Men’s Kamik Atwater Winter Boot Review

Bottom Line

With a blend of stylish details and performance features, the Kamik Atwater redefines the capabilities of a casual, cold-weather boot. With excellent warmth and traction, we felt just as comfortable in these boots around town as we were on our neighborhood trails.

Tested in Anchorage, Alaska’s winter cold, these were our boots of choice when heading out on the town when the temperatures plummeted. We felt comfortable in below-zero temperatures and used them on a few short hikes on Anchorage’s vast in-town trail network. Ice, packed snow, and concrete all were comfortable in these boots, thanks to their great traction and cushioned midsole.

The Kamik Atwater is one of the most affordable boots in our winter hiking boots guide. This price does come at the concession of durability, however. We noticed threads pulling out of some seams and some excessive creasing throughout the flex points of the boot. For the price, we found that these are good enough for moderate use in town and on your neighborhood trails.

Comfort

The Kamik Atwater is comfortable enough to wear around town all day yet still supportive enough for local hikes and in-town trails. The lacing system is snug and secure, and the flat laces keep from untying. The lacing extends up the shaft of the boot to provide some of the best ankle support for a casual boot that we’ve seen. Even when taking them for a short hike, the boots were secure enough for hills and uneven terrain. The padded collar and moisture-wicking fleece lining are comfortable on the skin, even with low socks.

The sole of these boots is extremely flexible and lacks much structure. Though this makes them lightweight and flexible to walk in, they do not provide much structure for hiking or more challenging terrain. These boots are most at home on city sidewalks and in-town trails.

Warmth

When taking the Kamik Atwaters around town on a below-zero day, we loved how warm they were. With only ninety grams of insulation, we were initially worried they wouldn’t be warm enough but quickly realized that the insulation punches well above its weight. We never experienced cold feet during our tests and found these boots were warm enough for short hikes in single-digit and negative temperatures.

If you’re going to be in these boots in temperatures much below ten degrees, we recommend pairing them with winter-weight socks. But for quick jaunts around town, these boots are still warm enough with a minimal sock. The fleece interior provides additional warmth while still being comfortable directly on the skin.

Traction

Large triangular lugs cover the tread of the Kamik Atwater, providing excellent traction across multiple surfaces. Their large surface area is great for sticking to smooth and slippery surfaces like rocks, concrete, or ice. We clambered over ice-covered boulders, trudged up packed snow trails, and strolled city streets in these, and the grip always felt secure. With deep spaces between the lugs and sharp corners, the boots even bite into deep, loose snow.

The sole, though flexible enough to be comfortable while walking, lacks the structure and edging abilities needed to kick steps in steep and firm trails. They were quickly out of their depth when we tried to kick our toes into steep, icy snow. For a casual boot that can also make it on the trails, we were pleasantly surprised by the Kamik Atwater’s traction and will continue using it for outings on the town on a variety of surfaces and textures.

Weather Resistance

Taking these boots through deep snow, puddles, and slush, we loved the Awater’s waterproof upper. The leather of the upper is solid enough to take through puddles while remaining supple enough to be comfortable. The shaft of the boot tightens snugly around the calf and shins, keeping snow out. This is a design feature often lacking in other casual boots. We loved that these boots could keep our feet dry, even when trudging through sloppy snow.

The relatively low shaft height is their biggest weakness. At seven inches, it’s taller than other casual boots we tested but lacks the height to be as waterproof as other boots dedicated to winter conditions. We also noticed some loss of weather resistance in high abrasion areas of the boots like along the insides as they absorbed water quicker than areas that remained fresh and waterproof.

Durability

After using the Kamik Atwater boots multiple times for errands and short hikes, we noticed some premature signs of wear in these boots. Several of the seams started to develop loose threads, particularly in places that receive a lot of stress like flex points and toe creases. The leather rand of the boot started to show quite a bit of wear after walking through crusty and icy snow, and some gaps started to develop between the rand and the sole of the boot.

Although they’re durable enough for short hikes and walking in the city, these boots lack the rugged build quality of others tested needed for many hours spent on the trails. Given their price, we don’t expect the highest build quality in these boots. During our testing, we found the durability to be what we would expect given their price point.

Should You Buy the Kamik Atwater Winter Boot?

If you’re looking for a boot that’s stylish enough to take out on the town but rugged enough for the outdoors, then the Kamik Atwater is what you’ve been searching for. These boots’ style makes them at home at social events while their performance features are enough to take them through snow and cold for short hikes. At a low price point, these boots’ durability is not as high as others we have tested. So while you might not want to take these out climbing mountains or on epic winter expeditions, they are versatile enough to work for most in-town uses and light hikes.

What Other Men’s Winter Boots Should You Consider?

For more men’s options, please take a peak at our full guide to the best winter boots. 

Columbia Fairbanks Review – Another casual boot with hiking performance, check out the Columbia Fairbanks for its warmth, comfort, and around-town style.

Blundstone Thermal Review – With its immediately recognizable style, the Blundstone Thermal is a comfortable and warm boot with great weather resistance for wet days. Its iconic look and wet weather performance make it a versatile option for an in-town boot.

Merrell Nova 3 Thermo Review – If comfort is your number one consideration for a boot but you want one that can still perform on the trails, check out the Merrell Nova 3 Thermo. It has the comfort of a running shoe and the warmth of a winter boot.