DC SPT Mountain Work Boots Review
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DC is known for its long history of great snowboard boots and they have brought that legacy into their line of snow boots. It can be hard to find a winter boot that is both very warm and functional with snow pants and also looks great with a pair of jeans. DC teamed up with the expert terrain park builders of Snow Park Technologies to create the fully-waterproof and ultimate warmth-providing SPT Mountain Work Boots and they hit it out of the park. Read on for my review after some serious time in these steel-toed winter boots.
DC SPT Mountain Work Boots: A word on style
The stock photos of the SPT Mountain Work Boots does not really do them justice because these are really great looking boots in person. The well-made leather upper gives them a premium look that elevates them above your typical function-first footwear. Details such as the rivets, the red lace eyelet, and SPT and DC logos up the style points in subtle ways. I also loved how the red laces contrast with the brown leather. As I often do, I ask the girlfriend for her opinion and she has repeatedly commented on how much she loves the look of these boots and I’ve gotten plenty of compliments on them as well. I’ve worn them as a day to day boot with jeans as well as pairing them with snow pants for hikes in the backcountry. They are equally at home in both situations. A note about the stock photo: for some reason, photos make the SPT Mountain Work Boots look much bigger at the instep than they are in person. Trust me, they look proportional on the foot.
All-day Warmth and Waterproofing
Snow Park Technologies is a company that consults on snow terrain parks and special winter terrain features all over the world and their builders spend a whole lot of time working day and night on projects outdoors. These guys know what it’s like to be out in the cold for long periods of time and having them collaborate on the SPT Mountain Work Boots was a great way to have them field tested and approved. I’m amazed by how much warmth these provide with very little bulk and I found the insulation factor impressive. I wore the boots on a snowy hike up Grouse Mountain and my feet were toasty warm the entire time. At the end of the hike, I checked the inside and they were completely dry. Throughout a super cold stretch of winter with temps in the negatives Fahrenheit, the DC SPT Mountain Work Boots stayed on my feet every day, keeping me warm with no problems. In fact, I wore these helping out working a shift at a ski shop and found them way too warm for indoor use. If you work in a heated environment, I’d recommend having a different boot for when you get there. Speaking of work, DC gave the SPT Mountain Work Boots a steal toe and they live up to their name by being capable of withstanding a winter construction site or similarly hazardous environment.
Traction: A Mixed Bag
Here’s the thing about snow and ice traction with winter boots, most of them aren’t very good at it. Despite all of the fancy technology available, the fact remains that it is hard to get good traction on ice without spikes of some kind. DC paired the SPT Mountain Work Boots with a rugged Vibram ice trek outsole and it has pluses and minuses. These would definitely be right at home stomping around on a ski mountain building terrain features. The big, aggressive lugs handle loose packed snow well and the rubber says pretty flexible when it gets colder. Those big lugs also lead to some dicey performance on hard packed snow and ice, however. Three days in a row, I walked 15 minutes from my car to Vail Village on a plowed but still snow and ice-covered sidewalk and I had to catch myself from falling every 20 yards. I had to get really light on my feet and very careful in how I placed my step in order to keep from sliding. After this experience, I decided to pair the SPT Mountain Work Boots with Yaktrax for traction for anything that wasn’t clear pavement.
Final Thoughts on the DC SPT Mountain Work Boots
Despite falling into the average to below average rating for ice traction, I can’t help loving the DC SPT Mountain Work Boots and I’ve found myself wearing them most days of the winter. They quickly transition from a true work boot with snow pants or Carhartts to a super warm and great looking winter boot with jeans or khakis. The insulation and waterproofing is excellent and the rugged yet refined style makes them very versatile. The SPT Mountain Work Boot is an investment in footwear that will keep you happy for multiple seasons. For more information on the SPT Mountain Work Boots or other DC products visit www.dcshoes.com or www.amazon.com/dc.
