TreeLineBackpacker

The season of frost have you feeling chilly? I have a solution: Insulated, cozy, waterproof, and built with a full suede upper, the Arctic 600 is a simple yet durable offering for winter adventure, on and off the trail. My review:

The Arctic 600 is designed for use on and off the trail as evident by the design. It is sturdy, yet soft, outdoorsy, yet appreciably minimalistic in aesthetic. This Suede constructed boot is lined with 200 G of Primaloft insulation, providing warmth in extreme conditions. The side of the boot is laced with a convenient size zipper that not only makes putting the boot on easier, it allows thick socks to be used without them bunching up as the user shoves their foot inside. The outsole is Vibram Nisqually Arctic Grip, which is formulated to stay soft and grippy in cold, icy conditions. The pair, on average, weigh about 45 oz / 2.81 pounds and retails for $280.

I’ve been using the Arctic 600 for about two months now in conditions ranging from 55 F degree muddy hikes, to 10 F degree icy excursions on frozen terrain and snow. I’ve found them to perform exceptionally well in this entire range. On cold days, my feet stayed nice and warm when paired with heavyweight wool socks, which I generally use year round. I found my feet stayed dry when crossing streams, puddles and having snow and ice melt over them. The soles insulated me from the frozen earth quite well, and I never really noticed any cold seeping in through the seams. On warmer days with the same socks, sometimes into the 50’s F, I found my feet were well regulated, with only minor heat buildup despite their insulated construction. Sweat was not an issue for me in this range of temperature, although it did get pretty warm when temps climbed into the 60s F, which is to be expected.

Traction wise these have been great. Mud, dirt, rocks, roots, slushy mush and even ice all tracked really well. Sometimes winter boots feel stiff and lack tactility, but these conformed very well to the trail, wrapping around rocks, sticks, and just about everything I came across. On pure ice crampons were still required but the stray ice patch here and there wasn’t a concern. In generally icy conditions and light snow on the trail I was able to get around just fine. They didn’t trap much snow in the lugs of the tread either, so I rarely had to stop and kick off snow or ice.

Comfort wise, these are fantastic. The full suede upper just hugs my feet. The material is soft, flexible, and feels seamless all around. I didn’t notice a single stitch or seam on the inside, and I have had zero issues with blisters or hot spots on these, even after minimal break-in. The soles are thick with removable insoles and do a great job of absorbing impact on the trail, even with a heavy weighted pack on my back. These almost feel like backpacking boots with the thick soles, but they do lack ankle support, so heavier loads could become unstable on rougher terrain. Still, I was able to happily backpack with them despite this. Sizing and fit seems to run quite true to size, with enough room in the front to wiggle my toes but not so much that I slip back and forth. They do seem to be designed to accommodate thicker socks, so thin socks could provide a little slip room inside.

My only minor complaint is that the laces are a little small and the eyelets are as well, which makes lacing them up with cold hands or gloves a little tricky. The eyelets also don’t really “catch” the laces, which can result in dropping them while trying to get everything tied up. This is especially true with gloves on, which I found to be problematic. Still, once laced the laces generally stayed tight and in place, so there was that.

Overall

It’s been a long time since I felt the need to review a winter specific hiking boot. However, the Arctic 600 stood out for a few reasons. The side access zip allows for easy foot/sock insertion without bunching up thicker socks, while the Primaloft insulation provides excellent cold weather protection. I loved the all suede upper, which performs extremely well and also stays relatively clean, while also being durable and extremely long lasting. The 600 are extremely comfortable to wear on long days, track well in a variety of conditions, and they even look great on and off the trail, leaving very little to complain about. This makes them an obvious recommendation, getting my highest possible rating.

Highest of Recommendations

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Big thanks to Danner for sending this over for review. I reached out and they were happy to provide me sample for testing. We couldn’t do this without their support.

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