Bogs – Mens Ultra High Boots Review

It seems that whenever I’m in need of something, in this case a good pair of winter boots, Outdoor Blogger Network has a gear review opportunity for exactly what I need. It happened last year with a badly needed pair of gloves, and now along comes a pair of Mens Ultra High Boots from Bogs.

Technical details:

The Bogs® Ultra High 15” boot was originally designed to help dairy farmers stay safe and comfy on slippery indoor and outdoor cement surfaces. Easy-on pull handles, durable hand-lasted rubber over 7mm waterproof Neo-Tech insulation. An internal midsole with rubber sponge for extra cushioning and warmth. Aegis anti-microbial odor protection insole. Comfort-rated from temperate to -40°F. You don’t have to milk cows for a living to appreciate the every day comfort and durability of this boot.

• 100% Waterproof
• Durable hand-lasted rubber and a four way stretch inner bootie
• Constructed with 7mm waterproof Neo-Tech
• Easy-on pull handles
• Internal midsole with rubber sponge delivers extra cushion and warmth
• Non-slip and non-marking outsole
• Aegis anti-microbial odor protection insole
• Comfort rated from temperate to -40°F
• Height: 15”
• Circumference at calf 17″
• Weight 4lbs per pair
• Available in sizes 7-14
• 100% satisfaction guaranteed

These boots retail for $120.

Putting Them Through the Tests

When the boots arrived and I opened the box, the boots were wrapped in the obligatory tissue paper. On the tissue paper were what appeared to be oil stains. I thought that was a little odd, but when I lifted the boots from the box I could feel a slight coating of oil on the neoprene and rubber of the boots.

I was liking this already. The oiling of boots is pretty common with leather, but I’ve never seen rubber coated this way.

Of course I had to try them on immediately. The handles on each side of the boots made it ridiculously easy to slide the boots onto my feet. The boots fit not only my feet perfectly, but also hugged my calves comfortably. It was nice to not have to lace through five or more eyes and constantly adjust the pressure on my leg.

There was a problem though. The boots were comfort rated to -40°F and it was 60 degrees outside. I was still wearing mocs and sneakers out there. Putting these boots through some tests for the extremes they could take would have to wait.

It figures we would have one of the mildest late falls we’ve had in years, but finally the first week of December brought some changes. We had a bit of snow and day time temperatures were staying in the low 20s. Everything was starting to freeze up. It was time for some testing.

I intentionally wore the same type of socks I wear on a daily basis. I wanted to see if the boots and the thinner socks would keep my feet warm enough.

First was the driving test.

The boots are pretty light weight and very flexible. The ankles bent unnoticeably and maneuvering back and forth from gas to brake pedal was a breeze. I could feel what I was doing and not once did the weight of the boots cause me to step too hard on either pedal.

Next was the easy terrain hike.

I normally don’t tuck my pants into boots, I don’t like the way it feels, but I knew I would be walking around in water eventually and I wanted to see how it felt on the half mile walk to the stream.

The hike I chose to do was through a relatively hilly, by Illinois standards, forest preserve near my house. I started out on an asphalt road that had some patches of snow and ice. Of course I walked all over both of these, sliding my feet and jumping up and down just to see what would happen. No matter how good the soles are on any boot, ice is always slippery and it was this time. But I did notice I could control the slipping better.

The road then turns to gravel and rock and in this case, frozen and unfrozen stretches of mud.

I stomped and tromped through all of it and not once did I feel unbalanced. On the rock and gravel, their seems to be enough padding in the soles of the boots to make all the rock and gravel unnoticeable.

Next was the water test.

The little stream I like to play around in had a thin layer of ice covering the slower sections.

Water on ice makes ice that much slicker so I was careful getting into the little stream.

But once my feet were on the stream bottom, it was pretty easy walking.

I walked quite a bit in the stream and never once lost my footing. The steep, short banks were a combination of mud, frozen mud, a thin layer of snow and leaves. I climbed in and out of the stream a few times to see how the boots would grip this normally slick combination and not once did my feet slide out from under me. I also got into water that came to just below the handle holes and stood there for a few minutes. I never felt the cold of the water.

Next was a rougher terrain test.

I was a good half mile from my car and rather than take the road again I went straight through the woods.

For this part of the hike I took my pants out of the boots. My socks didn’t make it past the 15 inch height of the boot. Sometimes even with taller socks or long johns, the edge of your boots will cut into your leg. The edge of these boots are so soft that even though I could feel the edge on my leg, it didn’t bother me at all. I expected the edge of the boot to rub my leg a little raw and that never happened.

I had to go up a good sized hill that was pretty well covered with leaves, tree limbs and brush.

Footing is never secure on terrain like this. I purposely stepped on logs and branches that I would normally step over. Even though the boots are light and flexible, they gave my ankles more than enough support.

When I got home and it was time to take the boots off, the usual dilemma occurred, how to do that. Imagine the boots being covered in mud, ice and snow. Nobody wants to grab anywhere near the bottom of a boot and try to yank the things off. Bogs solved that problem with a very simple solution. A little nub just above the heel. We all know what it’s like to try to pull off boots with the opposite foot pressing down on or near the heel somewhere. Bogs simplified the process for us.

To sum it all up.

The purpose of testing these boots the way I did was because it mimics a couple of things I like to do best during the winter months, squirrel hunt and explore fishing holes on small creeks. The Bogs Ultra High Boots passed the tests with flying colors. As we get into January the temperatures will come down even more. At that point I’ll slip on a heavier pair of socks and I have no doubt that will be more than enough to keep my feet toasty.

Of course most of the time these boots will be used for much more benign purposes. Strolls through the neighborhood and down the hill to the nearby river, unavoidable shopping trips on severe weather days, and of course those inevitable times when I’ll be spending countless hours of my life moving snow around.

At least I believe I’ll be able to do all those things, the pleasurable and the mundane, with nice warm, dry feet and few, if any, sudden butt landings.

All thanks to Bogs.

Disclaimer:

As with all reviews on Waterdog Journal, the following review is my honest opinion. I received the Mens Ultra High Boots from Bogs free of charge and agreed to provide a review in exchange, which I will do again in a heartbeat if asked. Waterdog Journal is not sponsored by or associated with Bogs and is accepting no other compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. My independent status may change in the future, but as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.