Columbia Heavenly Omni-Heat Lace-Up Review

The Columbia Heavenly Omni-Heat Lace-Up boot offers 11 inches of pure comfort and weather protection. Wear it for less technical hikes, to work, or around town. This is one of the most versatile boots tested.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

Loaded with 200-grams of insulation, and Omni-Heat reflective technology in the liner, this boot will keep feet warm in sub-zero conditions. While there is ample insulation throughout the boot, the sole of this boot is relatively thin, and a source of heat loss during our super cold days out in the field. As a result, we're not sure if the -25 degree temperature rating claim is correct, as we quickly lost heat when temperatures were around zero degrees, and our feet were left cold.

That said, we also didn't have the opportunity to test in these super cold conditions. Overall, this boot earns a five out of ten for warmth. While it's not as warm as Our Top Pick for Severe Weather, the Sorel Joan of Arctic or the Keen Durand Polar, with 400-grams of insulation, it's certainly not one of the coldest boots either. An excellent option for around-town wear in sub-zero temperatures.

Weather Protection

Boy were we surprised when we took this winter boot to the streets. Despite the super flexible synthetic upper being seemingly absorbent - it proved to be the opposite! It earns an average score of six out of ten. When we stood a local lake and marched around for a few minutes, no water penetrated through the seams. The upper is indeed waterproof. It wasn't until we went a little deeper and water seeped in where the tongue met the body of the boot. This happened with most boots tested including the Sorel Tofino II, one of the most waterproof boots tested.


This boot is exceptional in snow. The faux-fur collar also found in the Sorel Joan of Arctic and Keen Durand Polar kept out blowing snow while the upper protected even after walking around for hours. Overall, we are impressed with the weather protection of this fabric-based boot.

Comfort & Fit

As the lightest boots tested (weighing less than a pound!), our group of testers said it hardly felt like it was on! As a result, it is recommended for all-day wear, similar to the ultralight Keen Elsa. We also love its fur-lined interior that made stepping into this boot quite cozy, generating warmth on the go.

While we love the comfort features, this boot has quite a tight fit. When trying to pair it with a pair of woolly socks, we could hardly wear the boots because they were too tight. The toe box is narrow and doesn't have a whole lot of volume.


Also, the heel is super tight and small in comparison to other size nine boots in this review. While those with narrow feet love this boot, wide-footed ladies may want to look into a wider boot like the UGG Cecile or Keen Elsa. We would also recommend sizing up a half or even full size depending on the width of your feet.

Ease of Use

Pulling on this boot is not super easy. The interior is lined with a super plush faux-fur that catches socks. The shaft of the boot is not stiff, so both hands are needed to open up the less voluminous opening. It earns a five out of ten in this category.

While it's harder to put on, we did like that the lacing system is simple with just one simple pull. It locks the boot into place and doesn't move for miles. This is similar to all other contenders in this review except for our Editors' Choice winner, the North Face Shellista II. If you prefer a laceless boot, check out the Kamik Momentum, our Editors' Choice winner.

Traction

With fan-shaped lugs and a rubber outsole, this boot provides decent traction overall. Scoring an average six out of ten, the longer lugs grabbed the trail and snowy sidewalks when the weather turned foul. Despite the ideal length of the lugs, this shoe doesn't offer much in the way of a surface area on the bottom of the outsole. That is to say, it's thinner and more narrow.


As a result, we found ourselves falling through deep snow easier than with a broader platform found in wider Sorel models. Despite this small caveat, we felt this boot did well for trudging around town and light hiking in the woods.

Style

Half of our testers think this boot is super cute, while others don't like it at all. We did not receive many compliments on the street, but in round-table discussions of this boot, we noticed a straight up did in subjective thoughts on style. As a result, it earned a six out of ten for this division in opinion.

The faux-fur collar offers cute stylings while the baffles loaded with insulation add a little flair. The 11-inch shaft height looks great with a pair of leggings or can be put under a pair of boot-leg jeans. While this boot can complete an outfit, there are some cuter options out there. Specifically, be sure to check out the UGG Cecile, our Top Pick for Style, or the Keen Elsa.

Best Applications

This boot is quite versatile because of its level of warmth, protection, and comfort. Take it with you on a light hike over less technical terrain or just simply wear it around town. Just be careful with temperatures dip into the double digits.

Value

Priced at $140, this boot is of decent value. While other boots have better protection and warmth for less, like our Best Buy award winner for just $90, this model stands out for it's super flexible and lightweight design. If this is what you seek, we think the price is right.

Conclusion

Take this super flexible boot anywhere! Wear it to work, on a trail, or around town. It's versatile, protective and warm. A great winter wear option.