We've had almost a foot of snow where I live and my new Vivo Barefoot Brooklyn boots could not have arrived at a better time. I wore them outside for the first time yesterday in approximately 6 inches of snow and today in about a foot. They are fabulous! If you need a warm winter boot that grips well on snow and ice, still lets you feel the ground contours, and has absolutely no positive heel, then these will work out well for you!
My previous minimalist winter boot options, the Vivo Barefoot Dundan boots and Feelmax Kuuva boots, both have the same problem: their soles are too thin to prevent the frozen ground coldness from coming through to the inside of the boot, which results in frozen feet. This is NOT a problem with the Brooklyn Vivo Barefoot Off-road sole, which has an outsole thickness of 5 mm (2.5 mm sole base and 2.5 mm grip depth). Standing on ice and frozen ground was not a problem for me with only a thin pair of socks. I have left the removable insole in for now but I'll be testing the boots without it as well. Today it was -17C and my feet were toasty warm the whole time.
The boots are almost knee-high and the shaft of the boot has a faux shearling lining for warmth. My calves weren't cold at all in today's frigid temperatures (and there's no need to worry about wind chill).
If you're thinking of buying a pair, the Terra Plana website says that the Brooklyn is running TWO full sizes short and they are NOT exaggerating. I generally wear size US 8/EU 38, most of my Vivo Barefoot shoes are US 9/EU 39, and the Brooklyns are US 10/EU 40 and they fit well at that size.
I will be writing a long review of the Brooklyn boots for Living Barefoot, but until then, here are some pics of me in the snow with the boots.
