Toe Warmers Boots made in Canada

I would just use Yaktrax or the like.
I never trust the tread on shoes/boots themselves when it comes to ice.

Thank you. Has anybody tried Pajar boots (also from Canada)? I wonder if I will fit in their mens boots, as this brand, according to internet reviews, is narrow and small in size.

I can try to offer some thoughts since 1) I also live on the West Coast and snow/ice are rare (and when it happens everything shuts down!), 2) I bought new boots for wide and problem feet for Montreal a few weeks ago and 3) some lessons learned.
The new boots had very thick lug soles, also a Canadian (I believe women's feet only) brand- Cougar- and were as water proof and warm as advertised. The traction was excellent and the boots themselves remained comfortable for many hours of walking indoors and out.
However, there had been a recent snowfall when I arrived. Sand was liberally sprinkled on the sidewalks which did provide some traction but after a couple days the walking- for me anyway- just got worse and more of it became ice. I saw students (I was based near the McGill campus) doing some slipping and sliding, too, they were wearing big boots and also presumably more used to the conditions than me. On a hill I was behind a very elderly woman struggling to get to the top!
So my carefully researched boots performed as well as they could have. But I was still really afraid of taking a bad fall and best case not being able to walk as well, to see everything still on my list, and worst case being in another country with a broken arm or leg!
The "yak trax" suggestion was offered to me and in hindsight I think I'd have been safer with them. I did see some boots that had little metal spikes built into the sole- I am sorry I can't remember the brand, they were in the men's section, though. You might take a look at a sporting goods store like REI or Dick's and Bogs could work? Because they need to be more than a hiking- style boot, something to address the actual ice rather than just deep snow or slush- mine were great for those.

I loved my Toe Warmers boots. Warm and waterproof. I don’t recall the tread being a problem, so I’m guessing the grip was fine for me. Sadly they didn’t have a removable insole, so now I wear LLBean ankle-high “snow sneakers”with removable insoles to accommodate my orthotics. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you.

Some Pajar boots come with built in ice grippers. I have a friend who has dogs that have to be walked everyday, doesn’t matter if it’s icy or snowy and she swears by Pajar boots. But they’re kind of pricy.

Take a look at the women’s boots on marks.com, look for the ones with IceFX soles. I’ve heard they provide really good traction.

I would still take a pair of YakTrax, they don’t take up much room and do help on ice. I used them when i had to do outdoor yard duty during Ottawa winters.

Three distinct needs here….

1. Warm boots - easily handled with most winter specific boots on the market.

2. Ice Traction - living in Colorado and dealing with snow and ice 4-6 months a year, I cannot recommend the Vibram Arctic Grip soles enough. Offer about 50% more traction than the best regular lugged soles.

   1. Wide feet. Sorry cannot help you there.

having lived in Montréal winters when I was younger and only used mukluks and rubber boots, and worn them out, my thought is that anything that protrudes below the tread - something we didn't have and didn't need - will wear down and be of no use relatively quickly.

You'll be in a city won't you, not in rural backcountry?

I believe that once again you are overthinking this. Just get a winter boot that fits your foot, has room for an extra pair of socks, is warm, and has a decent tread. The odds of needing spikes or studs is slim, but the odds of causing damage to surfaces underfoot if used when not needed are high. Having spent the majority of my life navigating Canadian winters, the number of times I've had to deal with glare ice can be counted on one hand. I would expect the Japanese to be more than capable of keeping the streets clear.

I'll expand on my first post.
I've lived in the snow/ice zone my whole life. Pretty much any boot will do fine on snow--a good tread is useful of course.

These days, I have to walk a dog in my hilly neighborhood in all weather. I am, maybe abnormaly, worried about slipping on icy surfaces. If the temp is below freezing and there has been any precipitation, I slip on my Yaktrax and walk normally.

Yaktrax won't harm cement or asphalt, and can be easily slipped off before going inside to smooth surfaces, where you definitely don't want cleats. They pack easily, and I have brought and used them in Yellowstone and Christmas Markets. I will be bringing them to Quebec for their Winter Festival in February.

Liz, I agree with what you posted. My comment about spikes was in regard to boots with them built in. YakTrax make sense if ice is a real possibility.

Looking at the Toe Warmers website, their boots seem to have a variety of tread. Which model did you buy?

Don't wear Yaktrax inside as they can be very slippery on some tiled floors. If you have winter boots with a decent tread, you probably will find that you don't need to add Yaktrax.

I would think they would put something like salt or sand down, as needed, to deal with icy conditions. That's what we do.

Thank you again!

I bought the Janet model of Toe Warmers.
https://www.shoemall.com/product/toe-warmers-janet-women-s-/1214323-1

The tread seems to be less than those on adventure snow boots, but I am going to urban areas. However, the outsole does not seem to have a thick enough bottom.

I will buy a pair of ice cleats to bring with me, upon your recommendation. Seems like many locals put them on outdoors and remove them when entering a building.

IMO, the tread looks good. But, if you feel more comfortable wearing the Yaktrax, do it. I have a couple relatives that have fallen on ice and dislocated and broken their ankles wearing less than ideal footwear. Be safe and have a wonderful trip to Japan!