Sorel Men's Conquest Winter Boot

Comment: I purchased these about three years ago and walk in them mostly.They have split at the seam between the leather and the rubber.They were sized properly,but the design is poor,and if you flex them much,the seams come apart. Too bad,because they were a nice boot for 1 year.The second year,they started to split and this year they are not useable and have been replaced.I was hoping they might have redesigned them,but it appears they are the same construction.I will choose a different design of waterproof boot.If you are active in your boots,look for a different model.

Comment: These are great boots. Very stout and supportive. Very well made. They take longer to lace into, but you get a bomber boot for snowy conditions. Softer rubber sole and aggressive tread make them grippier than other boots I've worn. I've snowshoed in them, tromped through snow and ice, and shoveled roofs, all with ease. Four stars vs five because though true to size, I think they are slightly narrower than a normal medium, and because I get slight slippage in the heel. After a short while they warm up and the boot interior seems to widen and better accommodate the foot. Probably some insulation compression and molding around the foot. The achilles strap definitely helps lock the foot in, but my conjecture is that it may have been added to make up for an inherent design flaw that doesn't fully lock in the foot with laces alone. All that said, when I put on these boots, I am confident I will have a good experience --- warm, dry, protected, and supported feet in harsh conditions, and that was the point of the purchase. No regrets, very satisfied.

Comment: I use these boots for snowmobiling, hiking and daily wear. They keep my feet warm and moisture out. They were a little rigid and uncomfortable around the ankles for the first week or so. After breaking them in, they fit great.

Comment: Comfortable, warm, and the aggressive tread seperates them from my other boots. These have been used for work to snowshoeing. I would recommend them.

Comment: I have a size 15 foot, so I'm typically not very picky when it comes to shoes. This boot, however, seemed to be lacking because it seems to focus more on looks than function - and looks are the last thing I care about when I'm clomping around in the woods on a cold/wet/snowy day:).

Even though they didn't work out for me, I do think these boots look pretty nice. They also seem like they would be fairly warm; although, I sent them back before I wore them in really cold weather.

Here are the main problems I had with these boots:
1) They are a major pain to lace up. There are no speed-lace hooks which makes it really hard to get these laced up tight. If you just want to pull them on and off quickly, they will feel more like a snow/PAC boot - which is fine if that's what you are looking for.
2) The achilles adjustment strap helps to overcome the crummy lacing system, but the clips feel extremely cheap. I suspect the clips wouldn't last long before breaking if you tighten them up enough to be useful.
3) The barrel lock closure actually seems like a great idea on a boot like this. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it even close to tightening up enough to keep moisture out - the best I could do was a 1/2" gap all the way around (at least for my skinny legs:)).

After trying these boots out, I decided to go with the Columbia Bugaboot for about the same price. Those don't look as cool, but they sure do work better since I can lace them up quickly and then take off hiking. The Columbia boots also have 50% more insulation (600g vs 400g), yet fit more like a hiking boot rather than a snow boot.

Overall, I guess I'd have to recommend these with reservations. For occasional use while shoveling the driveway they would work great - but if you plan to take them into the woods I would look elsewhere.