A tip for buying cheap hiking boots/shoes – peel the insole back and check it’s not cardboard underneath. One damp experience and they’ll be ruined. Brands like Karrimor are churning out some right rubbish and relying on what once was a sound brand name to flog it mass market.
Personally I reckon the best warm footwear I have are a pair of £30 Dickies rigger boots. Fleecy lined and loose enough to kick off or slip my foot out of easily should I need to. Room to move the toes keeps them warm too. Absolutely no difference in warmth between them and a pair of Dubarrys in my experience, but much much toastier than wellies.
Don’t think so, but the lining covers the toecaps if I remember rightly so they aren’t chilly. Team them up with merino or bamboo socks and you’ve got a winner. The key is to keep them loose fit around the feet but to make sure your trousers plug the top nicely – they’re colder with thick socks than they are with medium or thin socks I find.