Welcome to our 3-minute guide to the best winter and snow skating shoes.
If you’re a die-hard skater, you’re not going to let a drop-in temperature or a bit of snow put you off.
Whether you’re just skating in winter or going full-on by removing everything but your deck and going snow skating, you’ll need shoes that:
- Offer more grip than traditional skating shoes
- Hold warmth
- Are water resistant
So, what have we got for you? Below there’s a quick review of two different types of shoes:
- The best snow skating shoes
- The best winter skating shoes
If you plan to skate in the winter but go snow skating too, the “best snow skating shoes” section is where to want to be.
And, if you just want a shoe that offers more grip and a little extra warmth (i.e. you won’t be removing wheels and trucks to skate in the snow), the winter shoe is for you.
The Best Shoes For Snow Skating
Who needs wheels?
Not us. And, for when you ditch the wheels, you’ll want something like this…
DVS Militia Snow Shoe
Check out the reviews online for the DVS Militia.
You’ll see it’s not just a winter specific shoe, it’s the only one that is specific to snow skating.
Warmth
The warmth on offer here doesn’t necessarily come from the heat retention properties of the padding (and, there’s lots of padding). Instead, you’ll notice the protection from the elements comes from the exterior.
That means a large sole (meaning, you don’t get a tonne of snow on your toes). But, the whole material the shoe is made of is water resistant too.
So, as snow that’s settled on the shoe melts it beads off instead of being absorbed. And, that means…dry feet!
Support
Warmth isn’t the only thing you should be focusing on when buying snow skating shoes.
It’s easy enough to twist and break an ankle skating in the dry, let alone on snow.
And, you won’t get more support on offer than with the DVS Militia snow shoe. Check out the online reviews and you’ll see this is one of the major positive points.
Grip
So, warmth is on par (if not slightly better) than other winter skate shoes. Support is superior.
But, it’s the grip where the Militia from DVS really comes into its own.
DVS are serious about skating in winter, and in the snow. That’s why they’ve developed their “Cold Grip” technology.
Essentially, it’s a rubber that’s been specifically designed to improve grip for skaters that ride in cold conditions.
Who Are They For?
Does everything below sound familiar? Then these are the snow skating shoes for you:
- May use them in winter, but will be mostly used for snow skating specifically
- Other skate shoes don’t offer enough support in slippery conditions
- Need a shoe that protects your feet from freezing conditions, but also keeps snow at bay
The Best Skating Shoes For Winter
Vans SK8-HI MTE 2.0 DX Shoes
We’ve picked the SK8 MTE 2.0.
The higher ankle means there’s less chance of snow getting into your boots.
However, any Vans shoes marked as “MTE” or “Mountain Edition” are going to mean you’re good to go.
Warmth
We’ve picked these as the best winter skating shoes mainly due to their overall protection against the elements, and warmth.
Scotchgard-treated canvas means they’re water-resistant. That’s crucial as you’re going to have snow melting off them all day long. A typical pair of vans is going to be soaked through within an hour, and then it’s game over.
On top of the treated canvas, you’ll get suede upper boots to give not just cushioning, but heat retention too. Warm feet 🙂
And, Vans go one step further with the Mountain Edition skate shoes by offering a warm fleece liner, heat retention layer and sockliner.
Support
Fleece, canvas and liners. All sounds flimsy and not like the support you’d get from the average skate shoe, right?
Wrong.
These features to improve warmth aren’t the genetic makeup of the Sk8-Hi Mountain Edition, they’re just a few extra features to keep your warm in the winter.
The Del Paltos still get the normal:
- Padded collars
- Reinforced toe-caps
Who Are They For?
If you’re thinking anything mentioned below, these are the winter skating shoes that should be on top of your short list:
- I want to skate in the winter, but skate in the snow on occasion too
- The support needs to be similar to normal skate shoes, and traditional Vans
What’s Next?
Thanks for reading our 3-minute guide to the best skate shoes for winter, and specifically for snow skating.
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