Men's shearling boots: a buyer's checklist and how to style them

What should men look for in shearling boots?

Six things: how the boot fastens, what the outside is made of, the sole, the shaft height, the last and the size. Warmth is a given in any pair with natural fur inside; these six decide whether the pair suits your feet, your commute and your wardrobe.

Our earlier guide “Men's sheepskin boots: how to choose and style them” covers the basics: whether men wear them and five simple outfits. This one goes further, as a checklist you can run through on any product page.

Lace-up, strap or pull-on: which is more practical?

Laces give the firmest hold and the most adjustment; pull-on boots are the quickest to put on; a strap sits in between. Choose by how often you take your boots off during the day.

• Lace-up. Frost-14 is a classic laced high-cut boot with a fur collar. Laces let you tighten the pair over a thin sock in autumn and loosen it over a thick one in January, and they hold the heel on long walks.
• Rope laces and a strap. UGM-2-11 and UGM-2-18 combine thick rope laces wound round the shaft with a wide strap across the instep (the models are listed among our sheepskin boots with Velcro). The strap does the everyday adjusting; the laces are mostly a design detail.
• Pull-on. Punch-11 and its all-black version Punch-01 have a low, lace-free cut: the product page says you slip them on in one move. Textile straps with a buckle are decorative.

Double-face sheepskin or nubuck with fur inside?

Both are warm because the fur inside is natural. Double-face sheepskin is one piece of hide with the wool on, so it is light and has no lining seams. Nubuck with a fur lining has a denser, more structured outside and a matte, velvety look.

• Double-face. Frost-14, Short-31, UGM-2-11 and UGM-2-18 are double-face genuine leather (sheepskin) with dense, thick fur inside. On UGM-2 the heel counter and bottom trim are smooth leather with a nubuck insert, which protects the parts that take the most scuffs.
• Nubuck with natural fur. Punch-11 has a genuine nubuck upper, natural fur inside and an anatomical last. The page notes that the fur keeps you warm without thick socks.

The terminology is explained in detail in “Shearling vs sheepskin boots”.

• LeatherMen's sheepskin boots, down to −20 °C Frost-14Heel counter and decorative tongue insert: genuine leather; inside: dense; insole: fur-covered€115View →
• NubuckMen's sheepskin boots, down to −20 °C UGM-2-11Heel counter and bottom trim: smooth leather with a nubuck insert; inside: natural dense; insole: fur-covered€133View →
• NubuckMen's sheepskin boots, down to −20 °C UGM-2-18Heel counter and bottom trim: smooth leather with a nubuck insert; inside: natural dense; insole: fur-covered€133View →
• LeatherMen's sheepskin boots, down to −20 °C Short-31Inside: natural sheepskin; temperature range: comfortable from +5 to −20 °C; sole: shock-absorbing micropor…€118View →
• NubuckMen's fur-lined nubuck boots, down to −20 °C Punch-11Trim: textile straps with a buckle; inside: natural fur; sole: microporous rubber + TPE — light and durable€115View →
• NubuckMen's nubuck shearling boots, down to −20 °C Punch-01Trim: textile straps with a buckle; inside: natural fur; sole: microporous rubber + TPE — light and durable€115View →

Which sole grips best in winter?

A thicker sole with a deep, open tread and a material that stays flexible in the cold. Babylon's men's models use TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), microporous rubber, or both.

• TPE, 3.5 cm at the middle, with a tread pattern — UGM-2-11 and UGM-2-18; the page calls it non-slip and hard-wearing. Frost-14 also has a TPE sole, 3.5 cm high inside.
• Shock-absorbing microporous rubber — Short-31, described as softening every step and keeping the cold out from below.
• Microporous rubber plus TPE — Punch-11, light and durable, with a ridged tread.

How tall should the shaft be?

Higher shafts keep out snow and wind; lower ones are easier in the car and with slim trousers. If your winters bring fresh snow, go higher; if your streets are cleared, low is fine.

• Higher: Frost-14 (laced above the ankle) and UGM-2-11 / UGM-2-18 (a soft shaft with a fur collar).
• Lower: Short-31, an ankle-height boot in black double-face sheepskin, and Punch-11, which the product page describes as a low-cut winter boot.

How do you choose the size, especially with wide feet?

Measure your foot length in the evening, in the socks you will wear, and compare it with the size table of that exact model. The same EU size can mean a slightly different foot length from model to model, because almost every Babylon model is made on its own last.

• Measure both feet. Feet are rarely identical; go by the longer one and add nothing on top, because the table already gives the recommended foot length.
• Size range. The men's models here run EU 39–45. For larger sizes, ask our manager before ordering.
• Wide feet. Short-31 and Punch-11 are made on an anatomical last with a wide toe box that follows the shape of the foot. A catalogue model can also be adapted to foot width or instep height; ask our manager.
• Converting from US or UK sizes. Use “EU, US and UK shoe sizes” as a guide, then check the model's table in centimetres.

In-stock sizes ship today or tomorrow; made-to-order sizes take up to 3 business days to make.

How do men style shearling boots?

Treat them as casual winter boots. They are at home with workwear, chinos and denim, and with a short wool coat; with a long overcoat they work if the trousers are straight and the boots are dark and clean.

• Workwear. Cargo or carpenter trousers, a flannel shirt and a chore jacket or quilted vest. The Punch-11 page suggests wide-leg jeans, cargo or corduroy trousers with turn-ups and light socks, the look in the photo above.
• Chinos. Olive, navy or stone chinos with a crew-neck jumper and a field jacket. Brown Frost-14 or khaki UGM-2-18 suit warm colours.
• Denim. Straight dark jeans falling over the shaft, or cuffed once to sit at the top of a laced boot. Black UGM-2-11 goes with any wash.
• Overcoat. A wool coat, a roll-neck and straight wool trousers with the black Short-31: the low profile keeps the look tidy. Avoid tucking trousers into the shaft.

Black, brown or khaki: which colour is easiest to wear?

Black is the safest first pair: it goes with grey, navy, black and every shade of denim, and hides salt marks and slush better between cleans. Brown and khaki look warmer and more relaxed, and suit beige, olive, cream and camel.

• Black: UGM-2-11, Short-31 and Punch-01 (all black, with black straps and black fur). Easy with a dark overcoat or a black parka.
• Brown: Frost-14. Repeat the brown in a belt, gloves or a cap so the boots do not stand alone.
• Khaki: UGM-2-18. Works with olive chinos, cream knitwear and grey workwear.
• Black with olive-beige straps: Punch-11. The straps are the accent, so keep the rest of the outfit plain.

Both UGM-2-11 and UGM-2-18 product pages include a short video review in which Babylon's founder, Oleh Nikitskyi, talks through the materials, last, sole and colours, so you can see the boots on a person before you order. Care after snow and salt is covered in “Sheepskin boot care” and “Road salt on shoes”.

Babylon makes these boots by hand at its family-owned factory in Kharkiv, Ukraine, as it has since 1997. See all models in men's sheepskin boots and men's winter footwear. Prices on the English site include worldwide shipping, which usually takes 5–10 business days (7–12 to the US, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Georgia and Montenegro).