Wet insulation is the main reason winter boots get cold. Moisture reaches it from two directions: sweat from your foot and snow or water from outside. VBX boots seal the insulation between two waterproof layers, so it stays dry and keeps its warmth all day. For extreme cold and standing still, the VBX Max is our warmest boot.
Each boot is the warmest option we make for its use. Pick by how cold it gets and how much you move.
For long hours standing or sitting still: ice fishing, tree stands, deer blinds, deep backcountry winter travel. A thick EVA sole shields your feet from cold conducted up through the ice.
For daily winter life in town or on the homestead: chores, commutes, walking the dog. Stays dry through slush, snow and wet days.
A step up in warmth from the Lite without going to Max-level extreme. Taller profile with a full neoprene lining.
Built for tough cold with a composite toe, for jobs where toe protection matters.
Insulation keeps you warm by trapping still air. Once it takes on water, it packs down, the air escapes, and heat leaves your foot. Most insulated boots let moisture reach the insulation from both sides.
Your feet sweat even in deep cold. In a standard boot that moisture moves outward into the liner and insulation, and it builds up over a day of wear.
Overflow on the ice, slush, melting snow on the boot, wet grass in a blind. Seams, stitching and worn shells let water in over time.
Damp insulation compresses and conducts heat away. The boot feels warm at the truck and cold by mid-morning. Drying it out takes hours you rarely have in the field.
VBX fully encapsulates the insulation between two sealed layers. The inner layer blocks sweat. The outer layer blocks snow and water. The insulation sits sealed in the middle, dry, holding its loft and its warmth for as long as you are out.
The design traces to sealed insulated boots built for Marine Corps ground troops during the Korean War frostbite crisis. Read the Bunny Boot story
Cold feet usually come from wet insulation. Here is where water and sweat end up in each type of boot.
| Boot type | Water from outside | Where your sweat goes | After a long wet day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pac boot (removable felt liner) | Stays out unless it gets in at the top or through seams | Soaks into the felt liner | Pull the liner and dry it before the next day |
| Insulated boot with waterproof membrane | Blocked by the membrane | Depends on the design, and some can reach the insulation | Varies by boot |
| Neoprene rubber boot | Blocked by the rubber | Stays trapped inside with little way out | Air out the interior |
| VBX encapsulated insulation | Stopped by the sealed outer layer | Stays on the foot side of the inner barrier | Insulation stays dry, so you only swap damp socks |
The warmest boot is the one whose insulation stays dry the longest. The VBX Max seals its insulation between two waterproof layers and adds a thick EVA sole against cold from the ground, built for extreme cold and long periods of standing still.
Usually because the insulation has taken on moisture, from sweat inside or water outside. Wet insulation loses the trapped air that keeps you warm.
Your feet sweat in any boot. In a VBX boot that moisture stays on the foot side of the barrier and never reaches the insulation.
Boots built for standing still on ice need dry insulation and a thick sole between your foot and the ice. That is the VBX Max.
VBX boots are rated from -5°F to -79°F, depending on the model. The VBX Max is our warmest at -34°F to -79°F, followed by the VBX Composite (-30°F to -75°F), and the VBX Lite (-5°F to -50°F). We tested each model's insulation on a heated foot apparatus that simulates a sweating human foot, then compared the results to the original Bunny Boot's known comfort range of -20°F to -65°F.
VBX boots fit true to size. Find your women's size on our size chart to see your matching boot size (for example, women's US 7.5 = size 6). If you're between sizes, size up and use the -1/2 size black insert.
