Best Products Style Shoes These 8 Winter Boots Are the Safest for Icy Conditions By Christopher Tkaczyk Christopher Tkaczyk Instagram Twitter Christopher Tkaczyk is a writer, journalist, and content strategist based in New York City. He was previously the senior news editor at Travel + Leisure, overseeing daily breaking news stories for the web, editing the magazine's Upgrade section, and managing T+L's annual A-List. Before joining T+L, Tkaczyk was a senior editor at Fortune, where he wrote and edited feature stories and managed the brand's many multi-platform lists, including the Fortune 500, the Global 500, the World's Most Admired Companies, and the 100 Best Companies to Work For. His work has also appeared in/on CNN.com, Health, People, Time, Money, Food & Wine, The Advocate, and Yahoo Finance. * 20+ years of experience working as a writer and editor * Appeared as a commentator on BBC, CNN, CBS, NBC, NPR, WNYC, Fortune Live, NY1, and HuffPo Live * Created and hosted Better, a podcast featuring interviews with executives from Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For * Created and launched T+L's Operation Vacation, a page of exclusive deals and discounts on airfare, hotels, cruises, and travel packages * Former member of T+L's Business Travel Advisory Board * Received a bachelor's degree in English literature and playwriting from the University of Michigan Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on November 30, 2016 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Photo: picturegarden/Getty Images Leave it to Canadians to determine which footwear you should rely on for icy conditions this winter. Researchers at the Intelligent Design for Adaptation, Participation and Technology labs at the Toronto's Rehabilitation Institute used simulated icy winter conditions to test 98 pairs of winter boots for safety. They studied each pair's performance on icy surfaces in outdoor winter environments. The boots were tested on angular planes of melting ice and bare ice, with scientists walking both uphill and downhill to test slip resistance. Only eight pairs were deemed safe for both ice conditions: three pairs of work boots, and five pairs of casual boots. Results of the study have been published on RateMyTreads.com. The team of researchers ranked each pair on a three-snowflake scale. The eight brands with the highest score achieved only one snowflake, though the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute says it has been working with footwear manufacturers to test prototypes that earned two and three snowflakes. Though not yet on the market, the scientists say those prototypes should be available to consumers within one or two years. Here are the eight pairs of boots that were deemed safe enough to earn one snowflake. 01 of 08 Caterpillar Men's Stiction Hiker Ice+ WP Leather Work Boots Courtesy of Amazon From $117.99 02 of 08 Sperry Top-Sider Men's Cold Bay Winter Boot Courtesy of Amazon From $96 03 of 08 Sperry Top-Sider Women's Powder Valley Snow Boot Courtesy of Amazon From $149.95 To buy: Amazon.com 04 of 08 WindRiver Men's Snow Leopard III Winter Boot Courtesy of Mark’s $219.99 CDN / $163 USD 05 of 08 WindRiver Men's Yoho Hiking Boot Courtesy of Mark’s $179.99 CDN / $133 USD 06 of 08 Dakota Men's 9800 CTCP PU Boot With Green Diamond Courtesy of Mark's $189.88 CDN / $141 USD 07 of 08 Dakota Women's CTCP Transitional Boot Courtesy of Mark's $199.99 CDN / $148 USD 08 of 08 Dakota Men's "Transit" CTCP Transitional with Green Diamond Courtesy of Mark's $199.99 CDN / $148 USD To buy: Marks.com Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit