Baffin Rosa Boot
Review by Erin Trail
The Baffin Rosa Boot is warm and fun street style winter boot with the quality construction and functionality that Baffin is known.
Specifications
- Fixed-Fit multi-layer inner boot insulation system, equivalent to 400 g insulation
- B-Tek™ Dry Waterproof Breathable outer fabric
- Speed-lace front fastening system for a customized fit
- Pull loop at the front and back, with inside zipper for ease of entry
- IceBite® Grip for greater slip resistance on ice than conventional rubber
- Polar Rubber™ outsole for maximized grip and durability
- Proven Hex-Flex® outsole design for slip resistance
- Ultralite high-rebound midsole for added cushioning
- Vegan
Review
The Baffin Rosa Boot is a fun, funky winter boot that is a great option for wearing around town or apres winter sports.
I wear a women’s size 9 in running shoes and typically wear sizes ranging from 8 to 8.5 in casual shoes and boots. I also have the fun “feature” of having one foot a half-size smaller than the other foot. The Baffin Rosa Boot is only available in whole sizes; I ordered a women’s size 9 and hoped for the best. I was pleasantly surprised at the fit. The speedlace system makes it super easy to customize the fit, allowing me to tighten the boots down , allowing a secure fit. The lacing system allows you to tighten the boots down across the top of the foot and along the ankle, giving the wearer flexibility to adjust for sock thickness or uneven foot size. Thanks to the vertical zipper along the inner ankle, I don’t have to undo the speedlace system to get in and out of the boot. Just unzip and my foot easily pops in and out.
The boot looks like a tall platform, but I found that my feet didn’t feel overly elevated compared to other boots or running shoes with 35mm stack height. My footprint while wearing the shoe was a bit larger than other shoes, which was noticeable when placing my feet in specific spots, like when driving. But overall, the size of the shoe’s lower portion was easy to get used to after a few wears.
The top of the boots hits me a few inches above my ankle. The styling of the boot is such that you can wear it over leggings or skinny jeans or tuck the boots under bootleg cut pants, making them a versatile styling option no matter what you’re wearing.
Winter has been hiding in Colorado, but I did manage to get a few wears on day trips to go skiing. The boots were plenty warm in frigid temperatures. The traction was sufficient on lightly snowy surfaces. I did slip a few times one morning where it was inches of snow over ice, but to be fair, the only shoes that would have held traction that morning would have had microspikes in the soles.
I did find the Ultralite high-rebound midsole to feel nice and cushioned as I walked, offering nice support without feeling spongy. The midsole feels like a zero or negative drop shoe (heel is lower than the toes). My feet prefer a little drop (heel higher) and I was able to add an insole insert without issue.
During use in snowy conditions, I found the upper nylon fabric to be waterproof and breathable. Snow didn’t accumulate easily on the boots and any moisture beaded and shed off quickly.
Closing Thoughts
The Baffin Rosa Boot are a fun addition to my winter street shoe collection, offering warmth and functionality with a bit of style. These boots are only available for women in either black or tan, and in whole sizes ranging from 6 to 11.
Erin Trail
Trail Boss of Stoke
Erin is a former Montana park ranger with a degree in environmental engineering. She loves getting into technical details while putting her gear (and herself) through the paces. She shares her home in Colorado with her husband, Will, and her 3 cats (Zipper, Brewtus, and Simcoe).
Leave a Reply