Year Three of the Bunny Boot: What's New in the 26/27 Lineup

Three seasons ago, we launched one boot: the original Bunny Boot VBX. Today, our shelf holds a full family of VBX footwear, and the 26/27 season brings the biggest set of updates yet. In a new video, CEO Sean McLaughlin walks through every boot in the lineup, what changed from last year, and a few new products we’ve been quietly building.

The bunny boot has a long history. It started as the military’s Extreme Cold Vapor Barrier Boot in the Korean War and became a fixture in nearly every Alaskan home. When the Army retired it in the 1990s, many people assumed no one would make a real bunny boot again. (Historian David Reamer tells that whole story in From the Front Lines to the Last Frontier: A History of the Bunny Boot.) We started building them again in 2024, and year three is about making that boot work for more people, in more places, doing more things.

Why so many boots?

Two reasons, and both start with you.

The first is use cases. After the first season, customers told us what wasn’t working for them. Some found the original boot too hot, and some found it not warm enough. One hiker covering 30 miles a day needed something lighter. A parent wearing them to hockey games said it was just too much boot. Every boot in this lineup answers one of those stories, so each is built for a specific job.

The second is the long game. We want to build the whole ecosystem around these boots, and one day we want to make them here in the United States. Domestic production only works with a big enough market. That means meeting customers where they are, at the price and use case that fit them.

The 26/27 lineup, boot by boot

Every boot here is still a VBX boot. Our Vapor Barrier X system seals the insulation between layers of rubber, so it stays dry no matter what happens inside or outside the boot. The lineup runs from warmest to most everyday.

VBX Max: same beast, better details

We introduced the VBX Max last season as a warmer, more rugged take on the original bunny boot. It’s our warmest boot, with 6,597g of felted wool insulation, and it has earned its place with the most extreme users we know. In Alaska, that means trappers and snowmachiners logging thousands of miles on the trail.

This year, the MAX gets three updates:

• A new Alpine colorway. Alpine was a hit on the VBX Lite, so we brought it to the Max.
• A slightly larger sole.
• New eyelets. Some of our warranty claims came from eyelets pulling out of the rubber. Holding an eyelet in a double-rubber boot is harder than it sounds. This is our third version; it’s on every boot in the lineup, and we’re hoping it’s the charm.

VBX Neo: new this year

The NEO replaces our original VBX boot and comes in black and Alpine. It’s nearly as warm as the MAX but much lighter, with a lot more flex. A neoprene sleeve runs through the back of the boot and around your foot, adding warmth and a softer feel. It sits slightly shorter than the Max. It’s built for longer hikes when you want VBX warmth but aren’t facing the most extreme conditions.

VBX Lite: new colors for a proven favorite

The VBX Lite was one of our most successful launches last year. It’s for people who want VBX technology and a warm boot but aren’t hunting or trapping in extreme cold. Its bold colors were a big part of its appeal. For 26/27, the boot is unchanged except for the new eyelets, and it comes in a few new colorways. It’s our go-to recommendation for keeping your feet warm in all kinds of conditions.

Ankle Deck Boot VBX: our first deck boot

The Ankle Deck Boot VBX is brand new, and it’s for slip-on, slip-off everyday life: shoveling the driveway, driving, running errands. It features a fleece lining, a flexible neoprene ankle collar, and a wide opening that makes it easy to put on and take off. A non-marking, siped outsole grips wet decks and icy sidewalks. It’s rated to -35°F and comes in colorways for everyday wear, starting at $199.

Sean wore a pair through a full-on storm in Talkeetna and called them incredibly warm. We launched them about a month ago, and they’re already selling fast. We want your feedback.

VBX Composite: the biggest change of the year

The VBX Composite sold well in its first season. But field feedback pointed to a problem we had to fix.

To meet the ASTM standard for electrical shock resistance, last year’s sole needed a special rubber additive. At extremely cold temperatures, that additive made the sole more slippery and less flexible than we wanted. That’s a real problem in a boot built for extreme conditions.

We spent the year trying to fix the sole while keeping the shock-resistance rating, and we couldn’t do both. When we asked our users, shock resistance turned out to matter least to them. So we chose the better sole.

Important: The 26/27 VBX Composite does not meet the ASTM standard for electrical shock resistance. In exchange, it uses a new rubber compound that performs much better on cold-crack flex and slip resistance. It also gets the new eyelets.

New gear built around the boots

We also built three new products around the boots this year.

Extreme VBX socks

We already make a Bunny Boot sock, and it’s the sock we use every time our boots go to the lab for thermal testing. This year, we also teamed up with a sock maker in New Zealand on something more extreme. They design a sock for the specific boot it will be worn in, adding padding and warmth where that boot creates wear and chafing points. Very warm boots don’t flex much, so the front of the sock gets extra padding to take the edge off. A lot more R&D went into these socks than you might think. They arrive this season, and we’re eager to hear what you think.

Quick-release ice spikes

Our Ice Spikes are great on the ice, but contractors and cold-weather workers told us they’re hard to get on and off when you’re going in and out of buildings all day. So we designed our own quick-release version.

One part anchors into the arch of the boot, and the spike sits under the pad of your foot. When you head inside, you swing the spike around to the top of the boot and clip it in place. Now you can walk indoors without scratching floors or tripping. The spikes are built for contractors and outdoor workers, and we want to hear how they hold up in the field.

After-Activity Cabin Slipper

You’ve pulled off your bunny boots, you’re in the cabin, and you need something for your feet. The Cabin Slipper is made from the same material that keeps you warm inside our bunny boots. It came out of experimenting with our factories, it’s priced as a fun gift, and it’s the first of a few new ideas like it we’re trying.

Looking ahead: bunny boots made in Alaska

The question we hear most is whether we’ll ever make these boots in the United States. It’s a real goal, the U.S. military wants it too, and it’s a big reason we keep growing the line.

We already have the equipment and materials to make bunny boots, though only at R&D scale for now. In the second quarter, we’re moving that equipment to Fairbanks, where we’ve been building new space for it. If you want to test a boot in real cold, Fairbanks is the place. Scaling up takes a bigger business and more momentum, so every pair you buy helps get us there. We’ll keep you posted.

Thank you for your feedback and for trusting us as we build this line. We hope year three is our best yet, for you and for us.

Watch the full lineup walkthrough on our YouTube channel, leave us a comment, and shop the 26/27 footwear collection.

Sources

• From the Front Lines to the Last Frontier: A History of the Bunny Boot
• Bunny Boot VBX Max product page (ArCLO ratings for the Max, Composite and Lite)
• Ankle Deck Boot VBX collection
• 26/27 Footwear Lineup video transcript, Sean McLaughlin