Like most things, the answer is "it depends". They each have their place, with pros and cons.
The icebreakers (no longer available it appears) - big, bulky, and warm. In their "stock" configuration, the bottoms are vinyl and not quiet. I attached a piece of fleece to quiet them down. These are my go-to's for really cold weather. They take up a ton of room inside a backpack - for that reason I mostly fold them into the outer layers of my bibs, which get strapped/lashed to the outside of my backpack for hiking in. I do not prefer to use these due to their large size; I typically only use them when I have to due to weather conditions. I do not recall every having my feet get cold wearing these.
The artic shields - small, packable. These work really well for their size. Not nearly as warm as the icebreakers, but not nearly as bulky, either. I do not care for the outer material on the bottom or top and bottom trim/border. The bottom is "plasticy" and the top and bottom trim material is similar to a 500d cordura or the 600 denier polyester used in Wiggy's overboots - not particularly quiet. The sides are similar to a napped polyester - which is quiet. While not a deal-breaker, they are not quiet when the trim pieces are rubbed together. Paired with the down booties from Feathered Friends, these are a really good way to keep the feet warm while still remaining packable. I have worn this combination (alpaca socks, down booties, artic shields, and a toe warmer) in 25 degree temperatures and my feet were toasty warm all day.
I have not used either of the Wiggy's yet - they were both purchased last year, and the season here never got cold enough to use them. I will say that I do not care for the outer material on either - 600 denier polyester - it is not quiet. Both the overboots and muluks also have huge footprints - in a treestand with a large platform, their monstrous size likely would not be a problem, but with a louder outer material, and having an exceptionally large footprint, I would hesitate to use them saddle hunting on a small platform or ROS. They'd likely rub together, or against the tree, at some point in time. While I have not tested them, yet, I am confident they would be warm.
The Wiggy's lamilite socks, felt sorel liners, feathered friends down booties are all meant to be worn on the inside of the outer shells.
Another "contender" is the
insulated booties from heater body suit. (I did not include these in my picture above, this thread made me remember that I had them!) For $29, they are actually quite good! I just used them extensively on a 5 day out-of-state trip. From a packability standpoint - they are an in between size - much smaller than the icebreakers, much larger than the artic shields. I wore them over my uninsulated hiking boots, sitting all day, with morning temperatures of 30 and daytime highs in the 50's, so it wasn't that cold for that long in the mornings - maybe only a couple of hours. Paired with a chemical handwarmer, they kept my feet warm. I liked the "top-loader" feature of these. The others all use a zipper up the back, which is a bit of a pain when you are all bundled up. Unzip the zipper on the back, slide your foot in, and then become a contortionist to zip up the back. The HBS ones have a single button with a huge opening at the top. Open the bootie up, plop your foot in, and snap the button closed. Very simple and easy to put on. They leave a bit of a gap in the top in when you snap the button closed, but that extra material can be tucked in to prevent any heat loss. These are also very quiet, the quietest of all. I have not used them except for the last week, so I can't speak to how they perform in the 20 degree temperature range, or for longer duration sits. When worn over the top of light hikers, they are kind of "sloppy" - there is a lot of extra room.
If I were to only get one to try, it would be the insulated booties from HBS. Cheapest. Quietest. Easiest to put on. I see a lot more chatter around the artic shields, many people are happy with them, and mine have served me well over the years, too.
