With the cold season on the horizon Nike brought back the Path Winter sneaker, making it a good time to review its features. Nike have been coming out with winter ready athletic sneakers for a while now, either by slightly modifying its popular styles or by introducing new ones that have a weatherproof construction and extra padding for warmth. The Nike Path winter falls in the latter category, being a style that was introduced in 2019 and it’s back this year. This shoe is a crossover between a regular hi top sneaker and a sneaker boot like Manoa, Goaterra or Rhyodomo.
I got my hands on the triple black pair, one that seems to be the most popular, like due to its versatility to being worn outdoors with any day to day attire. Out of the box the Nike Path Winter it’s lightweight and it boosts a modern silhouette. The shoe needs little to no break in time and feels comfortable out of the box.
Nike Path Triple Black4
Upper
Since this is a sneaker marketed for the cold season Nike made an effort to make it as waterproof as possible. The forefront is made of a synthetic material with all the stitching hidden to make it harder for water to get in while not sacrificing style. The Nike Swoosh is embossed on the synthetic leather for the same reason.The ankle area features a waterproof nylon material that is indicative of the interior of the shoe in that area which is heavily padded, both to keep the foot warm and comfortable but also to wrap the shoe around your ankle and leave no room for snow or water to get in. This also makes the body warmth to be trapped in the forefoot to keep you comfortable during cold days. What I also noticed during this Nike Path Winter review is that, despite all this focus on the foot being isolated, Nike left the tongue free to move side to side with no stitching to keep it in place. Not a major issue but still there is a way to get your feet wet if you step in deep snow. I guess this is the point where Nike wants you to get a sneakerboot. There are pull tabs both on the heel area and the tongue which are certainly useful and give a nice touch to the whole design, matching with the branding present all over the shoe.
Sole Unit
The sole of the Nike Path Winter is as basic as it can be, being reminiscent of the classic sneakers era. It features a solid rubber midsole and basic traction pattern on the outsole. It certainly looks durable but it lacks advanced cushioning. The only cushioning for this shoe is the insole which is regular EVA. This makes it comfortable to wear for some time but if you have to stand up for long hours these may not work for you. If you’re ok with the comfort of a classic sneaker like the Air Force 1 this detail may not bother you. The Path Winter runs a bit narrow as you’d expect from a Nike sneaker, if you’re unsure what size to get you can check out the brand’s shoes size chart here.
Bottom Line
To conclude my Nike Path Winter review, this is a stylish sneaker boot that is a good option for teens to wear in school as well as for adults to wear them at work. The triple black version is surely the most popular for this reason but it seems like Nike is coming up with many more colorways this year which will surely expand its appeal to more casual wearers. The retail price of $90 is justified by its durability and versatility in cold weather conditions but not so much by the basic sole cushioning and upper synthetic materials. The good news is that you can often find it cheaper, especially on eBay.
