Outfitter Footwear: KAWB (Kick-Ass Warm Boots)
Outfitter
Long gone are the days of Moon Boots and après-ski footwear furry enough to double as twin shih tzus. Shoes for skiers in the ’00s are cool. And there are enough styles out there to satisfy the Imelda Marcos in you¿which is a good thing, since you may want a pair from each of these specialty categories.
KAWB
(Kick-Ass Warm Boots)
Nutshell: These frostbite fighters benefit from modern technology, making them waterproof, moisture wicking, and warm as all get out.
Wear Them: Standing on the sidelines of a World Cup race; dogsledding (think Iditarod).
Caution: Wear them in a crowded bar, and your feet will probably fry.
Key Models: The Yukon Icelander ($85; shown here) has moisture management, a removable bootie, and is rated down to -45 F. Columbia’s Bugabootoo ($96) has sealed seams, Thermolite insulation, and a -25 F temp rating. The Polar Blast Waterproof ($135) from Merrell is a winter hiker and snowshoeing boot with Thinsulate and Polartec 200, rated to -10 F.