The North Face Chilkat III - Women's Review

The North Face Chilkat III is warm and weatherproof. This winter hiking boot has a beefy outsole and triangular lugs that grabs snowy slopes of any grade. Take it with you on your next snowshoe adventure or winter hike.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

Stuffed with 200-grams of Heatkeeper insulation, this boot is nice and toasty on the trails. The uber-thick sole insulates in temperatures that dip into the negative double digits. It's a very warm hiking boot — warmer than the Columbia Bugaboot IV and on par with our Top Pick for Severe Weather, the Sorel Joan of Arctic.

Weather Protection

The suede and leather uppers are waterproof and snowproof, earning it a solid score for weather protection. While it doesn't have a faux-fur collar to keep out blowing snow, its puddle-depth is fairly deep. So if deep slush is a feature of your winter landscape, the Chilkat might be your boot!

That said, while the lacing system provides excellent coverage up to 8.5 inches, it won't protect against tall snow banks like the 13-inch Sorel Joan or Arctic. Nor does it have a waterproof upper like the Sorel Caribou. Overall, this winter hiker performed well in our weather tests, wicking away moisture and keeping out snow. It will keep you protected from the elements.

Comfort & Fit

With great comfort and fit features that provide stability in the backcountry. We love the fully fleece-lined interior that made slipping this boot on feel sooooo good. The exterior suede is soft to the touch, and the fit of the boot is exceptional too. Versatile for both wide and narrow feet, the toe box provides lots of volume, easily accommodating thick and thin socks. The heel doesn't slip, and the shaft is relatively flexible. The boot fits true to size but doesn't offer as much arch support as the Oboz Bridger 7" Insulatedboot.

Ease of Use

All of our winter hiking boots take a little extra time to take on and off. The Chilkat III is no different. The boot is stiff enough to simply slip on before tightening, and the lacing system requires just one simple pull to tighten all the laces. If you prefer a boot without laces, check out the Blundstone Thermal, a very warm laceless boot.

Traction

While its traction is great in comparison to other Pac Boots and less technical competitors, it doesn't perform as well as other winter hiking boots. Still, it will keep you upright and safe in rough and snowy conditions. The lugs are all triangle-shaped, providing traction while going up and down snowy slopes. That said, they aren't as deep as the Keen Durand Polar or as varied as the Oboz Bridger. While the outsole performed well winter hiking, we found ourselves slipping out more than the other hikers tested.

Style

While the Chilkat III looks better on then it does on the shelf, we think it's pretty ugly. While the looks aren't super techy like the Columbia Bugaboot IV, it simply doesn't have cute lines, contrasting fabrics, or cute colors. As a result, we never really chose to wear it around town.

While none of the winter hiking boots did particularly well in style, our testers agreed that this was the least flattering boot of the fleet. If you prefer a cuter hiker, check out the Keen Durand (with a faux-fur collar) or the Oboz Bridger 7" (with cuter colors, a wool pile-topped shaft, and slimmer design).

Best Applications

Take this winter hiking boot…well….hiking! Strap on a pair of snowshoes and get out the door this winter.

Value

At just $110, this is the best valued winter hiking boot, just $30 more than our Best Buy award winner, the Columbia Ice Maiden. A great deal!

Conclusion