Kamik Sienna 2 Review

The Kamik Sienna 2 presents excellent performance for its affordable price. It's technical enough to keep you warm and upright on snowy surfaces, with a cute style to match and a decent price tag.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

This boot is loaded with 200g of 3M Thinsulate and offers insulative warmth that'll keep most wearers warm during the winter months. It is rated to -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celcius), which we would agree with after our in-field and objective tests. Overall, this boot is warm but certainly not built for the coldest places on the planet.

The boot itself is built with a waterproof rubber outsole and a breathable upper that extends up the calf. The calf is kept warm with the Thinsulate insulation throughout the length of the shaft while the foot of the boot offers enough room for toes to wiggle, generating and holding heat well. While the outsole isn't the most breathable, the upper is, allowing moisture to vent off if you find yourself walking around town.

While this boot is warm, it's not intended for the double negatives. The sole is much thinner than other boots that are rated to much colder temperatures. When hiking and traveling in these conditions, we noticed that much of the heat escapes from the sole of the boot, even though the legs and calves stay nicely insulated. If you live in areas where the temperatures typically stay in the single negative digits, it'll suffice. However, for super stingy cold weather, you may be needing a thicker pair of socks to make up for the heat loss at the sole.

Weather Protection

In snow, sleet, and slush, the rubberized outsole does well. We found that our feet were nicely protected from all the nasty stuff when sloshing through these sloppy surfaces. It protects in snowbanks up to 11 inches tall but doesn't have a faux fur collar keep snow out, making it more susceptible to snow getting into the top when battling a snowstorm. It's also not completely waterproof.

All the materials of this boot are protective from the elements themselves. The rubberized foot is lightweight but offers full water, slush, and snow protection. The upper is made from a waterproof leather and polyester flannel material that wicks away moisture when exposed to wet snow. We originally thought this upper would be absorbent, but it proved to offer great wicking power. However, while Kamik advertises sealed seams, they failed during our water tests.

When we started out the test, we inched our way out into a river to gauge if the boot was actually waterproof. While we inched deeper and deeper, we were relieved that the boot indeed kept our feet quite dry. That is, until we started our “march.” Marching in the water replicates walking, which squishes water around at the seams. Once we did this for about 30 seconds, water started pouring in through the seams (on both boots) right where the leather meets the upper. This seam should be sealed but didn't prove to be completely waterproof. That said, all the other seams, and the ones you'll expose your boots to while walking around town or stomping around in puddles, did just fine.

From these results, we can say these boots will keep your feet dry in puddles up to 5.5 inches in depth. It'll also protect well in most snowy conditions, but know that the lack of faux fur doesn't prevent snow from spilling from into the top. Overall, weather protection is about average.

Comfort & Fit

This mid-height boot is quite lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear. The sizing is a little finicky and runs about a ½ size too small. The heel is also a bother for some, with some testers saying that they don't like how it pushes their foot forward. However, the majority of our testers didn't qualify this as an issue. Your heel will be elevated in this boot, but the feel is squishy and stable, and most of us didn't mind.

We commonly wore this shoe when heading to work, shoveling snow, and while hiking trails. It's quite versatile in its uses as a result of its overall comfort. Since it has a lighter construction, it doesn't feel bulky. The boot's upper is not as fitted as other options, which some of our testers enjoyed. In addition, the flannel material up top is soft and cozy to the touch, articulating well with stockings and socks.

The fit of this boot is okay but not universally loved by all. The outsole is quite thin at the forefoot, which allows you to feel the ground underfoot, offering better sensitivity than a lot of the boots tested. The upper isn't super fitted, so it's not ultra stabilizing or natural-feeling in its fit. As mentioned before, the heel is quite “smooshy,” and it does push the foot forward. Most of our testers weren't sensitive to this but noticed it, while others that prefer a more neutral fit didn't love the feel.

The Sienna 2 has a removable footbed, making it versatile to switch out the one that comes with it for something else. The fit is a little small, especially if you like thicker socks. We'd recommend sizing up a ½ size to accommodate bulkier socks or if you prefer a little extra space in the toe box.

Ease of Use

These boots are relatively easy to use but do require you to tie and untie them with both hands every time.

These are not for those who prefer a slip-on boot, but if you tie them loose enough, you can sometimes get away with that. There are, however, looser eyelets that sometimes unlace on their own. Aside from that, we appreciate the pull tab on the back of the boot that makes putting them on easy. You can also kick them off pretty easily after simply untying them.

Traction

Tackle snowy trails, slush, and other winter muck in these boots. While they don't sport the most technical outsole for steep trails, they do well on most winter surfaces. Like most winter boots, they do struggle on super icy surfaces and should be paired with microspikes for slippery conditions.

The rubber composite on these boots is quite soft and easily molds to surfaces. The outsole tread pattern isn't very deep or aggressive, making it suitable for both snowy and hardpacked surfaces. However, when testing on steeper snow-laden trails, we found ourselves slipping out, especially when that trail was latticed with crystallized water. As a result, the traction on the Sienna 2 isn't top-notch, but it suffices for most surfaces you'd encounter around your town or home in winter.

Value

The Sienna 2 is a very high-value product. We love the cute mountain chic style that offers decent weather protection and warmth for some of the coldest days of winter. Its breathable design (with a good pair of socks) will keep your feet dry and warm when walking around throughout the day. Most boots with this level of performance are quite a bit more expensive, and cheaper ones aren't as warm, protective, comfortable, or stylish.

Conclusion

The Kamik Sienna 2 is a well-loved winter boot that presents a great value. It offers a stylish look in addition to good technical performance. While this isn't our first choice for a winter hike in the woods, it certainly performs well enough for winter chores like shoveling the driveway, drinking warm hot chocolate, chopping wood, or building a snowperson.