Can you wear sneakers in winter, and how to choose an insulated pair

Can you wear sneakers in winter?

Ordinary summer sneakers, no: a thin unlined upper, a low collar and a thin sole let cold and wet straight through. Insulated sneakers in genuine leather or nubuck with sheepskin or fur inside, yes, for city life: walks, the commute, driving. They have limits too: the temperature on the product page, the sole and slush.

An honest breakdown by weather:

• Summer sneakers (canvas, thin unlined leather) — until the first frost. In winter your toes get cold, and snow and road salt damage the upper.
• Mid-season sneakers with a leather lining — dry cold around zero, for short spells outdoors.
• Winter sneakers with fur or sheepskin — city winters: cleared pavements, public transport, the car.
• Deep snow, long periods standing in the frost, salty slush — boots or sheepskin boots are the safer choice. For winter footwear in general, see our guide “How to choose winter shoes”.

The NHS points out that frostbite affects fingers and toes first, so in cold weather you need warm socks and warm, closed footwear. If your feet get cold in a pair of sneakers, they are not right for that weather, however comfortable they are.

How are winter sneakers different from regular ones?

The silhouette is the same: laces, a flat sole, a sporty shape. Inside, though, the build is different: a lining that covers the whole shoe (fur or sheepskin), a dense natural upper and a sole that keeps your foot away from cold asphalt.

Here is how that looks in Babylon models. All details come from the product pages.

For how sneakers differ from trainers in general, see “Plimsolls vs trainers”.

Sheepskin, natural fur or faux fur: which lining is warmer?

Sneakers lined with double-face sheepskin hold heat best: the hide is tanned with the wool still on, so the fur is continuous with no cold seams. A natural fur lining also keeps you warm. Faux fur looks similar but, as Wikipedia notes, insulates less well than real fur.

• Double-face sheepskin. Space-04-D and Space-01-D have dense, thick sheepskin fur inside, and the insole is fur-covered too. These are the models whose pages give a temperature: comfortable from +5 to −20 °C. Sheepskin wool also draws moisture away from the foot, which matters when you step from the frost into a warm office.
• Natural fur. The women's Space-81-X and Mellow-24 are lined with natural fur. Their pages give no temperature range, so think city winter rather than long spells standing outside.
• Faux fur. The women's nubuck 1654-84 is lined with faux fur, and the composition says so plainly. It is a pair for milder winters and cold autumn days; for hard frost, sheepskin is better.

Leather or nubuck: which upper is better for winter sneakers?

Smooth leather is more practical in slush: water, salt and dirt wipe off with a damp cloth. Nubuck is soft to the touch, but water darkens it for a while and it needs a protective spray. Both are natural materials that breathe, which matters with fur inside.

• Genuine leather — Space-81-X; double-face leather on Space-04-D and Space-01-D. The pages describe it as strong, durable and easy to care for (Space-81-X) and soft, strong and hard-wearing (Space-04-D, Space-01-D).
• Genuine nubuck — Mellow-24 (“premium-quality”) and 1654-84. Nubuck is leather buffed to a velvety surface: it scratches easily and darkens when wet, though it returns to its colour once dry.

Treat a new nubuck pair with water-repellent spray before you first wear it and keep doing so through the season; treat leather with a water-repellent product too, especially in snowy weather.

Step-by-step cleaning after salt and wet snow is covered in “How to clean nubuck and suede sneakers”.

What sole do winter sneakers need, and where are their limits?

A winter sneaker sole should be thick, treaded and made of a material that stays flexible in the cold. Babylon uses TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) or EVA; on Space-04-D and Space-01-D the sole is 3.5 cm high at mid-foot.

• TPE — a rubber-like material, flexible and hard-wearing. The 1654-84 page describes its sole as hard-wearing and cold-resistant.
• EVA — a light foamed polymer. For Mellow-24 the page promises “a soft, steady step”.

Where even insulated sneakers stop being the right choice:

1. Colder than the range on the page. For Space-04-D and Space-01-D the limit is −20 °C, and that means walking around town, not an hour at a bus stop.
2. Deep snow. A low collar does not cover the ankle, so snow gets in.
3. Slush and salty puddles. Treated leather or nubuck will handle a short dash across a wet pavement, but they are not rubber boots.
4. Ice. Sneaker treads are made for the city; on ice, take care in any footwear.

High-top or low-top winter sneakers?

High-tops cover the ankle and keep out snow and wind better, so they are more practical for colder weather and long walks. Low-tops are lighter, easier to style and comfortable for driving, but snow gets in sooner.

• High-top. Space-81-X sits in the women's high-top sneakers section: genuine leather, natural fur, an anatomical full-size last. Its page notes a minimalist design that works with jeans and dresses alike.
• Low-top. Space-04-D and Space-01-D are described as a practical height for city walks and for driving. Mellow-24 and 1654-84 are low-top nubuck sneakers with fur inside.

Wear socks that come higher than the collar, so less cold air reaches your leg.

Should you size up for winter sneakers?

Not by default. Measure your foot in the evening, wearing the warm sock you will actually wear, and compare the length with the size chart on that model's page. The fur or sheepskin inside already takes up room, so a pair that is too big will rub and lose warmth.

• Measure your foot as described in “How to measure your foot”, wearing your winter sock.
• Open the size-to-foot-length chart on the model's page: almost every Babylon model is made on its own last, so the charts differ. General advice is in the size guide.
• Current sizes: Space-04-D and Space-01-D, 39–45; Space-81-X, Mellow-24 and 1654-84, 36–41.

Examples of insulated Babylon sneakers

Babylon makes winter sneakers for both women and men, by hand, at its own factory in Kharkiv, Ukraine, which has been running since 1997. Women's insulated models are collected under Women's winter sneakers, men's under Men's winter footwear.

• Space-04-D — men's: double-face leather, sheepskin fur, 3.5 cm TPE sole, +5 to −20 °C.
• Space-01-D — men's: the same build and range, anatomical last.
• Space-81-X — women's high-top: black genuine leather, natural fur, TPE.
• Mellow-24 — women's: brown nubuck, natural fur, EVA.
• 1654-84 — women's: brown nubuck, faux fur, an original Babylon design.

• LeatherMen's winter sheepskin sneakers Space-04-DHeel counter and decorative insert: genuine leather; inside: dense; insole: fur-covered€113View →
• LeatherMen's winter sheepskin sneakers Space-01-DHeel counter and decorative insert: genuine leather; inside: dense; insole: fur-covered€113View →
• LeatherWomen's high-top leather sneakers Space-81-XLining options: Respira — Italian lining leather or natural fur; last: anatomical; sole: TPE (thermoplastic…€113View →
• NubuckWomen's fur-lined winter nubuck sneakers Mellow-24Lining: natural fur; sole: EVA€105View →
• NubuckWomen's faux-fur-lined winter nubuck sneakers 1654-84Lining: faux fur; sole: TPE (thermoplastic elastomer); design: original€105View →

All women's winter models are under Women's winter footwear. Shipping is free worldwide and takes 14–20 days; international orders can be returned within 30 days. If you are in Ukraine, you can try pairs on in our showrooms in Kharkiv (128 Sumska St and 50/52 Pushkinska St) and Kyiv (18 Pavlivska St), open daily 10:00–21:00.