Reviews > Footwear > Winter Boots > Baffin Extreme Series Boots > Dennis Shubitowski > Initial Report

Initial Report - Baffin Vanguard Boots

Report Outline

Tester Information <back to top>

Product Information <back to top>

Measured Weights (US Postal Scale)

Boot Arrival & Baffin Websites <back to top>

The Baffin Vanguard boots arrived well-packed and in fine condition. The boots appeared exactly as they were pictured on Baffin's main webpage. Baffin has a very large selection of boots according to their website (over 28 men's boot models, 26 women's, and 15 children's in "Outdoor" boots alone) -  other categories include "Industrial" (22 men's models, 3 women's) or "Snomach" boots (3 men's and women's models). Information is a little sparse on the individual boots other than a single picture and a short description. Here is a direct quote of the complete description of the Vanguard boot: ""Extreme Climate" inner boot system with GelFlex shock absorbing technology.  Front "D" ring lacing system for simple and effective fit adjustment.  Winter-proof insulated upper and locking snow collar for deep snow protection." This is not meant to be a knock on Baffin at all as the website contains quite a bit of information about the technology of their boots in general. The boots received for testing are in the "Extreme" line specifically, but the website does not indicate exactly what the Extreme series is. I assume the name is related to extremely low temperatures based on the boot's comfort ratings (-148 F/-100 C). The Baffin website directs the browser to www.WinterFootWear.com, which is an exclusive Baffin retail outlet, to purchase the boots online. Interestingly, when I go to the directed website where I would purchase the Vanguard boot, I find it is listed in the available models but is not yet for sale or has no information available on that website. The other two boot models in the Extreme series are listed and available for purchase for $134.99 (Impact) and $139.99 USD (Expedition). There is also material information, mainly repeated from the main Baffin website, about the various technologies of the Baffin materials available at this website as well.

Initial Impressions <back to top>

One of the first things I did upon receiving the boots was to weigh them at my local post office (after removing the tags, obviously). I was a little surprised to find about a one ounce (28 g) difference between the right and left boot. It appears the differences are pretty equally split between the liner and the outer shell so no single component is at fault during manufacture. This is really nothing in large scheme of things, but it works out to a 3% difference in weight between the right and left boot. The boots came with a cored material sample attached along with several cards printed in English and French as mentioned above. One card is white with a red maple leaf that claims the boots are "Made in Canada." A second card describes comfort rating of the boots (-148 F/100 C) with some rating caveats (activity level, metabolism, exposure time, age, and material wear over time). The final card is a product card that explains the various features of the materials of the boots. I advise the reader to visit the Baffin website where many of the material's technologies are explained. These boots are quite technical for being "just winter boots." I experienced some confusion trying to determine exactly which materials were located in which portion of the boot based on the diagrams on the product card, website and the cored sample that came with the boots. I present below my best estimation of the boot components and the materials that are used in their construction. All measurements correspond to these size 10 US (43 European) boots and may vary depending on the specific size boot.

Upper Shell (see picture above):

The boots in total are about 17 in (43 cm) tall from heel to top. They are about 26 in (66 cm) around at the widest area at the very top of the boot and are about 19.5 in (49 cm) around at the narrowest area (near the ankle).  The upper shell itself is about 13.5 in (34 cm) tall. There is a cinch cord inside the shell of the boot at the top in a single stitched hem; the cord exits at the front out of two grommets on either side near the front, is held together with a large plastic tab, and it has a cord/barrel lock for cinching closed around one's leg to keep out the weather. The Baffin logo is embroidered onto the outside of each boot near the top. The boot upper shell material feels like Cordura on the outside and has a soft, padded/insulated synthetic on the inside. I am unsure of the components of the padding around this upper shell, but I do not think it is similar to the cored sample provided with the boots. The Vanguard boots have a lacing system of three D rings on each side of the boot attached to a heavy, rubber-like or ballistic nylon material sewn to the upper boot shell. The laces are located at the narrowest portion of the boot upper, around the ankle. There are four seams on the upper material - there is one single seam at the top for the cord/barrel lock, and it is sewn directly through the Cordura-like material that is folded over the top over the boot and sewn to make a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) hem. The other three seams are sewn with a nylon webbing trim. Two of those seams are located running up and down at the front and back of the upper shell and are triple sewn, and other seam joins the upper shell to the rubber base with a double stitch. A Baffin logo tag is sewn on the outside of each boot through this line of double stitching. Deep inside the upper shell of the left boot, there is a small label that says "Made in China." There is not a similar label in the right boot that I saw and for some reason I found this curious.

Outer Base/Sole:

The base of these boots is made from a rubber base with a "high density EVA platform." The boot base is somewhat pliable and flexible but springs back to shape easily and firmly. There are various textures on the base including smooth, checkered, and rough. The smooth material is near the top of the base (closest to the upper shell) and runs along the top of

the sides and over the top of the toe in a curved pattern. There are 5 ridged lines in a ray shape the spray outward toward the end of my toes, and there is a crease over these rays that runs across where my toes would sit. There is a checkered band that runs completely around the base of the shoe. The rough texture is located in a curving pattern in between
the smooth area at the top and the checkered band at the bottom. This rough texture is also at the very front of the boot where one would "kick" something.

The sole of the boots appear to have a very aggressive tread. The boots have a slight heel that is about 3/4 in (19 mm) tall. The tread on the heel and the tread at the ball and toe of the foot are separated by an "untreaded" smooth area that is about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide. There is a triangular raised section in this untreaded area, corresponding to the slope of the boot with the heel, that has the Baffin name denoted in raised lettering. The treads in each area (heel and ball/toe) are of very similar design - there is a series of raised dots/balls in the middle, about the size of a small marble, surrounded by grooved "teeth" on each side. There are also four V-shaped ridges that run across the very front of the toe and very back of the heel presumably for increased traction. There are six teeth at the heel (three on each side) and 10 teeth on the ball/toe (five on each side). Each tooth is separated by approximately 3/8 in (1 cm) of untreaded section and each tooth is about 1/4 in (7 mm) long. The raised bumps in the heel area (five bumps total) are the same size as the bumps elsewhere on the tread (18 bumps total), but the material is different. According to the product card, this area is made of "GelFlex" material that aids in shock absorption. The entire area between the teeth on the heel is composed of this material - it looks clear with a yellow tinge and feels like dried silicone caulk.

Liner:

The liners for the boot are completely removable from the boot shell. These liners are very impressive and appear to be very warm compared to other felt liners I have used in similar style boots. According to the product card, the liners are made of only three materials - reflective foil, wool/felt blend, and polypropylene from outside to inside.  However, to me, the liners appear to be composed of numerous layers exactly like the cored sample sent with the boots. The liners are quite thick and spongy, and they feel exactly like the sample provided with the same materials on each of the outside layers. I will describe the liners based on this assumption. From examining the sample, the liner is constructed from 8 layered materials. From outside to inside, the order of material is a thin silver metallic membrane, a thin black hollow fiber insulation material, a second metallic membrane, a layer of open cell foam, a thin layer of "HydroMax II," a second layer of open cell foam, a thick layer of "Thermatuff II," and a final layer of black hollow fiber insulation. The Baffin website and product cards and website provide information about each of these materials, and I again advise the reader to check the source for the specific technology descriptions. In general, these materials are labeled to do things like providing thermal insulation, trap air, breathe, and hold and move moisture away from your foot. I will not be able to individually test these claims on the materials but instead can evaluate the liner as whole, functional unit. I may be able to use the core sample provided to check how much water the materials will hold or how fast it dries, but these tests would only apply to the sample and likely not be very applicable to the entire liner.

As far as the liner itself, it is composed in two main sections with a least four seams. Most of the liner is solid, but the front top of the liner is cut off and reattached much like the tongue of a shoe. The entire top edge on the liner is finished with a smooth nylon tape that is sewn into each outside layer (the metallic foil and black hollow fiber insulation). This same tape also finishes off the reattached "tongue." There is a rough whip stitch at the very front of the liner running from the bottom center of the tongue to the very toe tip. The bottom "sole" of the liner is roughly sewn on with this same type of whip stitch. I could not decide while examining the liners if I thought they were hand sewn or machine sewn. The only other material on the liners is a smooth nylon material located around the heel and Achilles tendon area that runs about 1/3 of the way up the back of the boot and curves downward to the sole area about 1/4 the length of the liner. I do not know what the purpose of this material is in this area - allowing the heel to move slightly in the boot shell? Perhaps it will become apparent during testing. There are also numerous long, loose threads on the seams of the liners which I will trim off before first use outside as they drive me nuts. The outer silver metallic membrane is somewhat fuzzy by feel and has numerous splits in the material mostly on the sole of the liner but also some on the upper areas. The liners are labeled as made in Canada.

Waffle Insert:

The boots have a removable "micro-cellular waffle footbed." The insert is black and feel like heavy closed cell foam or neoprene. Each insert is about 1/4 in (7 mm) thick and are shaped much like a removable insert you would buy for your shoes. The top of the insert is smooth and flat and the bottom is "waffled" as the name implies. The insert do not appear to offer anything in the way of support due to their flimsiness and flatness but instead seem to be for dead air insulation.

Trying the Boots On <back to top>

I tried the boots on for fit after the above examinations. According to the product card, Baffin recommends a single pair of regular weight, breathable socks to be paired with the boots. I tried them on inside my home with my regular cotton socks (not exactly what they have in mind I'm sure). The first thing I noticed is that the cutout in the liner makes it easier to insert my foot because it folds forward. It takes a little bit of work to squeeze my foot in because the boots are quite tall and the liner is pretty thick and cushioned. When I did get my foot in, the liner completely hugged my foot, almost constrictive-like, and felt very, very warm. The liner pretty quickly conformed to the shape of my foot and the boot was very comfortable to wear. I was able to easily tie up the boots with the laces. The laces do a good job of leveraging and I was able to tie them quite snug if desired. Finally, I cinched closed the top cord. The boots come to the top part of my calf and are a little below my knee. When the laces are tied and the top is cinched, the upper shell area looks very ballooned and puffy. The boots were very comfortable to walk in and were surprisingly soft and flexible for how bulky they look. I did notice they "swished" against each other, quite loudly, as I walked. Taking the boots off was easier than putting them on - I was able to slide them off my feet like taking off any other pair of boots and the liner stayed in place without wanting to come out.

Testing Plan <back to top>

Well, winter has arrived with a bang. The Great Snowstorm of 2004 just missed my hometown (darn it), but I am sure more recruits are on the way. Temperatures for the Field Testing period can expect to range from at least 0 F to 40 F (-18 to 4 C) on average, but more likely toward the middle to lower end of those ranges. The rest of this week will see single digit (-18 to -13 C) temperatures on average with snow in the forecast. I plan on evaluating the boots for comfort, ease of donning and doffing, warmth, traction, snowshoe fit and use, driving ease, water and snow repellency, shoveling my driveway, hopefully walking a new, replacement hiking dog, and anything else I can think of. I plan on at least two or three winter trips with in the biggest piles of snow I can find - likely in western Michigan (lake effect snow heaven) or in the Upper Peninsula (just heaven period). Testing areas will likely include everyday lunchtime walks through local woodlots, parts of the North Country Trail or Lakeshore Trail, and the Hoist Lakes area in northeastern lower Michigan.

Biography <back to top>

I was born, raised, and currently live in Michigan. I have been camping with family since I was a young tot. I have been backpacking since the early 1990s and have gotten out much more over the last several years as life has settled down. I also hunt, geocache, horseback ride, ski, orienteer, and canoe. I backpack in every season - rain, snow, or shine. My hiking philosophy is definitely moved toward lightweight to ultra-lightweight backpacking over the past couple years from my "backbreaker" days. I now sleep under a homemade tarptent shelter or in a hammock, I usually wear a frameless backpack, and I cook on a homemade alcohol or Esbit stove with a titanium pot. My average three season load for a multi-day trip, including food and water, is less than 25 lbs (11.3 kg). During winter, my packweight is generally much heavier or I pull a sled - most of my lightweight philosophy goes out the window.

Reviews > Footwear > Winter Boots > Baffin Extreme Series Boots > Dennis Shubitowski > Initial Report