Our usual test team is comprised of a bunch of average-sized people, mostly all within a couple of inches of six feet tall and within about 25 pounds or so of the 190 mark. Being average is OK to a point, but we know our readers vary significantly in size/dimensions, so we also like to farm out some of our product tests to get a variety of opinions.
One such test mule is our buddy Tom Berning. He’s a big boy who often has trouble finding gear that fits his oversized dimensions. He’s done an excellent job of evaluating size XXXXL helmets for us in the past, but in this instance we wanted a boot test done.
All of that leads us to the monstrous men’s size 14 Tobe Necto boots he tested last winter. When the oversized clodhoppers we ordered for the test showed up at the office, the UPS driver had to bring them up one at a time, on a dolly! OK, maybe that’s just a slight exaggeration, but there was definitely plenty of girth to them. We strapped the massive galoshes down to a tandem-axle utility trailer and hauled them out to Berning’s house. (OK, maybe there’s some more exaggeration built into that!)
This article originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of Snow Goer magazine. That means you could have enjoyed it long ago if you only subscribed! Go ahead and sign up today to get the print or digital edition of the magazine and feed your love of the greatest winter sport ever created.
Tobe markets the Necto as an “every day snowmobile boot designed for comfort.” As it turns out, that’s pretty much how Berning described them as well.
“They were very comfortable for riding, getting around in or even walking,” Berning reported.
“They are not a stiff, snowboard-style boot.” Instead, he said, they were an easy-on/easy-off boot with a simple design and simple styling.
The Necto featured Boa-style attachment system, with a single dial in the upper center of the tongue. A tug on the big dial allows the wire system to loosen dramatically so Tom could stuff his hooves inside; once in place, he’d push the dial in and give it several clockwise turns to secure the boot to his ankle and shin.
“A Boa has become a must for me, and a single Boa is my preference” over some dual-Boa designs he’s tried, Berning said.
Otherwise, the Necto’s simple, all-black design appealed to him. They featured a sturdy outer shell that kept elements at bay and also proved to be waterproof even when in slushy, wet snow conditions. The rubber outsole of the boot featured a moderate traction pattern.
The boots featured fixed-position 1000gram Thinsulate insulation. “They were plenty warm and my feet never got cold, but they also didn’t get sweaty,” Berning reported. Insole inserts could be removed for easy drying if and when he did work up a little foot moisture.
And, despite our wisecracks, the boots proved to be relatively light weight – coming in at 2 pounds, 13 ounces each in the big size 14 – which kept Tom light on his feet when busting a move at the many trailside discotheques he tends to visit.
“I was extremely happy with them and am looking forward to more time in them next winter,” Berning reported.
