Blundstone Thermal - Women's Review

The Blundstone Thermal is a favorite for its easy pull-on access, warm footbed, and stylish design. The boot can seamlessly transition from work to a night-on-the-town. Built to accompany you from the city to the country, this versatile winter boot is one we found ourselves using well into the shoulder seasons. While it's waterproof and warm, the shorter cuff and less aggressive outsole lack coverage, stability, and offer less reliable traction. This classic Chelsea is best for casual use in winter rather than stormy day errands or trail use.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

We tested this boot while commuting, working, and hiking on mellow trails around town. Worn in cold weather that sunk well below freezing, it did surprisingly well. The cozy footbed generates a lot of heat, while the fit provides ample room to move toes and maintain warmth. There's a layer of thermal Thinsulate lining the rugged leather upper, and the soles are thick enough to keep out cold from the frozen ground, but the magic is in the removable sheepskin-lined footbeds. When walking to work and commuting via bike, this boot kept our feet warm throughout most of the winter. It's just not one we'd wear if you're standing around in single-digit weather for hours or plan on a hiking adventure through snowdrifts in the woods.

The construction is a bit limited for the coldest days of the year. The boot's shaft has a thin lining and is not insulated, so while your toes are kept warm, without burlier winter socks, the ankle and shin area can get cold. While the boot breathes well from the open ventilation in the top of the cuff, we noticed our feet getting slightly damp if it was actively raining or snowing, which felt chilly after a few hours. While the Blundstone is warm for most days of winter, it's one we'd leave at home if the temperatures drop dramatically or if a blustery storm is in the forecast.

Weather Protection

Quality is apparent on the stylish Blundstone Thermal boot, especially if you find yourself tromping around in shallow puddles or sleety weather. Not only does the full leather design ward off snow, but the stretchy material that connects the front and back of the upper is seam-sealed and completely waterproof. Even after marching in water for a full two minutes, water does not permeate the material and leak into the boot.

The Blundstone Thermal has a 6-inch shaft height, but if you move around in the snow, 4-5 inches of coverage is more of what you'll get. While we can appreciate the waterproofness of the material and seams, this boot is best left at home when you need to conquer tall snowbanks or super deep puddles. This is a wonderful wear-around town option after the plows have been out and the storms have settled down.

Comfort and Fit

The Blundstone Thermal provides exceptional out-of-the-box comfort compared to a variety of footwear. This product has been designed and refined to cater to functional and fashionable all-day wear. Our testers found themselves reaching for these on the way to work, thanks to the lightweight and versatile design. The fit is true to size, with plenty of wiggle room for toes with either thin or thick socks. The soft footbed provides enough support to stand all day long.

While this boot doesn't have a ton of arch support, we appreciate the thinner outsole that allows you to feel the ground underfoot, and an insole with a higher arch could always be added if desired. The leather around the collar and the shaft feels slightly rigid at first, but with more wear, it loosens up and conforms to the foot. For this reason, we would consider the break-in phase to be about five wears, particularly because cold accentuates the stiffness of the leather.

Durability

Like Danner, Blundstone is a century-old company rooted in traditional, high-quality leather footwear design. Blundstone's age-old designs have been perfected and refined over the years to become a well-renowned brand for bulletproof workwear. The premium waterproof leather on the Thermal is built to last and has seen barely any wear and tear during our testing period. One of our testers owns two pairs of Blundstones and feels that she has absolutely gotten her money's worth over three years of use. Despite everyday winter use, this boot looks the same as when she first opened the box, with some slight weathered discoloration encasing the forefoot. The footbed maintains shape over time, though the sheep fur insole may need replacement after a few seasons, depending on how matted it gets.

The double-stitched seams on our pair of Blundstone's have remained impenetrable, maintaining water resistance over time. The TPU outsole and SPS comfort system retains shape, structure, and support in the toe spring. We've kicked and jumped on all of the hard surfaces we can imagine. Needless to say, Blundstone leather is strong, tough, and high-quality.

Traction

The Blundstone Thermal traction is average but does surprisingly well in the mud. The lugs are sufficient for most snowy conditions, but you can easily slide on steep slopes. The boot's rigid construction lets you easily kick into a snowy slope, but the traction isn't necessarily confidence-inspiring in more technical terrain.

We wore this boot while hiking through the woods, encountering a few snowy logs and rocks. We slipped off a few logs but stuck well to the rocks. Icy weather is a beast that can't be tamed with just any regular boot — and this is no exception. We slipped once or twice on icy pavement. If you're into the aftermarket anti-slip products, you can strap on a pair of yak tracks or microspikes to take this boot on snowy/icy hiking trails.

Since the lugs on the outsole aren't super deep, mud sheds quite easily. Other heavier hikers required stopping and picking the mud out of the lugs with a stick, but we could keep hiking in these. While there are pros and cons to its traction pattern, it'll do best on flat surfaces, packed snow, and mud.

Should You Buy the Blundstone Thermal?

The Blundstone Thermal is built for anyone seeking the epitome of fashionable yet versatile winter footwear. The shape offers a slimming effect to the leg, and it can be worn through the winter and into the shoulder season. While it's not the most protective or warm compared to others, this high-quality contender will surely keep your feet dry in minimal snow conditions. Enjoy this favorite throughout the year, and pair it with your favorite skirt or skinny jeans for a stylish, casual look. The Blundstone Thermal quality is evident in the stitching and textile use. From previous experience, we know the boots will provide many, many years of happiness. The price is far steeper than other options in our lineup, but the timeless style and functionality generate exceptional value over time. If you find this boot to be fashionable and envision yourself using it as an everyday boot, you will undoubtedly be able to justify the price tag.

What Other Winter Boots Should You Consider?

The Blundstone is a fine shoe, but not the best for spending time outdoors for chores, fun, or otherwise, as it lacks some of the performance, you'll want for anything more than winter city sidewalks. For an excellent all-around boot that can play the role of a stylish boot for some, the UGG Adirondack III is a warm boot with better weather protection and durability than the Blundstone. It also provides a superior fit and comfort with better traction making it the better boot for most winter activities. If hiking is on tap, the Merrell Thermo Chill Mid WP - Women's is the one to watch with a precision fit and a design specific to walking and hiking.