Additional Comments:  Years ago, as a beginning  hunter, I remember spending many hours in the woods with cold feet.  The basic routine back then was to cram 2 or more pair of socks on your feet, then force them into a cramped pair of boots in a futile effort to keep them warm.  The end result was always the same; ice cold feet and a hasty retreat from the woods back to the warmth of the fire. 

 

I eventually learned that you simply cannot restrict the blood flow to your feet if you want them to stay warm.  Two pair of socks combined with boots that are too small to be worn in that manner is a sure fire recipe for cold feet.  Always has been, always will be.

 

Over the years, as I became more involved with late season hunting with bow and muzzleloader, it became clear that I needed a boot that was made to contend with the weather that was inevitable during those late season hunts.  Snow, ice, and bitter cold will send you packing if you are not prepared.  I made my way to a local sporting goods store in search of a good pair of boots.  After comparing the offerings they had in stock, I came away with a pair of LaCrosse Iceman 10" pac boots. 

 

The first thing I noticed about the LaCrosse Iceman boot was just how substantial the construction was.  These boots were obviously made to play hard.  Unlike several of the other similarly priced pac boots that were on display from other manufacturers, the Iceman boots used triple stitching to secure the heavy leather uppers to the surprisingly flexible rubber lowers.  Most of the other boots were double stitched, and the rubber on a lot of the other boots seemed almost "hard", for lack of a better word, which certainly didn't seem conducive to comfortable walking. 

 

The Trac-Lite™ outsole on the Iceman utilizes an extra-deep tread design which, combined with the natural width of the boot, provides excellent traction in most any condition including snow, mud, loose terrain on hillsides, and even on ice.  This tread design also seems less prone to clogging than other tread designs I have had experience with.  Having said all of that, the Iceman is no hiking boot.  This is a heavy pair of boots weighing in at 7.4 pounds, and you will quickly wear yourself out if you try to use them as a hiker.         

 

I believe another point that bears mentioning is the warmth that is inherent in this boot.  LaCrosse uses a double insulation system whereby 9mm of felt and polymeric foam insulation are built into the midsole of the boot, and a removable 9mm wool liner is installed in each boot as well.  The result is oven-like warmth, and while LaCrosse rates these boots to -85° Fahrenheit, I haven't tested them beyond about -10°.  I can tell you for certain that, during the 2006 muzzleloader deer season, I sat in falling snow for several hours and at no time did the snow melt when it fell on the Iceman boots.  It simply piled up proving the insulating properties built into the boot and insulation system that is used. 

 

Lastly, in the 8 years I have used this boot, not once has there ever been a situation where water has leaked in through a seam.  They have remained absolutely water-proof.  Snow, rain, or wading through a shallow creek is no match for the quality construction used by LaCrosse.

 

In conclusion, LaCrosse builds these boots to last. The Iceman model has been on the market for over 10 years which, I believe, says a lot about their design and construction.  While they are certainly not ideal for hiking, especially during warmer weather, they excel at what they were designed to do which is to provide rugged, waterproof, warm comfort under the harshest cold weather conditions.    

 

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