7 tips to help you choose sneakers for winter

Sneakers have long been the everyday footwear of the city dweller. We wear them for jogging in the park, shopping, and even to a restaurant. But still relevant question, how all-season our favorite pair and how to choose those in which no frost and even the most protracted Russian winter? We have prepared for you seven tips that will help you keep your feet warm.

Choose leather and suede with water-repellent treatment

In winter in the city there is a great risk of spoiling your shoes not only by snow or rain, but also by reagents, slush and salt. Carry a water-repellent spray for shoes, and even better, if your sneakers will be impregnated with a special composition.

For example: Nike Air Zoom Structure 22 Shield Water-Repellent is a great model with a water-repellent coating and an anti-slip sole. Learn more at the official website www.nike.com.

Pay close attention to the lining

In order not to be afraid of cold weather, pay attention to options with lining. For example, sherpa (a fabric that mimics fur on one side and suede on the other) will keep you warm in the bitter cold. With faux fur sneakers, your feet will be able to breathe and look stylish.
In addition to these two options, there are linings on artificial down substitute. Shoes with such insulation keeps lightweight, wicks away moisture and dries quickly.

For example: Reebok’s CL LTHR MID Ripple Sherpa combines both a soft faux fur lining and Thinsulate insulation. Learn more at the official website www.reebok.ru.

Choose the sole carefully

A good sole on winter sneakers is thick and high. Whatever the lining, low shoes will cause your feet to freeze almost as soon as you leave the house. In addition, the sole should be embossed to avoid sliding on snow and ice, and without leather inserts, as such material is quickly damaged by salt and reagents on the roads.

Asics’ Gel-Sonoma 3 G-TX, forexample, has just such an outsole for a quality workout on virtually any terrain from slippery sidewalks to muddy forest trails. Learn More.

When choosing winter sneakers, it’s not just the outer material that matters, but the insulation as well

If you don’t intend to walk a lot and often in the cold, but, for example, plan to drive a car or train exclusively in nature, look for shoes without lining but with insulation.
For such cases there is a special material Gore-Tex, which consists of a membrane, fixed between the lining and the outer layer. Footwear made of it is waterproof, perfectly breathable and provides thermal insulation. Water and snow do not penetrate inside, and moisture in the form of evaporation easily escapes through the pores of the membrane. As a result, you are dry and warm.

Another way to insulate your winter shoes is with a neoprene sock. It can easily be inserted inside your sneakers. The sock is soft and pleasant to the touch, fits snugly around your foot, retains heat perfectly and does not let water in. This option is certainly more economical than Gore-Tex technology, but it doesn’t allow air to pass through as well, so you might feel hot indoors.

For example: models with Gore-Tex can be found at Reebok.

Observe the temperature conditions

Remember that the key to good condition of shoes is proper care and careful use. Find out from the sales consultant what minimum temperature a particular model can withstand. Here are a few general rules.

It is forbidden:

• wear shoes made of naplak in wet, rainy weather, as well as at temperatures below minus 15;
• wear shoes made of artificial materials at temperatures below minus 10, (winter types of shoes below minus 25);
• wear shoes made of rubber at temperatures below minus 10, as well as in conditions of work with fats, oils and acids;
• wear shoes with tunite or CRC soles below minus 20; wear shoes with polyurethane soles below minus 10.

Some brands present their own developments in climate control technologies. For example: running sneakers with CLIMAWARM technology from adidas retain natural body heat even at minus temperatures. Learn more at the official website www.adidas.ru.

Pay attention to the size

When choosing running shoes, try on sneakers half a size larger. In severe frost, you will be able to put on a tighter sock and avoid the trouble with swollen feet in winter. However, if you buy shoes with a lining, make sure that they fit you snugly. The empty space should not be filled with cold air.

The higher the better

When choosing winter sneakers, do not bypass high-top options or textile sock sneakers. If the top of the shoe will fit tightly to the ankle, you will definitely be comfortable in any weather. Running, however, is preferable in high socks.

For example: you can find good tall warm models from New Balance. Learn more.