The North Face Chilkat III Review

The Chilkat III shares the Chilkat moniker with our several time Editor's Choice Award winner, the North Face Chilkat 400. The two boots have many similarities, but the Chilkat III is a slightly lower-end model than its more expensive and higher-performance sibling.

Easy to pull on, with lots of traction, this boot scores competitively. It is also quite comfortable and warm, though the Chilkat III can't quite match the more precise fit and warmth provided by the top performing competitors. Still, it's a versatile winter boot that will serve you well in most situations, and it's reasonably priced. Read on to find out how it compares to the competition.

Performance Comparison

The Chilkat III is a comfortable boot with good traction offered at a reasonable price.

Warmth

We tested the Chilkat III's warmth in a couple ways: 1) objectively, using our ice bath to determine their internal temperature loss, and 2) subjectively, hiking in them side by side with another model. Testing revealed that their 200g of Heatseeker insulation fell short of the bar set by boots with double the insulation. This doesn't mean they don't keep your feet warm. They generally do a fine job of that. Other boots, like the Keen Durand Polar or The North Face's Chilkat 400, are just better.

Taking temperature readings with our laser thermometer during ice bath testing.

In our ice bath test, the Chilkat III's internal temperature dropped just over 21.8 degrees in 12 minutes. They held more warmth than the Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV, another boot in our test with only 200g of insulation, which dropped a full 23.0 degrees.

For comparison, the Keen Durand Polar, which is the warmest boot we tested, fell by only 15.2 degrees in the same amount of time. To further test warmth, we went for a hike with the Chilkat III on one foot and the Chilkat 400 on the other. After approximately 10 minutes of hiking, the foot wearing the Chilkat 400 was noticeably warmer. Both tests confirm what you might have guessed, that the Chilkat III doesn't keep you as warm as well as boots with more insulation.

Water Resistance

The North Face claims that the Chilkat III is waterproof, our testing revealed that this is not entirely true. These boots do, in fact, have a very high degree of water resistance, but our submersion test proved that they are water permeable. Admittedly, our submersion experiment is an extreme test of a winter boot's waterproofness, but if a boot claims to be waterproof we expect it to be just that. We dunked the Chilkat III in water only about 4 inches deep and within 30 seconds or so, water was leaking into both boots through the seams at the base of the tongue.

Waterproof? Our submersion test revealed that the Chilkat III isn't completely waterproof, so we can't recommend standing in puddles deeper than the top of the rubber outsole for an extended period.

This is not to say that the Chilkat III won't keep your feet dry, because in most situations they will. The molded rubber lowers are completely waterproof, as are the leather uppers, which even bead water despite their suede finish. Walking through snow, slush, or quick splashes through puddles you stay nice and dry. However, if you ever find yourself standing in a puddle deeper than the top of the rubber portion for an extended period, you'll find yourself with wet toes.

The Chilkat III's water resistance is similar to another boot in our test that claims to be waterproof, the Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV. Both boots are impressively water resistant, but leaked water around the base of the tongue during our submersion testing. If you're looking for a boot with a similar level of versatility that is completely waterproof, we suggest the Keen Durand Polar or the Chilkat 400.

Fit and Comfort

The Chilkat III fit true to size in length and has an average width. Interestingly, the size 10 Chilkat III has a slightly wider and longer fit that the Chilkat 400 in the same size. We assumed that the two North Face brand boots would have a nearly identical fit, but the Chilkat III runs a bit larger.

Comparing the two boots side by side, you can see the difference in both length and width. It's obvious the lowers didn't come out of the same mold. As a result, we do not recommend sizing up in this boot as we do in the Chilkat 400. There is ample room to wiggle your toes within the toe box, and these boots are roomy enough that they never cut off our circulation, causing our feet to get cold. The Chilkat III is a little bulkier overall and has a less precise fit than the Chilkat 400 or the Keen Durand Polar.

They may both be a size 10 from the same manufacturer, but if you look closely you can see that the Chilkat III (right) is a bit longer than the Chilkat 400 (left). The insulation in the Chilkat III is also a bit bulkier resulting in a looser fit.

The Chilkat III is quite comfortable. The 200g of Heatseeker insulation is quite thick and very soft. The boots are lined with soft fuzzy material, including microfleece around the top of the cuff and the tongue. Though it is somewhat bulky, the insulation conforms nicely around the feet, ankles, and lower leg. This results in a less refined and looser fit than boots like the Keen Durand Polar or the Vasque Snowburban II Ultradry.

The flat foam footbed of the Chilkat III provides cushioning but little in the way of arch support.

The Chilkat III comes with a flat and relatively basic foam footbed. It provides some cushioning, but it doesn't have any real arch support or contouring to enhance fit or comfort. Testers prefer the higher quality contoured footbeds found in boots like the Keen Durand Polar, especially for walking or hiking long distances. It is also difficult to get these boots super tight and supportive for activities like hiking due to the thick insulation.

Ease of Use

The Chilkat III is among the most user-friendly lace-up models in our test. The medium height cuff and simple lacing system make getting your feet in and out of these boots about as easy as it gets. When the laces are loose, the tongue opens wide, and the lacing system is straightforward and easy to use.

Four sets of metal d-rings make up the lower lacing system and there are two sets of lace hooks to finish the job up to the top of the cuff. The only issue we had with the laces is that it can be tricky to get the laces into the upper lace hooks. And, as we mentioned, it is difficult to get these boots super tight due to the bulk of the thick and soft insulation.

The lacing system is very user-friendly, our only gripe is that the laces occasionally hang up on the upper lace hook.

The slip-on models in this test are all much easier to get on and off, but, as lace-up models go, the Chilkat III is roughly on par with the Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV for ease of use. Other models like the Keen Durand Polar, Chilkat 400, and Vasque Snoburban II Ultradry have more complicated lacing systems.

Traction

The Chilkat III offers good traction. It's not the best in the test, but it is comparable to many of our top performers in this metric. The North Face clad the Chilkat III in their Winter Grip sole with IcePick temperature-sensitive lugs. This boot's sole is similar, but not identical to, the sole on the Chilkat 400. Thus, it comes as no surprise to our testers that this boot performs nearly as well in the traction department.

The soles of the Chilkat III. The black rubber is softer and provides good grip on firm snow and icy surfaces.

The sole design isn't exactly like that of the Chilkat 400. The soles have a different tread and lug layout. Softer rubber runs around the sole's outside edge with siped rubber lugs with relatively squared off edges. The lugs' siping is generally shallow, but these small slices in the rubber do add some bite on ice and firm snow. A number of denser orange rubber lugs are arranged in a more longitudinal pattern down the center of the sole.

Overall, the traction these soles offer is confidence inspiring on everything from icy parking lots to hardpacked snowy trails. They were bested in this metric only by the Chilkat 400, Kamik Nationplus, and our Top Pick for Traction, the Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV.

Testing the traction of the Chilkat III against the Columbia Bugaboot Plus IV.

Best Applications

The Chilkat III is a very versatile winter boot. It is well suited to chores around the house, running errands, playing in the snow, and light duty winter hiking. We say "light duty" because of the less precise fit that allows lets your feet move around. This will probably be uncomfortable during extended periods of walking or hiking. Otherwise, this is a warm and comfortable option with good traction. It would work well for all but the wettest or coldest of winter climates.

Value

At a retail price of $110 the Chilkat III offer a pretty solid value. They aren't the least expensive boots in our test, but they are a versatile option with a good all-around performance at a reasonable price. If you're looking for an even better value with a similar level of performance then we suggest checking out our Best Buy Award winner, the Kamik Nationplus.

Conclusion

The Chilkat III is a reasonably priced versatile winter boot from The North Face. It is a good option for anyone looking for a boot that can do it all, though people looking to do serious winter hiking should look at higher performance models with a tighter fit. They are comfortable and provide good traction on slippery surfaces like firm snow and ice, but lose ground to the competition in both the warmth and water resistance tests. That said, the Chilkat III will keep your feet plenty warm and dry in most situations.