AboutMike Expertise I can answer questions about backpacking a snowshoeing in the American West: Mountains, Canyons and Deserts.
Experience I've spent much of my life backpacking, hiking and snowshoeing in the Cascades, Rockies, high Sierras and the red rock canyons of the Southwest.
Publications Just letters to the editor in Backpacker and Outside and my Backpacking homepages
Question Hi, there...
Not sure if this question is for this category, but it is the closest that I could find. Can you recommend a good boot for everyday walking in snow/ice? My biggest concern is traction, as I have osteoporosis. These would not be for heavy-duty hiking necessarily, but I wouldn't be opposed to something that was multi-functional. Thanks!
Answer I'm not sure that there are boots that offer great traction on ice. As for snow and other surfaces that offer a little "crunch" for traction I'd go with most any midweight hiking boot that fits comfortably. But ice is a different story. You need something to reliably break the surface of the ice in order to get traction. For that I'd suggest some sort of boot/shoe attachment like Katoolah Microspikes (best) or Yaktrax (not bad). In descending order of traction I'd recommend:
These all can be used with boots or fairly stiff shoes and will offer traction. Another thing you might consider is to use some trekking poles with carbon-steel tips (which almost all have). They help a lot on any surface.
The reason that I suggest REI above is that they guarantee their products for life and have the easiest return policy anywhere. And they're a nonprofit, member-owned cooperative that's been around since 1938.
