Footwear

Why footwear matters here

Our winters don’t just bring cold. Chinooks melt snow in the afternoon and the melt freezes overnight into glare ice on sidewalks, steps and driveways. Packed snow turns slick, and wind polishes it smooth. In summer, the coulees and prairie trails are steep, loose and dotted with cactus.

The short version of his advice and of this page: footwear that is warm, waterproof and not slippery is safety gear, not fashion. The What to Wear page’s Footwear and ice section has the quick tips; this page goes into the detail.

Winter boots

A good winter boot does four jobs: keeps your feet warm, keeps them dry, grips the ground and supports your ankle.

• Dry boots every night. Pull out the liners and insoles. Sweat builds up inside boots, and damp boots are cold boots. Don’t put them right against a heater or wood stove, which can damage rubber and glue.
• Waterproof shoes or boots for spring and fall. Slush season is long here. Light, waterproof hikers or rubber boots with a warm sock cover the in-between months.

Temperature ratings, honestly

Many winter boots are sold with a number such as “rated to −40°C”. It’s worth knowing what that number is, and isn’t.

• There’s no common test standard behind it that we could find for ordinary winter boots. Unlike the ISO ratings on many sleeping bags, each maker sets its own boot rating in its own way.
• Ratings often assume you’re moving. A boot that’s warm on a brisk walk can be cold standing at a bus stop, sitting in a fishing hut or watching a game at an outdoor rink.
• Everyone’s feet are different. Circulation, diabetes, some medicines, age and simply being tired or hungry all change how warm your feet feel.
• Wet beats warm. Any boot gets cold when the inside is damp from sweat or snow.

Frostbite on the feet often starts without much warning. Check your toes when you come in, especially for children and older adults, and see the What to Wear page for frostbite times.

Grip

The Public Health Agency of Canada lists footwear with soles that are too thick, treads that are too smooth, and high or narrow heels as linked to a higher risk of falls among older adults. A wide, flat heel and a sole that stays flexible in the cold are what Alberta’s falls-prevention partners recommend for winter walking.

Winter boots tested on ice

Researchers at the KITE Research Institute (Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network) test winter footwear on real ice in a lab that simulates Canadian winters. In their Rate My Treads program, people in a safety harness walk on ice while the floor is slowly tilted until they slip. The steeper the angle a boot handles, the more snowflakes it earns, from one to three. According to the University Health Network Foundation, about two thirds of footwear tested fails to reach the minimum score.

The lesson isn’t to buy a particular boot. It’s that most winter boots grip poorly on ice, however good they look, so plan on ice cleats for icy days, and look for independent slip-resistance results when you shop.

• Tread wears down. A boot with worn, rounded tread grips far worse than when it was new. Check the soles each fall.
• Runners and casual shoes are a poor match for packed snow and ice.
• Wet ice is the worst. Ice near the melting point, as on a chinook afternoon or under a skim of meltwater, is far more slippery than very cold ice.

Ice cleats

Ice cleats, also called ice grips or traction devices, stretch over your boots and add metal studs, coils or spikes underneath. Alberta Health Services says shoe grips or ice cleats can give you extra traction on snowy or icy surfaces.

Types

Who should wear them

• Older adults and anyone with balance problems, osteoporosis or a past fall, any time it’s icy.
• Anyone walking on ice, including dog walkers, people waiting for transit, and anyone delivering, shovelling or working outdoors.
• Caregivers helping someone else in and out of a vehicle or along a path. You can’t steady someone if you’re slipping too.
• Hikers on frozen trails and coulee paths in winter and early spring.

Putting them on and taking them off

1. Sit down on a bench, a step or the edge of a car seat to put them on. Don’t balance on one foot.
2. Stretch them on toe first, then pull the back over the heel. Check that they sit centred under the sole.
3. Take them off before you walk inside. Alberta Health Services warns they can make you slip on indoor floors. Remove them at the door, standing on a mat or sitting down, or hold a railing.
4. Take them off before you drive, too. Metal under your feet doesn’t belong on pedals.
5. Store them in a bag by the door or in the vehicle, so they’re there when you need them. Check for broken studs and stretched rubber each season.

Falls and older adults

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s report on seniors’ falls found that walking on snow or ice was the second most common activity at the time of a fall injury, behind walking on other surfaces. Many falls can be prevented.

Ways to lower your risk

Parachute, Canada’s national injury-prevention charity, recommends:

• Well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Newer winter footwear with better grip can reduce slipping on ice.
• Clear outdoor stairs and walkways of clutter, ice and snow.
• Activities that challenge your balance and build strength.
• A regular medication review with a pharmacist or doctor, since some medicines can cause dizziness.
• Regular vision and hearing checks, and using glasses and hearing aids properly.
• Good lighting, handrails and grab bars at home.

For winter walking, Alberta’s Injury Prevention Centre and its partners also suggest moving slowly, keeping your hands free for railings (not in your pockets), carrying a little sand for icy spots you can’t avoid, and wearing ice grips over your footwear, taken off indoors.

Finding Balance

Finding Balance is Alberta’s falls-prevention program for older adults, from the Injury Prevention Centre at the University of Alberta. It has information and exercises on staying strong, steady and on your feet. An Alberta Health Services article on preventing winter falls points readers to it.

Hiking footwear

• Look for a grippy, lugged sole. The dry, loose soil and gravel of the coulees is slippery going downhill.
• Closed toes on the prairie. Prickly pear cactus is common, and sandals are no match for it.
• Break boots in on short walks before a long hike.
• Gaiters keep snow, grass seeds and gravel out of the tops.
• Replace worn footwear. Flattened midsoles and smooth lugs mean less cushioning and less grip.

For camp footwear, see Camp gear. For riding, see Cycling.

Socks

• Wool or synthetic, never cotton. Cotton socks hold sweat and get cold and clammy, and damp skin blisters more easily.
• Match the thickness to the boot. A thick sock in a snug boot squeezes your foot and cuts circulation, which makes feet colder, not warmer.
• Thin liner socks under a hiking sock can reduce rubbing and blisters for some people.
• Carry a spare pair in winter and on hikes. Changing into dry socks partway through the day warms cold feet quickly.
• No tight elastic tops for people with poor circulation or diabetes; ask your health care provider about suitable socks.

Getting the fit right

1. Shop later in the day. Feet swell during the day and when you walk.
2. Bring the socks you’ll wear, and any insoles or orthotics.
3. Leave room to wiggle your toes and about a thumb’s width at the front. In winter boots, room for warm air matters as much as insulation.
4. Check the heel. Your heel shouldn’t lift much as you walk, or you’ll get blisters.
5. Walk around, and on a slope if you can. Your toes shouldn’t hit the front going downhill.
6. Fit children each season. Kids grow fast, and hand-me-down boots are often too small. Children’s boots need room for an extra pair of socks and wiggling toes.

Sources

• Alberta Health Services, MyHealth.Alberta.ca, Winter walking tips to lower your risk of falling (footwear, grips and cleats off indoors, cane ice pick, walk like a penguin): myhealth.alberta.ca
• Public Health Agency of Canada, Seniors’ falls in Canada: second report (2014) (footwear risk factors, snow and ice, hip fractures): canada.ca
• Parachute, Fall prevention for seniors (leading cause of injury, prevention tips): parachute.ca
• University of Alberta, School of Public Health, Injury Prevention Centre (Finding Balance): ualberta.ca
• Finding Balance Alberta: findingbalancealberta.ca
• Alberta Health Services, Precautions can help prevent falls this winter (refers readers to Finding Balance): albertahealthservices.ca
• Injury Prevention Centre with partners, Falls Prevention Month release (1 in 3 older Albertans fall each year; winter walking tips), 2024.
• University Health Network Foundation, How to choose the right snow boots for Canadian winters (KITE Rate My Treads, Maximum Achievable Angle test, about two thirds fail): uhnfoundation.ca
• Boot temperature ratings, fit and sock advice follow general footwear practice.