When a brand – that specializes in making some of the best action sports shoes – combines forces with a top winter-gear company, you can bet your arse something good will come out. The Vans Vault x The North Face Desert Chukka ($130) has both style and great heat-retaining features, being called “the most technical Vans product to date.”
Designed to endure harsh conditions, while keeping you comfy and looking sharp as a tack, these desert lace-up sneakers boast water repellent leather uppers, fleece lining to insulate against the cold while allowing your feet to breath, a “Cosmo Comfort” insole and outsole, gusseted tongues, and slip-resistant reverse waffle rubber soles. The black chukkas promise to keep your feet warm even in nine degrees Fahrenheit (-13°Celsius), so they should do just fine for most urban winters.
