!: Winter Men's Shoes - Keep your feet warm and dry without Boots

It's getting to be that time of year when I bring out the cold weather clothing, but this year my husband asked me to find him some new mens winter shoes. He typically wears winter boots when we go outdoors, but he says that he finds the boots to be too bulky and cumbersome. He wants shoes that will keep his feet warm, but not feel like he's wearing blocks on his feet. So the search is on! Mens Winter Shoes are Available for Today's Active Lifestyles

I did some internet searching and found that mens winter shoes are much different from a few years ago.

Today's active men require winter shoes that are comfortable and easy to wear all day. They must be simple to put on and able to bear up under a number of conditions including cold and wet weather.

Traction is important since winter weather conditions can include snow and ice as well as slush. Waterproof or water-resistant shoes are essential since once your feet get wet, that can make you very uncomfortable!

I found that mens winter shoes today are widely available in a number of styles, from simple slip-ons to lace-ups. They are low-profile, although I did find one pair of Sorel "Bota Bag" winter shoes that reached ankle-high. The Bota Bag shoes did have very good reviews, including several men who said that these shoes were very easy to put on despite being an ankle boot.

Features of mens winter shoes include good sole traction and insulation, typically Thinsulate. Many are fleece-lined. A number of the shoes I found stated they were rated to -5 degrees, and sometimes even colder.

Several shoes advertised the ability to remove the shoe footbed, in Case it gets wet from perspiration. (This allows the footbed to dry well, preventing odor.) Many shoe styles are also waterproof, with some advising water-resistant, which is a good idea for wet winter conditions.

Some Mens Winter Shoes Favorites

When shopping for my husband, I found several shoes with excellent reviews. Many men stated they liked the Sorel Bota Bag winter shoe, mentioned earlier, as well as the Sorel Fairbanks, Baffin Crossroad (lace-up shoe), and Columbia Bugatrail (also lace-up shoe).

Bear in mind that these shoes are not workout shoes. They are designed to wear in cold weather and wet conditions, providing water-resistancy against snow and ice. Winter workout or training shoes are something completely different.

Prices for these mens winter shoes range from to about . Do a little shopping online to find the best prices. It's also a good idea to find a local store and try them on personally, since some shoes tend to run a little larger than you may be used to.

For example, Sorel shoes seem to run larger than my usual size. If you order online and you usually wear a size 9, you may want to try going one-half size or full size smaller and get the 8 or 8 ½. Reviews for Columbia stated that the shoe sizes were pretty true, so if you wear a size 9, you can safely order a size 9.

Our Final Selection

We choose the Sorel Fairbanks mens winter shoes, and my husband couldn't be happier. We found it online for , and we did order one size smaller than my husband usually wears, which was a good thing.

He loves the shoes since he can put them on without even paying attention, they slip-on that easily. My husband does say that he thinks the shoes may actually be a bit warm for early fall, but come winter they are perfect. He can go out and do farm work and feet warm even when snow and mud.

My advice? Doing a little research and read reviews, so you can find the perfect winter shoes for men.