Sorel Chipahko Blanket Boot Review
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Sorel is known for their ‘storm ready’ boots that can tackle cold temperatures and lot’s of snow. Each year, Sorel has added to their line up, offering boots that can be worn everyday to keep you warm and dry, without looking like you are heading out into the wilderness. Sorel’s fashion forward thinking can easily be seen in their new Chipahko Blanket Boot, which I have been testing out the past 2 months.
The Chipahko Blanket Boot utilizes a wool upper and full-grain leather overlays transition from the wool to the rubber outsole. The wool is deceptively warm and is also water resistant. I haven’t worn these boots in a downpour, but when worn on a snowy or wet slushy day, my feet have remained warm and dry. The Chipahko’s feature a wrap-around construction: you end up with a double layer of wool over your shin area and a single layer around your calf and ankles, the amount of overlap is dependent on the size of your calves and weather you have jeans tucked in vs wearing with leggings. There are two large buckles on the outside of each boot with a leather strap to help tighten and keep the wool well wrapped. These boots utilize a felt insole is not only comfortable, as it molds to your foot over time, but also warm and helps to trap your foots’ heat.
The Chipahko Blanket Boot is not your typical clunky winter boot and weighs in at 20 ounces for the pair or 10 ounces per boot. That equates to nearly the same weight as many of the cushioned running shoes on the market. However, these boots pack a lot of protection to your toes and have a rise of about 12 inches. They are not knee high boots, like some of Sorel’s other offerings, however they come to just about 6 inches under my knee cap. These boots are so light in part due to the incorporation of wool vs full leather or canvas and have a molded rubber outsoles. The outsole has provided plenty of traction thus far and features a fun snowflake pattern.
These boots are available in half sizes from size 5 through 11 and then jump to size 12. I ordered based on the size guide and found that these are more loose than past Sorel’s that I have tested out, including the Cate the Greats’ and the Tofino boots. The length of the boot was darn close to what I needed based on the size guide, yet I found that the heel was sloppy while walking and would shift around with each step. I tried to solve this fit problem by pulling the leather straps tightly through the buckles, however this still did not solve my problem. The heel slipping did improve some after I worked the outsole by hand to help get it used to the motion of walking, however it was still not perfect. A smaller size might just be the best solution for me. Please check these out in store if possible or order a tad smaller, as mentioned above.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Chipahko Blanket Boots and feel that these are a great everyday boot, thanks to their casual appearance, warmth, and light on your feet feel. These boots are equipped to double as a stormy day boot if needed thanks to Sorel’s attention to detail and fine construction, with no gaps between upper, mid, and outsoles. 
