So is the issue the extra weight of the snow or the loss of traction? Seems that the conditions that would make snow, stick to boots, like the Red Gumbo Clay we have around here, would be very rare at most. I have several pairs of boots with much more aggressive soles that what you have shown us(Vibram) and while my wife complains all the time about the amount of dirt and mud they track in the house, I have yet in all the years of hunting in snow, to have them fill up enough with snow to have any real effect on walking. Living in Wisconsin for 65 years and between hunting and working construction, I have had a tad bit of experience with snow and boots. While I don't doubt your experience, I do think it is something that happens so rarely that to go to any great lengths to prevent it is probably more bother than it is worth. IMHO, It would seem it is not the boots or the outsole, but the condition of the weather and the snow. Any type of lubricant, even only within the tread would give less traction in snow. Cold snow/temperatures would tend to thicken any lubricant and make it sticky, thus attracting dirt/debris and snow within the tread. IME, snow conditions change sometimes within hours. Sometimes from one side of the hill to the other or from shaded areas to open and exposed areas. Weight of one's boots, the condition of the wearer, amount of exercise the wearer is used to and terrain, would seem to me to have more influence on walking in snow, than any amount of snow stuck in the treads. Every year I find it harder and harder to walk in hilly country, deep snow or mud. That first morning of turkey season, climbing to the top of the ridge where the birds roost, with a 20# pack on my back,after sitting around all winter, almost kills me. Four days later, not so bad.
