The SAF combat boot has been tried and tested in the Himalayas. Yes, I wore in in the winter of 2008 and it worked fine even with a dusting of snow and ice. The only condition is that you must wear the right socks (definitely not your army green socks). Recently, I wore it for my trek to Tilicho Lake in the Annapurna Himal as well. It was a mistake as I did not anticipate so much snow and ice. How did I survive? Endurance and experience.
In conclusion, if you don’t have proper climbing boots with you, your SAF combat boots are just as good as any expensive “winter boot” in almost any kind of snow and ice condition – equally good or equally bad!