Thermal/Winter boots necessary?

“The week in Norway isn't skiing, but Norway in a Nutshell, plus Northern lights focused activities from Tromsø at night like northern lights safari, northern lights cruise, sami culture/reindeer experience, guided dog sledding etc”

I was in Tromso in early March and did these same activities. A thick insulated suit, jacket and boots are included in the dog sledding tour. For the other tours they weren’t, so I was happy I brought my thermal boots. Yes, the were a pain to drag along, but for me cold feet are an even bigger pain. If Tromso is your last stop, you can consider buying them there. There are lots of shops in Tromso that sell stuff like that.

Adding to and agreeing with Dutch_traveler about Norway in March, I needed boots, layers of pants, layers of shirts, and wool socks. I did not have thermal boots but definitely boots (and if I had been out more - or in January -, I probably would have) and did use my Yaktrax. If you make sure the boots are good for walking, they will probably be your most prized possession.Dogsledding - use everything they offer. I did not use their boots and should have. And definitely a good coat!

Australian here. We did a long trip that began in northern Norway in mid March 2024 - so lots of snow. My feet were very warm in my Merrell Moab 3 goretex boots and merino-cotton Paire socks. My husband had Keen Targhee waterproof boots and Explorer wool socks. His feet were also never cold. BUT we didn't get our feet wet and didn't trek through any deep snow (ie. nothing above boot height).

We did a very similar itinerary to your plan - Norway in a nutshell from Oslo to Bergen, then Hurtigruten cruise from Bergen to Tromso, then bus to Narvik and train to Lulea in Switzerland.

We got back two weeks ago having continued on to the Baltic states, Finland and Bulgaria. Our Merrell and Keen boots are excellent on cobblestones and rocks. Our feet didn't get hot even when the temperature got to mid 20s Celsius in Bulgaria.

We are heading off to Germany and France in September-November and will be taking our boots with us again. My husband's used his boots for four 7-8 week trips so far and mine will be on their second trip. We also wear ours at home for bushwalking.

Matthew, in the winter in Budapest I wear a waterproof Timberland hiking shoe with a pretty agressive sole. I bought it a tad large for wool socks. Nothing worse in the winter than wet feet or cold feet and this seems to work. The agressive sole is for snow days, not many here, but some. All in all, a good solution.

When the temp drops below 40F (5C) the single best thing I do to stay warm if I am goning to spend time outside are lightweight thermal underwear bottoms and a scarf. I cant stand gloves cause I cant use my hands and that leads to not storing things like money properly. But I have nice warm pockets for my hands. There are days when a watch cap would be nice. But to be honest if you have a winter like the last one, the temperatures were pretty temperate here.

The nice thing about Budapest, and i assume the other cold climate cities, is that they dont just survive the winter, they use it to its advantage. So everyone is out and its all normal and just that alone makes if seem more comfortable.

I've been in Europe twice in January. I've never been to Norway. The big thing for both trips was to have waterproof footwear. Between the two trips, I was in Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Berner Oberland, Luzern, Geneva. (plus Catalunya and Paris, where nothing special was needed) We had snow in Budapest, a blizzard in Salzburg and Munich. Even in BO where we mostly outdoors in snow, unlined waterproof boots were fine with liner and warm socks. I also had a pair of Allbirds mizzles sneakers which are warm and water resistant. I also wore a thin "ish" pair of wool socks with the Allbirds.

Make sure to have a warm hat, lighter weight gloves and heavier weight gloves. I also like a gator. And, I would consider a set of long underwear essential. I also strongly prefer a hooded coat over not having a hood. I had a mid weight jacket and a rain coat, and then many layer options.

If your feet are cold or wet, it doesn't really matter what other clothing you have on, you will be miserable! So glad to hear others recommend Merrell Moab 3 goretex boots, I have some that keep my feet toasty dry when biking and walking in Sweden down to about -20C. These are not snow boots, they're more like a rugged hiking boot. I do wear orthotics, so consider some new liners too, maybe wool for extra insulation? Gloves, hat and scarf won't add much weight, take them! I also have a soft not wool gaiter for my neck. Break in the hiking boots if you can! Enjoy Christmas in Europe.

The Merrells are a great choice. Waterproof with good tread is key. If you’re super worried about keeping your feet (or hands) warm, look at ordering the Hothands hand & toe warmers. We brought some on our market trip last year, but never needed them.

Big, heavy boots will not be comfortable for the TONS of walking you’ll be doing.

Thank you so much everyone!
I really appreciate the responses, they're super helpful! I'm considering the Columbia Fairbank which looks light and also offers some insulation just incase, if I don't get the Merrell's:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Columbia-FairbanksTM-Omni-HeatTM-M-Omni-heatTM-Black/dp/B01NBL30DH/

I'll probably bring a second pair of waterproof sneakers maybe also as a backup/general walking shoe if needed, but the Fairbanks look to be quite lightweight/flexible so (hopefully) decent enough for walking in, also.

Many thanks again!

I wore Merrell Jungle Mocs (waterproof version) when I visited the Christmas markets in December. This was a trip to Germany and Austria. I look forward to learning about Norway.

I have done the exact same things that the OP plans to do. I was lucky enough to see the northern lights in Norway and I have visited several Christmas markets in Germany.
For me, these are 2 completely different types of activities which require different types of clothing and shoes.
When you visit a Christmas market, you’ll be in a city environment. One moment you’ll be outside looking at the stalls and walking around. A moment later, you’ll be inside cozied up in a warm cafe. You need to dress in comfortable clothes and use layers that are easy to add or remove. I wore my regular Merrell waterproof hiking boots and was more than happy.
Watching the northern lights, or trying to, is a totally different story. You’ll be taken to a place with a clear or only very slightly overcast sky and without light pollution from nearby build up areas. In Norway, this usually means you will be taken to a beach overlooking a fjord or to a mountain/hill top. And then you wait. And then you wait some more. You wait for the northern lights to appear, while standing still, ankle/knee deep in snow with artic winds blowing thru you. And when the lights appear everyone starts scrambling for a good vantage point. At our location this involved wading thru knee deep snow. I dressed in multiple layers including thermal wear, but I was most happy with my thermal boots. I know I would have been absolutely miserable without them.

Hey there, Yep, last poster is correct you might need serious thermal boots for Norway coming from Oz, sorry I missed the part about Norway..... Although knowing us, we'd pack gaiters for boots on up to knees, our usual waterproof Merell boots with liners, wear lined rain pants & silk long underwear, which are still all combined lighter than thermal boots & RENT the big boots during N Lights safari, etc.

TexasTravelMom just returned from what looks like an amazing trip to Norway in winter, I know she was offered the boots for the dog sledding, email your tour provider? https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/hurtigruten-bergen-to-kirkenes-in-march

As Dutch_Trraveler explains, you are dealing with totally different conditions with the Christmas markets/cities and then Northern lights/reindeer trekking. One is cold and wet, and the other is frigid and often dry. Your Merrill Moab waterproof boots will be great for the cities and Christmas market, with possible rain any maybe slushy snow, in and out of buildings. But even with extra socks, they won’t provide enough insulation to keep your feet warm while standing around in the frigid north, watching the Northern lights. And you want it to be frigid, because the colder it is, the more likely the skies will be clear so you can see the aurora.

I don’t know if the Columbia Fairbanks boots you are looking at will be warm enough—- it would not be for me. I used to live in Fairbanks (their namesake) and the only thing that kept my feet warm at temperatures hovering around 20-30 below (Fahrenheit) was a good pair of arctic boots. I had 2 pair, like these:

https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_us/arctic-patrol-boot-11768?color=290002&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=21246474658&utm_content=Pmax&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmMayBhDuARIsAM9HM8ei-_LefM00EOHouZP7mmxyJu8j59lAZ5Kd3NtHP9GKoe0l1_yoJukaAjEHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://colemans.com/u-s-g-i-extreme-cold-temperature-boots-white-unissued?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=p-max&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmMayBhDuARIsAM9HM8fgnEhoWuuUSEbl0AAA7rYJS9HkrUXTshcPYFxiBPh39FnSjdUth5AaAhFvEALw_wcB

(Don’t laugh—-those military surplus boots were very popular up there in the 1970’s).

Now I am not in any way suggesting you get boots like that; they would be way to cumbersome to lug around. I posted these to show examples of what it takes to deal with extreme low temperatures. But it may not get anywhere near that cold for you—--an internet search says the “average” low in Tromsø in December is around 25 F/ minus 4 C. That is much more comparable to Anchorage, Alaska (a similar coastal city) than Fairbanks, and you would not need boots that extreme. But you do need some good insulation, especially underfoot. The real enemy for feet is the cold ground, which conducts heat away much faster than cold air. You need to put as much insulation between your feet and the ground as possible (within reason). Just adding socks won’t do, as they compress when you stand and walk on them, reducing the insulation value.

If you are going to buy something, look at the thickness of the sole (lug soles are good) and consider adding a felt insole (half-inch or more thick). If you like those Columbia Fairbanks boots, consider sizing up so there is room to add a felt insole.

But before buying anything, I suggest you contact the providers for the Northern Lights, reindeer herding, and dogsledding to see if they provide good insulated boots or can suggest a place to rent them. People have already suggest that the dogsledding companies provide boots, and maybe the others do as well.

If you are interested, there are some dogsledding providers that let you actually drive the sled, standing on the runners, instead of riding in the basket. It is great f;un—-and good exercise too!

https://arcticadventuretours.no/our-tours/self-drive-husky-dog-sledding-tromso/

Thanks so much for the info and everybody's personal insights, I greatly appreciate it :)

I didn't read through the whole thread, so apologies if someone mentioned this already but the Blundstone original 500 Chelsea Boot is tops for the city portion of your trip, you can always pop in a bit of an insole if you need to (which I do) - that plus a pair of good wool socks (I love Darn Tough) and you will be comfortable, warm and dry. I have worn these on week long trips to London and Paris in the winter, no problem. Easy on and off for airport security and nice looking. Lots of toe room. I live in NYC and it's practically standard issue here, I am in good company wearing these on a mildly slushy day and great for rain too, even on a non-winter day - so you may get more use out of them than you expect. Also with good wool socks, you can wear them more than once so you don't need to pack one pair per day, which saves packing room since they are bulkier than dress socks. And maybe they're well priced for you since they a Tasmanian brand! Happy travels!

The average high/low temps in January where I live are 19/0 (F). Here I wouldn't be spending time outside without a well-insulated winter boot. I don't know if you will be anywhere with these low of average temps, but cold feet or fingers make for a miserable outdoor experience. I would have a boot with some additional insulation (Goretex would work). I do know from experience that if you try to add heavy socks and Hot Hands (for feet) into your boot they might feel pretty tight.

From everything I have read on other pages, you are going to want to have grippers (like Yaktrax) on your shoes (even in the city). Norwegian posters say you can easily find them in stores.