The cold arctic weather has come to rest above us, temperatures are dropping and it seems the wind has a extra cold bite these days. Alas, it will be a few months before the robins are chirping again. With snow coming that will soon be up to our knees and trips planned for snow shoeing and winter adventures, having the best pair of winter snow boots in your closet is a must.

So what makes a great winter boot great? What do you look for when trying to find the best winter boot? There a few features that I feel every snow boot should incorporate to save those little toes of yours from Mr. Frost. I've written about my favorite winter boots, Sorels, but I'll let you pick your own this time.

Photo by smoodysarah

1. Rubber Soles that wrap up to the top of the foot.

Why is having rubber soles so important, and especially snow boots that have the rubber wrap up to the top of the foot? Well silly, have you never walked through a winter wonder land? Having rubber soles that wrap around to the top of the feet will make a winter boot incredibly durable.

Snow can be tough when it gets hard, and running around in the great outdoors is hard on any gear. Tough rubbers soles, and especially a boot with rubber up the sides is going to stand to to ice, rock, trees, and sasquatch. Remember, fabric up against a low sole will probably wear out quickly and not be durable. Choose carefully!

2. Find the toughest material from the ankle up.

Probably the second most important feature of any winter boots is the main material used to make up most of the snow boot. Why? If you're going to be doing more then shoveling snow in your boots, the outdoors and winter weather is going to take a toll on the best boot.

Having a tough material that can take the freeze and thaw, the moisture and abrasion is critical. A thick, hard, canvas type material is probably going to work out the best for you in the long run.

3. Inner padding insulation, that is removable.

Ok, this may not seem that obvious, but having a snow boot with removable insulation will make your life better. Anyone who has spend a day or two sweating in their boots is going to know how important it is to be able to remove the inner insulation. Who likes stinky boots anyway's? The best pair of snow boots will probably be default have removable insulation, it's one of those you get what you pay for deals.

Now, that doesn't go across the whole board, but most of the way. A compact and warm insulation will keep your feet from turning into blocks of ice, and being able to remove the insulation will allow you clean and dry it out.

There you have it, good rubber sole that wraps the foot, thick and tough material, and warm removable insulation, that is the key to success this winter with your snow boots. I know you might love those moon boots you had back in the day, but when you're out exploring the great white north they might not work out so well, Napoleon.