Customer Reviews Columbia Fairbanks Omni-Heat

After less than two years of only occasional use, the rubber seal at the top of the boot started to come apart, which means the boots are no longer waterproof. The company's advice was to buy sealant and close them back up. A good boot should not be coming apart after being worn less than twenty times. I wouldn't buy Columbia again.

HAve worn twice won't wear again. It seems their temperature operating range is somewhere between about 20 degrees F and 40F. Five hours at 18 degrees and my toes where nearly frozen despite including toe warmers. On a 6 mile hike in the woods at 45 degrees my feet sweat so much and the shoe is so compliant that they rubbed my feet raw, not breathable. I have little toes in extreme pain even 5 days later and a blister the size of a quarter on one heel. They look good but really loose in the comfort and functionality departments. I hope someone at Goodwill can use them.

I reeeeeally wanted to like these, considering the price and brand, but they’re not worth it. They’re definitely very comfortable, and they do look great. The biggest problem, though, is that they flat out didn’t keep my feet warm. There is also a very strong petroleum-ish smell that I think comes from the “thermal” material, and it’s horrifically powerful—I actually had to roll down the windows in my car after the first time I wore them because I started getting nauseous. I live in Buffalo, NY, and work as a parking attendant outside in the winter, so I needed boots that would keep my feet warm all night. After the first hour, I could feel my feet starting to get cold, and by hour two, my toes were numb. Mind you, it was only 30 degrees that night, and these are supposed to work into “negative temperatures.” There was no snow, and I was wearing two pairs of thick winter socks, too, so there’s absolutely no excuse for my feet getting cold. Like I said before, I’m honestly just disappointed that these boots aren’t as good as I thought they would be, because Columbia usually has great products, and these definitely aren’t cheap. Long story short: for look and comfort, I’d give them 5/5, but for warmth I’d only give them a 1/5. I would highly recommend spending the same amount on a different pair.