toes spread naturally to help strengthen feet and encourage a healthy gait. Barefoot shoes also claim to aid balance and help children run, climb and play more freely.

For this particular pair of shoes, there’s that “stripped-back” sole that’s the feature of barefoot shoes, alongside some fairly decent lugs under foot. These are deeper at the balls of the feet for extra grip.

The padded boots are mid-height, and padded all the way up. There’s a faux shearling insole, which fared well in my hot-sock test. My tester said they made it feel like walking on a fluffy teddy. This insole can be removed and the boots worn without them – great for warmer days. Where these shoes performed best was their flexibility. The soles literally fold in half, meaning testers can leap about, climb trees and all the rest of it without being held back.

These snow boots performed well in all tests. The bottom is a thermal moulded waterproof rubber shell, with fairly chunky multidirectional lugs under foot. My tester said they felt like they could stomp through anything, which is sort of what you want from a snow boot really.

The upper part of the shoe is designed to be an integrated gaiter – it should come up quite far up the calf, for decent protection. This section of the shoe is water and wind resistant (it’s important to note they’re not fully waterproof).

Our tester loved wearing these boots. They’re flexible to run around in, but didn’t overheat their feet. Inside there’s a removable, washable felt lining that dries out well. There’s also a felt foot plug in the sole of the shoe for extra insulation from ground frost.

These Sorrel snow boots fared very well during my hot-sock test. Independent dressing with these boots seemed to go well. A velcro fastening at the ankle makes it secure while an elasticated toggle up top keeps it cosy.

How adorable are these little snow boots? They look so smart. And they’ve been designed with younger children in mind; wide openings, elasticated toggles and a zip-down side all make for easier dressing. A sturdy notch on the heel is handy for sliding the boots off. For added warmth and security it would’ve been nice to have a Velcro strap around the ankle like we see on the JoJo Maman Bebe pair on this lineup. However, these won best snow boots for toddlers because as well as being easy to put on, they feel more robust.

Mountain Warehouse has lined these snow boots with a waterproof, breathable membrane. Certainly they didn’t let any water in while they were sat in a shallow tray of water during testing. The bottom moulded shell feels pretty heavy duty, especially in the deep lugs underneath which are going to stop toddlers becoming Bambi on icy days. And they also did well during my temperature tests – the boots are fleece lined, with a little sherpa cuff at the top of the boots.