Best Vegan Winter Boots | Review and Buying Guide

Outdoor plans in winters should not put you into a larger hollow of dilemma. While winter boots can save your feet from getting excessively cold or wet when you spend time away from home, buying vegan winter boots can uncover multiple benefits to you and the environment at large.

Various research conducted on the garments and footwear industries expose the narratives of disturbing brutality meted to animals to extract leather, wool, shearlings, silk, suede, furs, and adhesives. Unless a brand ensures that it’s vegan, there are chances that it uses animal products or by-products to manufacture winter accessories.

One should be aware of how our love for fashion can exploit the planet if ethical purchasing is not on our minds. Fortunately, there are plenty of stylish and high-quality vegan winter ugg boots available on the market that can keep your feet warm and dry without compromising your ethics.

Vegan winter boots are made of synthetic, plant-based, or man-made materials like microfibre, polyurethane (PU), jute, bamboo, hemp, cotton, Gore-tex, cork, natural and recycled rubber, and even recycled materials such as old tire-tread or plastic bottles.

Another interesting material used in producing vegan winter boots is an alternative to animal leather called vegan leather, made out of polyurethane. It is also known as PU leather and is a synthetic matter that is finely layered and fused with a cotton backing.

Product Comparison

Rank		PRODUCT NAME	SCORE
1 1st Place		DREAM PAIRS Women’s Winter Snow Boots By DREAM PAIRS	5.0	Check Price
2 Best Value		Sorel Women’s Whitney Short Lace Snow Boot By Sorel	4.9	Check Price
3		Kamik Women’s Momentum Snow Boot By Kamik	4.8	Check Price
4		ALEADER Women’s Warm Faux Fur Snow Boots By ALEADER	4.7	Check Price
5		Kamik Women’s Canuck Boot By Kamik	4.5	Check Price

Best Vegan Winter Boots (Snow Boots)

1. DREAM PAIRS Women’s Winter Snow Boots

The front lace-up allows a secure fit. The souls have tractions made of molded rubber to allow a better grip and prevent you from inconvenient slips and falls. Since the brand allows full sizes only, you are suggested to size up if you are looking for half-sizes.

2. Sorel Women’s Whitney Short Lace Snow Boot

Moreover, 200g of insulation warms your feet, and comfortable EVA footbed cushions your every step. Comfort added to the extra traction on the outsole makes it the best deal for you to grab right away!

3. Kamik Women’s Momentum Snow Boot

It permits high activity in winters. The waterproof nylon upper with a faux fur collar and a waterproof gusset tongue allows you to jump into your camping and hiking plans for the winters without having to worry about snow, rain, or mud.

 4. ALEADER Women’s Warm Faux Fur Snow Boots

The waterproof resistant boot successfully keeps moisture out, keeping your feet warm and comfortable in your regular cold night’s romp and stroll. It can stand up to -22 F, giving your maximum breathability and freedom to move without freezing.

Since the boots are available only in full sizes, I may recommend you to size up since you might need to layer socks inside and a larger size would be safe. They are lace styled boots and embrace your feet in a snug fit.

5. Kamik Women’s Canuck Boot

It features a low heel measuring approximately 2″ so you could enjoy a slightly heightened look. The heavy tread produces lots of traction to prevent a slip off! It is vegan and 100% Fabric-made.

6. Adidas Women’s Snow Boot

Overall, it guarantees comfort, warmth, and value more than what you look for in regular winter boots. The high-traction equipped rubber outsole enhances the strength of your footing on wet and dry surfaces.

Best Vegan Snow Boots – Buying Guide

How To Ensure That Your Boots Are Vegan?

If the product description on the winter boots does not label them as “100% Man-Made Materials”, “100% Synthetic” or “Vegan”, there are chances that those boots do use animal products or by-products. In case you hop into a showroom or a brand-specific shoe purchasing store, the manufactures may inform you about their products in detail, with special emphasis on unique features, that may clarify your query on whether it is a vegan winter boot or not even without asking.

Several winter boots detail out information on the material used in making the product. These labels on the purchasing carton or shoe/boot tongue can be looked at carefully to understand if it uses any animal derivative. Coated leather and fur are the direct deal-breakers that warn you about the non-vegan status of the winter boots you have your hands on.

You might be surprised to know that vegan winter boots can be superior in quality as regular boots without actually using leather, fur, or animal-derived adhesives. The secret is the available vegan alternative to them. PU leather is closely qualitative as real leather and much more eco-friendly than the latter. 

Similarly, PVC acts as a great replacement to animal-based adhesives, and faux-fur can effectively replace animal fur or silk. Several manufacturers advertise the fur trims on their accessories as faux-fur whereas they are real furs extracted in more cost-cutting ways from animals like raccoons, dogs, or cats.

There are four tests that you can conduct to identify real fur from faux-fur. However, two of these tests are doable inside a shop.

These Two Tests are:

The ‘Feel’ Test: Roll the fur in between a finger and thumb. Real fur feels soft and smooth and can glide easily through your fingers. Fake fur is quite coarser.

The ‘Look’ Test: First, blow air on the fur so that it divides. Look at the individual hairs. There will be different lengths of hair in real fur, and these will be still attached to the skin, which is now leather. The individual hairs in fake fur will usually be uniform in length and color.

The other two tests are to press a pin through the base where the fur is attached and see if the pin goes through easily, then it’s faux-fur, or to cut off and burn a few of the fur hairs while real fur smells like human hair when burnt, faux-fur melts and smells like plastic. You can conduct these last 2 tests on the products you have at home.

Vegan Vs Non-Vegan Boots

The greatest difference between vegan and non-vegan winter boots is the material used. No doubt premium brands that do not use animal products to manufacture the winter boots consider some factors. Besides comfort and aesthetics, the vegan winter boots have to be flexible, durable, cold-resistant, and water-resistant or waterproof.

The primary motive that drives buyers to look for vegan alternatives is eco-friendly and sustainable purchase choice. Cruelty free winter boots have many useful features that can stand both the weather and your activity levels. Certain popular names like Adidas and Dream Paris, as listed above, do provide vegan winter boots and vegan snow boots with a brand value.

How To Choose The Best Vegan Snow Boots?

Before wondering how to choose best vegan snow boots, think about why you need them? Are you looking for vegan boots that can allow maximum flexibility in your outdoor activity, or are you looking for waterproof ones instead of water-resistant ones? Depending upon your quest, here’s a list that can guide you in making the right purchase.

1. Waterproof Vs Water Resistant

Yes, they are two different things!

If you’re stepping out to snow or are supposed to spend significant time in very wet conditions, water-resistant winter boots are of no rescue! Waterproof vegan boots, as you have seen above, are the option for severe wet conditions.

Even though water-resistant winter boots are fine to stand a little bit of rain, it might let the surplus water in. Do not misinterpret water resistance for waterproof!

2. Size

If you need half-sized boots, deciding whether to size up or size down could be a primary concern while purchasing online.

Look for the size chart vigilantly. Generally, the manufacturer mentions whether to buy a larger or smaller size if half sizes are not available, but if you are planning to layer up more socks, go for a larger size than your perfect fit.

3. Warmth

Faux fur and cotton stuffed boots are great to provide maximum warmth to your feet.

You can confirm on the label whether the shoe can stand the lowest temperature of your locality or not. You should pick vegan winter boots if you’re on a small trip outdoors. In case you are going out camping in the harsh weather, pick vegan snow boots and not just winter shoes.

4. Comfort

Are you finding the right pair of winter shoes for a higher activity like running, jumping, or climbing? Comfort has to be an important factor to consider.

The thickness of liners and inserts determines the comfort provided by vegan duck boots. Additionally, flexibility, ankle-support, durability, and breathability of the material also impact vegan winter boots’ comforting attribute.

5. Breathability

One of the most annoying parts of wearing vegan boots is sweaty feet and the stifling discomfort of shoes. The more waterproof or resistant a boot is, the less breathable it will be.

The reason is simply down to the materials used and the absorption quality of the inner lining. However, sometimes the inner lining does not dry up adequately and smells terrible if you have sweaty feet.

6. Zip Or Lace

Having zip makes putting your boots on and off quick as well as less inconvenient in winters. However, laces can offer you a more snug fit. Some boots do offer both!

So opting to have both can assist in adjusting your vegan boots to a perfect-fit with the laces and then use the zip to get them on and off.

7. Weight

A few materials will naturally weigh more than others depending upon their composition and object mass. Vegan winter boots that are not expected to stand high-intensity activity are available in lightweight options that provide warmth and are water-resistant.

8. Grip

Snow is slippery, and melting ones can be terrible. Having strong traction and grip in the soles can give you maximum control over your movement and prevent slips. If you stay at a place with minimal to no snow or ice, you can choose budget-friendly boots that are good for simple outdoor ventures. The boots with a lesser grip can be more flexible.

9. Price

If you need vegan boots to survive tough winter conditions or need them to last longer, you have to select the best vegan winter boots designed and emphasized with high-quality materials. If you expect less from your vegan boots, kind of casual or temporary for a vacation destination, you can go for the cheaper ones.

Final Words

I recommend purchasing Kamik Women’s Momentum Snow Boot because it brings about all the best vegan winter boot features that support high activity in the extreme winters. I do find it reasonable about the high pricing and would be glad to make a one-time investment for longer terms of use. Ideally, trusting a brand that is over 120 years old in sustainable fashioning has its perks.

However, your choice of the best vegan winter boots should depend upon your needs as defined in the buying guide. It is worth mentioning that it’s not just winter boots that have gone vegan. There are now several top vegan brands providing a range of footwear options, including vegan combat boots, vegan work boots, vegan shoes, and sneakers. These brands focus on creating high-quality, fashionable, and ethical footwear that’s comfortable and durable.