Casual Wear Review: It’s Winter – For $125, Boots or Sneakerboots?

Come fall and winter I’m always torn; I want to wear sneakers, but because I live in the Northeast of the U.S. with rain, snow, mud, sleet, and hail, I can’t wear sneakers. Thus, during the crappy seasons I’m always jumping around from boot to sneakerboot, trying to figure out which is better for me. Here are my findings.

This is a casual wear review, something that we’ve done on WearTesters.com in the past. This kind of review is back because I was sent some decent contenders for this winter and wanted to share the results with you all. The focus of this casual wear review will be bang for your buck and weatherproofing. Price matters to me, and through my years working here I’ve learned from my colleagues that we don’t always get what we pay for. Sometimes we get ripped off, other times we get blessed, and often we get exactly what we pay for.

Every sportswear brand serves us winterized versions of their popular models; Asics did it this year with the Gel-Lyte MT, Nike released new AF1 Lunar Force Duckboots and the Lupinek Flyknit, and New Balance had the MH988 FreshFoam sneakerboot. On top of the sneakerboots, many of those same sportswear brands release proper boots to compete with all the brands that just produce boots.

For this review I will be comparing three models, two proper boots — the Native AP Apex and the Palladium Pallabrouse HIKR — and one sneakerboot, the New Balance 580 Deconstructed Mid. All three silhouettes retail for $125. However, they are all currently on sale for right around $100 or less.

I have worn each pair for three weeks each or more (that’s everyday, all-day wear — and I’m on my feet a lot). I was genuinely interested in all three — for either technology or looks — and wanted to make one my every day boot or sneakerboot. Let’s get started.

Traction – The saw-tooth rubber outsole featured on the Native AP Apex offered, by far, the best traction — in snow, rain, mud — regardless of the surface. It is grippy and durable, sits a bit higher, and avoids the pitfalls of the outsoles utilized on the other two models.

The Palladium Pallabrouse HIKR’s outsole, the most traditional boot-like traction with its heels and big, blocky lugs, had me sliding around in more than an inch or two of snow. The one-piece molded rubber outsole with EVA sponge fillers was comfortable but the traction setup is a bit too flat to push snow between the lugs. Thus, the traction had a difficult time getting contact with the ground. When the snow was lighter, less than an inch or two on the ground, the setup worked well. In mud and in the woods, the heel was useful and worked well because it is lightweight with good flexibility.

The New Balance 580 Deconstructed Mid sneakerboot had the flattest outsole of the lot but it didn’t have me slipping and sliding as much as the Pallabrouse HIKR. The “lugs,” while shallow and flat, are often circular shaped with relief in the middle. I believe that this helped traction a ton, and it worked well. However, it shows the most wear.

Cushioning – As someone who has been spoiled by Boost for a couple years now, I had to rethink my expectations for boots and sneakerboots. The AP Apex offered the least amount of cushion for the price, as it has no cushion tech — just a really nice insole that, after a few hours, stops getting the job done (as with almost all insoles). After those hours had passed, the saw-tooth outsole was actually not that bad and worked well with my foot shape. The boot didn’t become drastically uncomfortable, there just wasn’t any cushion.

I was thoroughly surprised with how cushioned the Pallabrouse HIKR’s setup was. For just a one-piece molded rubber outsole with EVA sponge fillers, it’s a pretty nice ride. I spent a few days walking all over New York but my feet didn’t hurt, and I didn’t once regret wearing this boot for long journeys. (I walk everywhere when I’m in New York — if I’m uptown and need to be in Chinatown to meet Stan (NYJumpman23) for pho, f*** the 6 train, I’ll walk 100 blocks.)

My only complaint with the Pallabrouse HIKR is a personal one based on my foot shape. I need a good cushion setup because I ruined my feet and knees skating for the number of years I did (I was an aggressive roller for over a decade, click here if you don’t know what that is — it is worlds more difficult than skateboarding). Taking a look at the outsole from toe to heel, the second lug in the middle of the pattern sat uncomfortably beneath the balls of my feet. I’d try the boot on before purchasing, but even with this issue, my foot got used to it over the weartest period.

The cushioning of the New Balance 580 Deconstructed Mid was my favorite, as it was much more like the comfort I’m accustomed to with a sneaker. REVlite has been slept on for awhile but it’s pretty good; it’s a firmer setup that had enough cushion to keep me comfortable all day, and then some. It isn’t bouncy like Boost, but it gets the job done.

Materials – All three models utilized materials I was very interested in trying out. This section will also discuss how warm each boot kept me on very cold, wet, and snowy days.

The Native AP Apex is proudly a PETA-approved vegan boot. That means that absolutely no animal products are used in the upper. Instead, the upper is made of Future Fiber, a super lightweight synthetic with micro perforations for breathability. Moreover, the upper employs Native’s Defender Repellent Systems with Scotchgard, so it’s incredibly water resistant (although not waterproof).

For those used to leather and nubuck, this will feel like the cheapest material of the lot, but it was fascinating to wear because it achieves so much with so little. It is super thin, yet it retains its overall shape and breaks in quickly. Additionally, it’s very easy to clean and I appreciated that. However, on the really cold days, I did not immediately reach for the AP Apex because my feet were usually cold in them. The remedy to this is double socking or buying some serious outdoor Merrell or Carhartt thick socks.

The Palladium Pallabrouse HIKR has by far the best materials. The leather on this boot is fantastic; the cut is thick, and the craftsmanship is there (it better be — Palladium has been making boots for ages). Moreover, the collars are thickly padded and the interiors are lined for insulation. The Pallabrouse HIKR was the best pick for the really cold days.

The New Balance sneakerboot is constructed of leather and neoprene but it won’t keep you all that warm. The leather doesn’t feel like real leather at all, and it has a really weird look to it in the Bronze colorway I picked up — especially when it gets wet. It isn’t stiff by any means, and materials here are pretty lackluster. However, the neoprene bootie makes this option weatherproof as f***. More on that later.

Fit & Support – I have a moderately wide and flat foot. Thus, the AP Apex fit a bit narrow at the forefoot and there was, for me, lots of room in my true size from the midfoot up to the collar. There isn’t much support, just a good insole and a lacing system that is sturdy.

With its thickly padded tongue and collar, D-ring lacing system, and rather open toebox that will crease wherever you need it to, the Pallabrouse HIKR fit very well. If you like to rock your boots a bit loose (not flopping about, but loose), this is the one for you. The leather will form to your footshape nicely and there is no deadspace at the forefoot.

New Balance has always catered to widefooters and pronators and the 580 Deconstructed Mid follows this trend. There is a significant amount of arch support for pronators, but I found that the arch was located too far back in the sneakerboot for me. And because the heel just wouldn’t lock me in, no matter how tightly I laced, my foot would shift within the shoe. There is little deadspace anywhere besides the heel, and due to the interior bootie, the fit was decent for me. The arch is just something worth noting.

Weatherproofing – Let me be clear: I wore the s*** out of these kicks — I trudged through mud, trekked through snowdrifts, and pushed the water-resistance of these kicks in the swampy hills and mountains of upstate New York. All three are heavily worn, and they all show it in varying amounts. The 580 Deconstructed Mid and AP Apex clean up easy, but the Pallabrouse HIKR, with it’s fantastic leather, was much harder to get clean again. I’ve restored sneakers for years (formerly @TheShoeRestorer) so I got them looking nice again, but the interiors got soaked through and they are dank now. (Packing the boot full of newspaper to soak up the remaining moisture and then stuffing it full or dryer sheets should remedy the problem.)

The AP Apex is constructed with weatherproofing in mind. While the top of the tongue, for some inexplicable reason, folds on itself like a Fruit Roll-Up (which I didn’t really mind because it held my pants back), the tongue is completely connected to the upper until the uppermost lacing hook. That means you’re covered — snow, mud, and water won’t get in.

The Pallabrouse HIKR is a different story. It’s a traditional tongue, disconnected from the upper and attached only at the base of the tongue. This makes it the least waterproof of the lot. I stepped in a few marshes that were deeper than I expected and this boot did not keep my feet dry. In reality, you better not step in a puddle more than two inches deep. However, snow and mud aren’t a problem; this boot rises up the highest on the leg and makes moving through deep snow a breeze.

The 580 Deconstructed Mid is the most weatherproof, but it is the lowest rising shoe featured here. It handled pretty deep puddles, snow, and tons of heavy mud without issue. However, because of its lowcut height and the fact that the inner bootie isn’t elastic — so it doesn’t stick to your ankle/leg like a sleeve — there was open space all around my ankle for snow to enter. There is a decent solution to this problem — tuck your pants into the bootie and enlist the help of rubberbands.

Overall – The focus of this review was bang for your buck and weatherproofing. For me, the best bang for your buck option is the Palladium Pallabrouse HIKR. It’s a quality boot with excellent materials that becomes a bit more weatherproof for water if you lace the base of the tongue real tight. Additionally, it’s a great looking boot that is much more comfortable (for me) than a Timberland for twice the price.

The runner up, and available for $75 currently, is the New Balance 580 Deconstructed Mid. At that price it’s a steal in my book. It is the most well-cushioned of the lot I tested, it cleans up easy after you beat the crap out of it, and it’s lightweight. However, it isn’t the most handsome option once on-feet. My experience with this NB sneakerboot makes me really want to pick up the Fresh Foam Paradox — and for the $110 price it’s gone on sale for, I just might have to.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPkuMUHFOSS/?taken-by=noahgoldowitz

If you’re vegan, or have a vegan partner, or are picking a gift for a vegan, the AP Apex is worth its price tag because its unique and function. It just isn’t the boot that performs best of the ones I tested.

I picked this lot of shoes because I was interested in testing all of them. None of these kicks compare to something like the Under Armour Fat Tire or Fat Tire Ascent Mid because those are far more expensive options. Stay tuned, because the Fat Tire Ascent Mid review is coming.

If you’d like to pick up one of the options I reviewed, they’re all on sale. The Palladium Pallabrouse HIKR is down to $110 at Zappos, the New Balance 580 Deconstructed Mid is at Undefeated for $75 in three colorways (Foot Locker for $100), and the Native AP Apex is 30% off for $88 at Zappos.

I hope you all enjoyed this casual wear review. Let me know if you found this useful, and hit the comments or my socials (@NoahGoldowitz) with your thoughts — you all know I love to discuss. If there are some other kicks you think need a casual wear review like this, share them with me.