Muck Boot Arctic Ice Tall Sustainability Report

The Arctic Ice Tall excels in long-term durability, thanks to its thick rubber shell and seamless neoprene shaft. The boot shrugs off snow, salt, and water without degradation, and remains flexible in extreme cold. With basic cleaning and storage, it can easily last for years of hard winter use.

Choosing durable outdoor gear is perhaps the most effective way to reduce environmental impact—the longer it lasts, the less it needs to be produced. Our proprietary longevity rating evaluates overall build quality based on factors such as materials, fabric denier, component durability (including zippers and toggles), real-world performance as reported by our field testers, and our experiences with the brand. Overall, we feel strongly that reducing overall consumption is a cornerstone of sustainability.

There are no recycled materials in the Muck Boot Arctic Ice Tall. Neither Muck nor its parent company, Rocky Brands, publishes a statistic detailing its use of recycled materials. We have not seen recycled materials in the Muck Boot products that Better Trail has researched.

Outdoor gear can be made partly or entirely from recycled materials, the most common being nylon, polyester, wool, and down. Some products include a single recycled component or a partially recycled fabric, while others are 100% recycled (generally excluding accessories like zippers, Velcro, toggles, etc.). For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate the amount of recycled materials in a particular product and assign points accordingly.

The Arctic Ice does not incorporate a waterproof membrane because it is made of rubber, which is inherently waterproof. That said, a representative from Muck confirmed that there are no PFAS in the Arctic Ice, so we give it points in this category for PFAS-free waterproofing. Rocky Brands is transitioning away from PFAS in its products, and, in its 2023 impact report, it stated that by 2025, none of the products it sells in California would contain PFAS. Unfortunately, however, neither Muck Boot nor Rocky Brands has published an update on the status of this phase-out.

The membranes of certain waterproof products, including rain jackets, ski jackets, ski bibs, hardshells, and hiking footwear, commonly contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These synthetic compounds, known as "forever chemicals,” resist water, oil, and heat exceptionally well, making them ideal for outdoor use, but their nearly indestructible nature also means that they take an extremely long time to degrade in nature, if at all. PFAS can eventually end up in everything from soil to drinking water and have been linked to a range of health issues.

The Muck Boot Arctic Ice Tall does not incorporate Bluesign-approved materials, and Muck Boot is not a Bluesign System Partner. We have not found Bluesign-approved materials in the Muck Boot products that Better Trail has researched.

Bluesign Technologies, based in Switzerland, operates a third-party textile certification system that ensures materials are manufactured to strict environmental, chemical, and worker safety standards. A Bluesign-approved material indicates that it has undergone a rigorous vetting process based on the criteria above. A Bluesign Product goes the next mile, containing at least 90% Bluesign-approved fabrics and at least 30% Bluesign-approved accessories.

Muck Boot does not meet our criteria for responsible manufacturing. To do so, we require brands to be part of a third-party program that provides certification or annual audits of factories to ensure safe working conditions, fair wages, and a decreased environmental impact.

This criterion evaluates a brand's commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing its environmental impact throughout the production process. Responsible manufacturing is most commonly demonstrated through certifications and membership in programs such as Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accreditation of Production, and the Fair Labor Association. We also recognize brands that prioritize local production, such as those that manufacture primarily in the United States or Europe, to reduce carbon emissions, maintain better oversight of working conditions, and comply with strict social and environmental regulations.

Muck Boot’s parent company, Rocky Brands, states that it uses recycled or Forest Stewardship Council-certified packaging materials whenever possible. That said, Rocky Brands does not provide a statistic outlining how much of its total packaging these low-impact materials comprise.

Packaging can add significant waste to an outdoor gear purchase and often ends up in landfills. Many brands are using recycled packaging and/or making efforts to reduce packaging altogether. For example, they may use a certain percentage of recycled cardboard or make efforts to use less plastic or paper across their packaging operation. In some cases, brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, which helps to ensure sustainable sourcing of forest materials.

Muck Boot does not offer resale or recycling services. That said, it is working on partnering with a recycling company to find end-of-life solutions for its rubber boots, but has not published an update on its progress toward piloting this program.

Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation for longer and out of landfills. The most common form is a trade-in program, where consumers can exchange items for store credit, which is then resold. Some brands accept products back for recycling at the end of their life, thereby reducing waste. Occasionally, some do both.

Rocky Brands, Muck Boot’s parent company, does not track its greenhouse gas emissions. It has not set Science Based Targets Initiative-verified reduction targets.

This criterion evaluates whether this brand measures its greenhouse gas emissions, along with its commitment to reduction and transparency in reporting. Typically, we require brands to follow established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. Most companies use the widely recognized scope categorization system for measuring brand emissions. Those who earn the most points in this category have emissions reduction goals verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global organization that helps companies set greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To verify their goals through SBTi, companies undergo a rigorous assessment process and continual follow-up to ensure consistent progress towards achieving their targets.

Rocky Brands published its inaugural annual impact report in 2023. The report includes some information about many of our sustainability criteria, but it is far less detailed than top reports from brands with more comprehensive sustainability programs. The report does not discuss Muck Boot’s sustainability progress specifically, but rather outlines the general progress of Rocky Brands’ many subsidiary companies, which include Rocky, Georgia Boot, Durango, Ranger, Xtratuf, and others.

An impact report is an important step toward transparency and accountability on the sustainability front. These reports vary in form but generally cover topics such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, waste and water usage, supply chain analysis, and packaging efforts. For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate this criterion based on the depth and quality of the information provided in the report, and how often it is produced. Some brands produce their own impact report, while others are published by their parent company. In practice, we’ve found that reports produced by individual brands include more detailed information about their sustainability efforts.