Boots are a big deal. Cold, wet, and uncomfortable feet can ruin a good day on the snow. Junk boots are the worst. We’ve all experienced them at one time or another, and we wouldn’t wish them on anybody.
Good boots are easy to take for granted. You put them on with a good pair of socks, wear them for a day of riding, and you probably don’t think much about them. This is because they do a decent job of keeping you warm and dry for the majority of a day. When we get an excellent pair of boots, they get noticed and become luxurious to us. We slip them on each time we wear them and think “Ahhh… that’s right.”
This is the conclusion we’ve come to after spending a full season in Klim’s new Adrenaline GTX Boa. These are excellent boots. They’re super comfortable, warm, and durable. With just a thin pair of socks, these boots keep you warm and dry all day, all night, and probably through the next day. We attribute that to the 600 gram 3M Thinsulate that hits that not-too-much, not-too-little spot on the comfort scale.
Wet socks aren’t an issue unless snow comes in over the top of the boot. If that’s the case, you’re doing something wrong with your pants. But you won’t get wet feet from too much sweat or standing in a puddle of water. The Gore-Tex membrane does its job here.
The new boa system is easy to use and adjust throughout the day as your body adjusts and moves. We always found ourselves wanting to stop and tighten the laces on other boots as the ride progressed through the day, but never did because laces area hassle. But with the Klim Adrenaline GTX Boa, a few clicks of the wheels and you’ve dialed in a precise fit. Another aspect of the Boa system: the lace version of the Adrenaline GTX doesn’t have the same flex as the Boa boot. It’s a more comfortable boot. It’s got us thinking that laces are so pedestrian.
As for durability, the Adrenaline GTX Boa keeps a high standard. A season of mountain sled riding on sharp running board edges is NBD for these boots, showing little wear after the course of a season. We’ve also been impressed with how they hold up through a season on a snow bike, where all of our weight is centered on sharp foot pegs. The Vibram soles show little wear. Seams, rubber, leather, linings, inner soles, and all other components also show little wear. These boots are high-tech engineering and we appreciate that every time we put them on.
Klim Adrenaline GTX BOA