Customer Reviews

Sorel Men's Open Range NM1486 Boot,Bark,8 M

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've owned this boot for most of the winter now. We had crazy snows here in the mid-Atlantic, and this boot did very well keeping my feet warm and dry during tedious snow shoveling. It is indeed water proof, and if you are moving comfortably warm. Could it go to -40 degrees? I really don't know. I've been down to the teen's and it's been very comfortable. I've also worn them in the 60's and still been comfortable.

I've found other uses for this boot to include: Motorcycling and Backpacking. The insulation hold its own against 70mph winds and 30 degrees. The sole is stable enough and oil resistant enough that it never slipped on the tarmac.

Recently I went on a backpacking trip with a 30 pound pack. It was an all weather, all terrain trip and the boot did very well. It's extremely light for an insulated, waterproof mid calf boot. It saw duty over rocks, snow, mud, gravel, hard pack, and stream crossings. I would not recommend wading in over the top of the boot - the gaiters are not that tightly sealed. However, I stood in a mountain stream that was engorged with snow melt runoff for well over 30 minutes on a ~20-30 degree day to take some photos. The water was up to my ankle, and I not only stayed dry, but stayed warm.

I've taken off one start for lacing system. It's a bit flaky, and requires a good bit of fiddling to get juuuuust right. The stabilizer buckles feel great when you first tighten them up, but get loose after ~60 minutes of walking. However that's an easy fix: Just tug it snug when you take a break.

Some folks have complained that they are hard to get into. Compared to an ankle high boot, yes they are. However that is a realitive comparison. they are just as easy as a pair of fast lace combat boots. The build quality is solid, and should last awhile if treated right. A reviewer on the REI web site complained that he snapped the gaiter pull off. This would be possible if you were not mindful of how hard you were pulling. Remember the built in gaiter is not supposed to be a water seal. Its a snow seal.

This review will be brief, as I only spent about two days with the product.

In short, the boots present well, are very light weight and have a removable insole which is a nice feature. Unfortunately, the pull string at the back of the boot which in theory serves to provide a snug fit around the lower calf, is a piece of trash. I pulled it and it promptly snapped. It's possible I got a dud, but I don't think that's the case. Furthermore, I attempted to exchange the boots for the same size (directly returned them to Sorel), and instead of shipping me another pair to see if they'd work better, the company simply refunded my account. And that's fine I suppose, except for it leaves the impression that Sorel is aware of the issue and knows that such problems are inherent in the design of the boots. It's a real pity because I did considerable research before buying this particular model and had high hopes for these Sorels. They seemed to be the perfect combination of rugged, sleek, water proof, and warm that I sought. Oh well, the search continues.

Good boots but I'm not so sure with the minus 40 degrees F claim. It does keep your feet warm but you must invest in some insulated socks. Over the last month, NYC got a lot of snow and it helped very much. The elastic string from the back of the boot was defective. The first day I tried it, it "poped-out" due to poor material or craftmanship. I only wish I didn't wear so that I can get my money back.

First, I tried these on at REI before buying them from Amazon. Definitely get a size small. 11's fit me perfect with room for warm socks even though I wear a size 12 everywhere else.

Next, they're pretty warm, but they're not pac boots, so you'll want warm socks if you're going to be in the snow for a while. I like these boots over lots of others I tried on because I need to be able to lace up tightly to keep my arches and knees from hurting. They appear really well made (in Vietnam, not China like I heard about a previous year's model). They really feel like they'll last for a good long time. My Yak Trax even fit on them, so I couldn't be happier. I'm primarily using these in Tahoe around the ski cabin and on hikes through the preserve with the dogs.

Just received my second pair of Sorel Men's Open Range Winter Boots. I returned the first pair due to a manufacturer's defect - the cord that tightens the gaiter cuff on the right boot broke the first time I tightened it. Upon receipt of the second pair, and before putting the boots on, I tightend the cords on the gaiters of both boots. Although I used minimal tensile pull on the cords, both cords immediately showed signs of failure - the outer sheaths of both cords were frayed and ready to break. At this point, it's clear that the gaiter cords are underdesigned and not up to the task for which they are intended. The boots themselves seem to be well-made but the poorly executed gaiter construction is a fatal flaw in my eyes. As such, I would not recommend this particular model.

This boot was really, really good during last winter for the following reasons:

1) The comfort was excellent. The sole on the inside was pleasantly soft, and never hurt my foot. The laces were thick and soft, and while the buckle was kind of useless it didn't get in the way. The construction was really good, and the laces never cut into my skin.

2) The warmth was pretty good. One's foot will always get a bit cold during the winter, but with the right pair of boot socks this was a fantastic shoe.

3) The boot was water-resistant, so it never let my socks get wet. That was -great-.

4) The boots almost never slipped unless I was on ice, in which case there's nothing to be done anyway. The tread overall was excellent for the price.

I removed the boots from the box, gently tugged on one of the gaiter pull strings and it promptly snapped. I did not return the boots, because I found the fit, overall quality, and weight of the shoes to be excellent. I ended up replacing the pull string myself with some nylon cord, which has been working very well.

I got these boots 2 weeks ago and I've already been through 3 snow storms with them. They work well for my intended use, which is for shoveling and snow blowing. They kept my feet warm and dry in wet and snowing conditions with the temperature in the 25 to 35 degree range. In fact, in one of the wet storms, my feet were the only dry part of my body. I had no issues with my feet getting cold, which they often do, but I was moving around the whole time I had the boots on. They provide good solid footing. I had no problems on my black top driveway with slipping, except on ice, which was expected.

The strap just above the ankle works well and does make the fit snugger. I had no problems with any of the cords, straps or laces fraying which I saw reported in another review.

I do have two issue with these boots. The vertical heel support, the back of the boot, has only a thin layer of felt or fabric and occasionally my heel bone rubs against it and it is uncomfortable. This happens pretty much whenever I bend my ankle past a certain point. I was surprised that it doesn't really happen that much during normal use. Perhaps it's just the anatomy of my feet. I was originally considering returning them because of this. It's not been a significant problem for how I use these boots but if I were to try to do some hiking in them, I expect it would be a big problem. For how I use the boots, thick socks mitigate the problem. The second issue is the top straps. Even when I pull as hard as I can, I cannot generate enough force to cause them to completely close the top around my leg. The fabric is stiff and perhaps after I wear them in a bit the fabric will soften up and it will bunch more easily. As they are, they almost completely close and it wasn't a problem. No snow got into the boots but I did not step in any snow deeper than the top of them.

I bought this shoes recently for my trip to Vermont. I used it while driving a snowmobile when the temperature was around 32 degrees. As per Sorel's website the boots has -40 degree temperature rating ( [...]) . I was out in the snow for 2-3 hours and my toes started getting cold. I am bit disappointed with that as my plan was to use this shoes for hiking in cold weather.

Apart from that, it works as mentioned and they fit snugly and are not very heavy and have descent amount of traction on ice.

Probably they are good for shoveling snow and for small walks during cold season, but I don't think they should be used for hiking in cold weather unless you are wearing insulated socks or layering socks.