Sorel Caribou vs. 1964 vs. Carnival vs. Joan of Arctic Overview

1.Sorel Caribou Boot

Typically Price:  $150 - $225

Color:   11 colors

Size: US 5-17

Review: The Sorel Caribou Boot, which comes in men’s and women’s sizes, is great for warmer winters that go through a lot of freeze and thaw cycles.This boot has several weatherproofing features. The impervious rubber sole lifts you almost an inch and a half above the ground, which keeps feet warm and dry by physically removing you from the slush. The tongue is gusseted (sewn to the sides of the boot) all the way to the top of the snow collar, a rarity . The shaft laces high and tight, and the Caribou has its own sort of speed lacing, composed of four sets of fat, exterior D-rings that allow laces to slide with little friction; this will help you get the boot on and off your foot with less effort. Finally, the snow collar prevents flakes from entering.

Sorel Caribou Boot Pros and Cons

Where to Buy Sorel Caribou Boot Cheapest? 

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2.Sorel 1964 Boot

Typically Price:  $180

Color: 6 colors

Size: US 7-15

Review: The Sorel 1964 exemplifies the classic winter pac boot look. The unassuming style is equally at home on a trip to the hardware store or going out to dinner on a trip to Lake Tahoe. The boots were easy to use and were comfortable and soft, offers a stylish addition to your winter wardrobe while also providing serious protection from the elements. 

This boot features a timeless silhouette that looks great paired with layers, and all-weather construction that will keep you comfortable no matter the conditions outside.

Sorel 1964 Boot Pros and Cons

Where to Buy Sorel 1964 Boot Cheapest? 

• sorel.com: up to 4% cashback

• familyfootwearcenter.com

3.Sorel Carnival Boot

Typically Price:  $180

Color:  12 colors

Size: US 5-12

Review: This Sorel Carnival Boot is the perfect blend of strength and sophisticated style. It features a luxurious 6mm felt lining with snowfall protection trim and a waterproof design with sealed seams. Available in colours ranging from traditional to bold.

A signature design, updated with durable waterproof nylon. This seam-sealed boot is built to keep your feet cozy in snowy conditions (and temperatures down to -25°F/-32°C), and on excursions large and small.

Sorel Carnival Boot Pros and Cons

Where to Buy Sorel Carnival Boot Cheapest? 

• sorel.com: up to 4% cashback

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4.Sorel Joan of Arctic Boot

Typically Price: $140 - $240

Color:  11 colors

Size: US 5-12

Review: Sorel’s Joan of Arctic is the quintessential women's winter boot. With a suede upper, faux-fur cuff, rubber shell, and herringbone sole, it's both extremely popular and easy to pick out in a crowd. 

The Sorel Joan of Arctic is a perfect pick for those who live and breathe winter. This 13.5-inch faux-fur Pac boot protects from the elements while keeping you warm and cozy on the coldest winter days. The entire boot is waterproof and locks in warmth when temperatures dip into the double negatives. Women looking for protective warmth will find this winter boot quite alluring and a great choice for warm feet in super cold conditions.

Sorel Joan of Arctic Boot Pros and Cons

Where to Buy  Sorel Joan of Arctic Boot Cheapest? 

• sorel.com

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Sorel Caribou vs. 1964 vs. Carnival vs. Joan of Arctic: Comparison Side by Side

1.Construction and Durability

• Sorel Caribou

Overall, the Caribou looks and feels like a well-made boot. Many long-time Sorel users complain how the boots used to be made in North America but are now made in China, resulting in a drop in quality. 

However,  after multiple winters of use,the rubber is intact, the leather upper still looks like new, and even the traction is holding up fairly well. 

• Sorel 1964

With handy pull-tabs on both the pac liner and the outer boot, this is one of the easier boots to use in this review. Laces can be securely tightened for a longer journey or left undone for quick trips out to the car or to take the trash out, and it was easy to put pant legs inside the boots or over the top. 

The felt liner would get damp from perspiration and needed to be dried out in front of the fire, which is not a big deal but returning the soft pliable liner to the boot proved annoying, especially as the felt packed out and became less rigid.

• Sorel Carnival 

The Winter Carnival performed well throughout our entire testing period, but we feel that multiple seasons may prove to break this boot down with heavy use. Nylon is not the most durable material compared to leather and suede regarding longevity. 

However, waterproofing treatments will help protect the boot from scuffing, scratching, and tearing. The rip-stop style interior is tough for abrasion resistance and is often seen in outdoor goods like camping gear and bike bags.

• Sorel Joan of Arctic

Build quality is a clear strongpoint of the Joan of Arctic. The boot combines a premium suede upper with a recycled felt liner and rubber base for a classy winter boot. 

The detail in design is apparent: sleek leather tabs connect the liner to the upper, metal eyelets and pins are used tastefully, and leather pieces are placed across the suede in a well-thought-out design. 

2.Warmth

• Sorel Caribou

It turns out Sorel Caribou Boots are plenty warm, among the warmest in our ice bucket test. These boots are warm enough for all but the worst winter weather, and in that case, a thick wool sock should add enough insulation to get the job done.

• Sorel 1964

By using a recycled felt liner, Sorel has stayed true to the original 1964 design of this boot, but by foregoing more modern materials, may have overestimated the claim that these boots will keep feet warm down to -40 degrees F/C.

• Sorel Carnival 

The Carnival's removable 6mm felt liner is thinner than the Caribou's 9mm liner, as is the nylon upper. While this didn't make a massive difference during activities, we did notice a difference in the boot's capability to retain warmth while stationary.

• Sorel Joan of Arctic

The Sorel Joan of Arctic is a warm boot that Sorel rates to -25F (we've tested it down to -30F with real feel of -45F but don't recommend it). The midsole contains its own insulation with 2.5 millimeters of bonded felt frost plug, although the thick rubber sole provides good insulation from the cold ground.

3.Waterproof

• Sorel Caribou

The Caribou keeps water, slush, and snow at bay with a very effective molded rubber sole that extends up around the foot, creating a shell. 

The upper is a treated Nubuck leather that resists water quite well, beading off the water even after full 8-minute ice bath immersion test.

• Sorel 1964

This boot has a vulcanized rubber outsole that is stitched to a full-grain leather upper using sealed seams. The seams held out water, but the tongue is only leather for the lower third, and a coated canvas for the rest. 

When submerged this boot in water, the tongue allowed water to easily penetrate the boot, even in moderately shallow puddles.

• Sorel Carnival 

The Winter Carnival has a mid-high construction, with a shaft height of 8¼ inches with a ½ inch of platform height in the sole.The boot wicks away water from rain and puddle splashes, though we wouldn't recommend walking into rivers or using this as a rain boot. 

When tightened, the tongue and laces have a rather sloppy fit, limiting the boot's overall ability to protect from water entering through the front.

• Sorel Joan of Arctic

The suede uppers of the Joan of Arctics are waterproof, as is the handcrafted vulcanized rubber shell with herringbone outsole. Where the uppers and soles connect is seam-sealed for additional waterproofing, as is every stitch on the suede uppers. 

The only parts of this boot that are not waterproof (at least on the exterior, the liner is water-resistant but will hold water if enough snow melts into them) are the laces.

4.Traction

• Sorel Caribou

The Caribou features a proprietary rubber compound called Aerotrac, and the sole pattern is made up of small dot-shaped rounded lugs. The low-profile lugs perform best on slippery surfaces like icy sidewalks, where increased surface area makes the boot grippier. 

• Sorel 1964

The sole has a low profile herringbone pattern which worked well on wet surfaces like sidewalks, but did not perform as well as other Sorel soles such as featured on the Sorel Caribou. 

• Sorel Carnival 

The wave construction on the sole of the Winter Carnival proved to be a lesser-performing design than the protruding lugs of some of the burlier winter boots  tested. The wave is a good pattern for wet surfaces but is not capable of gripping snow.

• Sorel Joan of Arctic
  

Instead of featuring a lug-based outsole, this boot  features grooves. While this does great on flat surfaces or deep snow that includes hard-packed trails, it doesn't grab the super sloppy steep stuff as well as boots with legitimate lugs. 

5.Weight / Tread / Height

• Sorel Caribou

The Sorel Caribou is hefty at 4 pounds 10 ounces, even for a winter boot, which is partly because of the construction but also because of the more robust tread on the sole. It is a sturdier boot but is heavy to wear around all day.

The Caribou is also a lot higher on the calves at over 9 inches from the arch. 

• Sorel 1964

 The construction makes the Caribou so heavy (probably a big part is the sole) but this puppy is more than double the weight of the 1964. 

And for some people these boots can be annoying when they are rubbing on your calves, especially when they get too high. If that is the case for you, then take a shot at the 1964 over the Caribou

• Sorel Carnival 

The Caribou is significantly heavier than the Carnival. The Carnival sits lower at 7.5 inches. So, it is easier to walk in, but protects you less from deep snow.

• Sorel Joan of Arctic

The Joan of Arctic clocks in at 1 pound 15 ounces per boot (3 pounds 14 ounces per pair), making it one of the heaviest boots on the market. 

It's not surprising that this heavier boot isn't as comfortable as lighter options, nor is the fit very precise. 

6.Fit and Sizing

• Sorel Caribou

Overall, fit runs quite large with the Sorel Caribou.Even with a very thick sock on, there is so much foot slop and movement inside this boot that we would consider sizing down. 

If you’re on the fence or plan on wearing normal wool socks not of the extra-thick variety, We recommend sizing down at least half a size.

• Sorel 1964

Many cite these Sorel 1964 boots as having a loose or sloppy fit. may they do acknowledge that the fit is not as tight as a hiking boot, but some people find it does not bother me either.

• Sorel Carnival 

The fit is not perfect on Sorel Carnival boot, but it works. It's a bit too spacious for narrow feet, though thicker socks help fill out the extra room in the heel and underfoot. 

• Sorel Joan of Arctic

Fit is one of the areas where the Joan of Arctic suffers most: it feels a bit sloppy, clunky, and unsupportive. The bulky design features a thicker (and heavier sole) while the toe box is voluminous. As a result, the foot moves around easily and is not locked into place. 

However, the boot is true to fit, so there is no need to size up or down.

Tips: For those hesitant about sizing, Sorel has a helpful size chart on the right-hand side of their webpage — including how to measure your foot accurately.

There is Sorel Caribou vs. 1964 vs. Carnival vs. Joan of Arctic comparison chart below:

Conclusion: Which Is The Best Sorel Boot For You?

Overall the Sorel Caribou,1964 , Carnival and Joan of Arctic are all good choices for a winter boot that you just wear for short trips outside or whilst doing some chores outside. These boots will serve you well, but you need to think about what you will use them for.

Sorel Caribou

The Sorel Caribou has been around for the past 50 years and is many people's definition of a snow boot. The design concept is solid, and while we feel that it is not a suitable candidate for long winter hikes, it is an overall good winter boot that provides great warmth and weather resistance and is easy to use. 

In short, the Sorel Caribou boot is ideal for anyone who needs a winter boot that will work superbly in a wide variety of winter conditions. For the person who only wants to own one pair or winter or snow boots, this is the ideal boot to own.

Sorel 1964

Maybe the Sorel 1964 is the best compromise with its easier to use D-loop laces, higher cut with snow cuff to keep the snow out, and lighter weight than the Caribou.

This boot is a great choice for days around town, as it is quick to slip on and off and is reasonably warm and water resistant for short trips out into bad weather.  And  it is a comfortable pac boot that performed adequately but not outstandingly as a warm and waterproof winter boot.

Sorel Carnival

The Sorel Carnival is more of a stylish boot as well. It looks similar in many ways to the Caribou, but the less harsh tread combined with the fluffier top makes it more fun and feminine.

Despite a waterproof nylon exterior and a mid-high rise upper, the boot lacks waterproofness and weather protection on stormy days. If you're searching for stylish footwear that works as a winter boot and won't entirely break the bank, this is a solid option. But if you're searching for exceptional traction, durability, and weatherproofness, you may need to look elsewhere.

Sorel Joan of Arctic

The Sorel Joan of Arctic boot is certainly a unique boot. The boot combines the function of a typical Sorel boot with a style more commonly found in a stylish, around-town winter boot. This boot essentially is a taller, more stylish, and somewhat less warm, version of the popular Sorel Caribou boot. 

So if you’re in the market for a warm winter boot that doesn’t have the typical "Sorel look," then the Joan of Arc just might be for you.

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