If you’ve been frustrated by the cold weather hindering your winter adventures in the wild, then you may be in need of some kit designed for the coldest months. This is why I’ve been testing out the Oboz Men’s Bridger 8″ Insulated Waterproof Hiking Boot. I wore them on a cold walk along the Cornish coast path, luckily these boots are as good at keeping your feet warm in cold conditions as the seals that swam alongside me are at keeping themselves warm in chilly seas.
The winter Bridger is made from waterproof all nubuck leather. This leather is incredibly high quality and feels really soft, flexible and pliable even straight out of the box. I’ve been really impressed with how comfortable they’ve been straight away; the moment I put them on, they felt like they’d already been warn in.
Under the nubuck is also a fully 100% waterproof Oboz B-Dry breathable membrane. What’s even more is that the leather is even treated with a further water repellent finish so you can ensure that your feet are going to stay dry no matter how harsh the conditions are in the wild.
Protecting the nubuck leather is a moulded, protective toe cap and an exterior, supportive heel counter. I love these large, rough areas, these allow you to tackle harsh winter and trail conditions without fear of scuffing up or shortening the life of your boot. Whenever I get hiking boots a really rugged toe cap is something that I’m always after.
To keep you warm, Oboz have added 200g of Thinsulate insulation made by 3M into their classic Oboz Bridger boot; this, combined with a little extra space for thicker socks, gives it a slightly larger volume. However the Bridger has been designed to have a narrow heel to prevent your foot slipping in the boot and helps to stop you getting blisters. I really like how the wide forefoot and box at the front of the boot gives you plenty of room for your toes.
What is really smart is the moulded heel kick which allows you to remove the boots easily and without muddying your hands. These moulded rubber protective areas also give great areas for firmly attaching snow boots and crampons.
Oboz boots are known for their super grippy Granite Peak Outsoles, what makes the Insulated Bridger special is that Oboz have used their winter rubber that grips and sticks in a whole host of cold conditions. It still maintains all of the classic qualities that make the Granite Peak Outsole it’s really supportive, with a tough build that will ensure that you don’t feel the trail underneath you – no matter how rugged. The deep, aggressive lugs provide excellent traction on snow, mud or uneven terrain as they have been designed to prevent material from becoming lodged in the sole and spoiling grip.
Inside the boot, the O Fit thermal insole does brilliant things to keep you warm with an insulating top layer and reflective mylar bottom sheet. Not only this but it also creates an incredible surface to walk miles on, using three different densities of EVA. Low density on the the heel bed, medium density throughout and a high density EVA on the sculpted arches to give you real support.
There are some really nice design features on Oboz Bridger 8″ Insulated Waterproof. For example, on the front there is a gaiter D ring which is really useful in a boot which has been made to tackle the wettest, coldest and worst conditions. On the back there is a finger loop to allow you to pull the boot on firmly without damaging it. I’ve used this regularly on the 8inch boot as it helps it slip on much more easily.
To sum up, the Oboz Men’s Bridger 8″ Insulated Waterproof Boots are the perfect for your winter adventures outdoors. They are really well made as are all Oboz boots, I can personally vouch for this as my other pair are still doing brilliantly after years of wear. I love the intelligently designed features which make them an incredibly comfortable boot to wear. Further to all this, not only will you have some of the best winter boots that money can buy but you will also have helped to improve our environment as Oboz plant a tree for every pair of their boots which are sold.
