November 3, 2022 |  By Mary Murphy

Looking for insulated booties to wear this winter? We’ve compiled a list of the best down booties to keep your feet cozy and warm in the coldest places.

If you live somewhere cold, insulating your feet in the winter is essential. Sure, you could drop a few bucks on a pair of house slippers. But if you’re looking for truly reliable warmth in a light and portable package, down booties are the way to go.

We tested a slew of these to narrow the best down booties on the market. To learn more about the details of down booties, be sure to check out our comprehensive buying guide, FAQ, and comparison chart below.

Otherwise, scroll through to see all of our recommended buys or jump to the category you’re looking for:

Western Mountaineering makes two models of down booties, but the Standard Booties ($110) are hard to beat. They offer high coverage, feature a high fill power for maximum warmth, and are amazingly lightweight at 6 ounces per pair. For all of those reasons, this bootie remains at the top of the charts.

The Standard Booties contain 800-fill European-sourced goose down and are finished with a foam insole and nonslip Toughtek outsole. The elastic draw closure is simple yet effective, and we found these to be highly durable.

The outer shell fabric of these Booties also has a DWR finish for water repellency and durability in cold, moist, or wet weather.

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These warm slipper-style down booties ($65) won not just one but two picks in our book: best budget and most sustainable, thanks to their recycled down filling.

In addition to recycled RDS-certified down, these down slippers also have a cushioned EVA foam footbed and a nonslip sole. They’re super lightweight and very packable, and they provide really good warmth — all for under 70 bucks.

If you need a lower-cuffed bootie, look no further than the Rab Down Hut Slipper.

Sierra Designs Down Booties won us over almost immediately out of the box. On the coldest morning we’ve had so far this December (in Colorado), it was 15 outside and (due to a 58-year-old heater) not warm enough inside.

We slipped our feet into these, and they did the job. We also love the pillow feel of the insulation from top to ankle to bottom. In short, these down booties provide plenty of warmth, and their nonslip sole is a nice feature.

Sierra Designs Down Booties ($69) also offer a lot in terms of sustainability. They’re made with a 100% recycled polyester shell, with a PFC-free DWR.

The cons? They may run a bit wide (don’t worry, the cords at the cuffs still seals in warmth). And some reviewers wish they had a bit more insulation on the sole.

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Surprisingly, there aren’t that many down bootie options on the market, which is why we decided to include at least one down alternative. This is a proper bootie, built for cold-weather travel and camping.

The Outdoor Research Tundra ($89) is an above-the-ankle slip-on bootie that will surely retain its warmth when you step outside onto the chalky deck to look at the stars or pull them on in the ski area parking lot, thanks to that synthetic fill.

And while it’s not down, a few people on our staff gave this warm bootie a standing ovation — it delivers warmth, a cozy but not-too-snug fit, and durability on the soles.

It was also our top choice for durability. If you want a bootie with a sole that can handle some wear, the Outdoor Research Tundra should make your list.

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If you need something more than fleece baby booties, consider skipping toddler slippers and moving straight to down booties.

The Sierra Designs Youth Down Booties ($49) have 800-fill down insulation for optimal warmth, especially for tiny feet and toes. The plumes are treated with a hydrophobic finish, so you don’t need to worry about the down losing its power if your little one steps in a puddle.

They’re warm, they’re fairly durable, and the size range means they will last your kiddos a few years. A soft brushed tricot lining is included for comfort. The design is also eco-friendly with recycled material and a PFC-free DWR coating.

Instead of finishing the bootie with a cinch or tie closer, the brand made it easier for kids with a sock-like, slip-on cuff around the ankle.

Topping the design off with a foam midsole, these slippers are worthy for all-day comfort. These youth down booties come in small, medium, and large.

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Ever noticed your feet getting cold when camping? Even with wool socks, liner socks, or multiple pairs on, the air temperatures sometimes win. Enter down socks, the solution to your eternal cold-feet woes.

Down socks are light, fluffy foot layers stuffed with insulation and designed to keep your toes and feet warm no matter the temps outside. The best ones we’ve tested are these from GooseFeet Gear ($74).

Even better, you can customize these puppies. If you’re only venturing down to 20-30 degrees F, we’d recommend going with the standard 850-fill.

But if you’re going to be in more extreme temps — below 20 or even dipping below zero — you can add 25%, 50%, 75%, or even 100% more overfill to keep your feet and toes extra toasty. You can also easily customize the shell fabric and liner fabric deniers (fabric thickness) and colors — this down sock even has the most color options we’ve seen, so there’s plenty of room for customized style.

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The most lightweight down booties (not including down socks) on this list, Western Mountaineering’s Flash Booties ($77) are meant to deliver high warmth in a small and lightweight package.

The Flash Booties have 850-down-fill as well as a foam insole and reinforced sole like the brand’s Standard Booties.

Aside from having a thinner shell material (maybe not as durable), the Flash Booties performed just as well. If you’re looking for budget-friendly, warm, and lighter-weight booties, these could be for you.

They didn’t win a specific category, but they’re easily some of the best down booties you can buy.

These are some of the most durable booties we’ve ever tested. The Prism Bootie Slippers ($60) from U.K. brand Montane also have quite a bit of insulation and are toasty warm. That’s thanks to the insulation, a fleece lining, and an insulated sole. And they’re pretty packable, too.

The Prism booties easily pack into a stuff sack and have a cinch cord at the top of the ankle to lock in heat for your feet. One con is that these are made with a synthetic filling, so they aren’t the warmest we tested. But in every other aspect, they’re wonderful.

In terms of specs, these booties have PrimaLoft Gold 55% recycled insulation, a brushed microfleece lining, a PrimaLoft Gold Grip Control 90% recycled insulated sole, and a Hypalon rubber sole.

Like most booties we’ve highlighted here, they’re also versatile. We’ve worn them winter camping but also just around the house and traveling as well. The fit is snug, and folks with larger feet might find they run small. They come in unisex sizing and two colors.

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At a great price but not as warm as other choices on our list are these “hot socks” ($65) from Rab. The Hot Socks are similar to Rab’s booties, except these are made with recycled synthetic insulation instead of recycled down.

And while they’re labeled as socks, we found them to be more of a bootie style, as they do have an insulated sole. They’re also super packable.

We love that they have a lot of the elements of a traditional down bootie, including a taller height and insulated sole that’s wrapped up in a lighter, more sock-like package.

If you’re looking for a no-fuss, insulating layer for your feet and don’t want down, these down-alternative socks are worth looking into.

We couldn’t not include these wicked-light down sleeping socks. But these are really only necessary for high alpine and extreme cold environments (think ski mountaineering or mountaineering and hut-to-hut traverses, or professional guides and emergency rescue teams). You’ll have to drop 400 bucks if you want a pair.

The North Face Sleeping Socks ($400) offer both a little and a lot at the same time. By far, they are the warmest socks on this list with the highest fill — at 1,000 — available. They’re finished with a light but protective 10-denier nylon aluminum coating.

If 1,000-fill cloud down is worth it so you won’t have to worry about frostbite ever again, then The North Face Summit Series Sleeping Socks should be on your list. They’re the only ones we’d want if we were venturing anywhere above 5,000 m for an extended period of time.

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The GearJunkie squad uses down and synthetic-fill booties and socks on outdoor adventures year-round. We use them camping and backpacking, on ski hut trips, and for everyday use in our chilly — sometimes freezing — mountain-based offices and homes.

We’ve tested down and down-alternative booties and socks in the early fall and winter in temps from -10 to 40 degrees. We also used them for fall and winter camping, après skiing, around the house, and more.

Throughout our field tests and personal experience, we determined the best down booties and socks based on a variety of metrics including insulation value, warmth, durability, comfort, support, fit, cuff height, adjustability, traction, and quality.

Beyond our tests, we also considered the most popular, award-worthy, innovative, sustainable, and legacy designs. These down booties and socks serve a range of feet, applications, and budgets.

Similar to down jackets, the level of warmth of a down bootie largely depends on its fill. A down bootie with 800-fill is going to be much warmer than a down bootie with 600-fill. The most common type of fill we see used in down booties is either goose down or a synthetic alternative.

Down booties are going to have a better warmth-to-weight ratio and be more packable, though synthetic insulation booties can be fairly light, too, and more accessible in terms of price.

The type and thickness of the bootie lining as well as the material and height of the bootie will also factor into its warmth.

There are only a few slight differences between down booties and down socks. Down booties are a type of shoe, with an insulated body, insulated sole, and some sort of closure at the top to seal in warmth. They can be ankle-height to mid-calf-height in order to insulate your whole foot.

Down socks are also fully insulated but may or may not have a sole and usually don’t have snaps, closures, or other features. They’re purely for providing warmth. Down socks also tend to be made of lighter, lower-denier fabrics, as they’re used more inside sleeping bags rather than walking around a house or cabin.

Down booties are the most common way of insulating your feet in winter and are usually more versatile and durable, though we did include a few down socks on this list as well.

When you’re shopping for down footwear, think about where you’ll be wearing the booties and how much durability you might want. Do you want an insulating slipper with a sturdy sole? Or do you want something with fewer shoe features, maybe to wear inside your sleeping bag?

Do you want a taller-height bootie or more of a slipper style? This last one is preference.

Unlike shoes, down bootie sizes fall on a scale, usually between XS-XL. A letter size will then coordinate to certain U.S./U.K. men’s shoe sizes. Most booties are measured in unisex or men’s sizes, but some will have women’s shoe sizes listed. The sizing and fit will also vary between brands, so we recommend always double-checking before making a purchase.

The price of down booties will vary, but the price is mainly determined by the type of insulation, level of down fill, and materials used. You can expect to pay somewhere between $70 and $100 for a good, warm pair of booties.

Down booties are a type of footwear. To put it simply, their whole job is to provide insulating warmth during the winter months. Just like a down jacket would keep your core warm or puffy pants would keep your legs warm, down booties keep your feet warm.

You’ll commonly see them worn in places like winter huts, inside four-season tents, or on trips for ski mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and touring, winter camping, and more.

After a lot of wear, your down booties may need to be washed. You can do so by spot cleaning, soaking, or machine washing on a gentle setting.

To dry, you’ll want to make sure you use a low-heat or no-heat setting and add dryer or wool balls to the dryer basin in order to help break up clumps of wet down. We also like to set them out in a sunny place for a few hours to ensure they are fully dry before packing them back up into a stuff sack or storage.

Mary is the Managing Editor of GearJunkie and is based in GearJunkie's Denver, Colo. office. She has a degree in English and journalism, and has a background in both newspaper and magazine writing. Her outdoor interests span from running to sport climbing, from landscape photography to skiing to pack-paddleboarding. If she's not writing, you can most likely find her at the top of a fourteener, or in a local bakery.

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