With Winter being particularly harsh in certain areas of the US and Canada over the last few years, Polar Vortex Chic has become quite the trend. Even high-end designer sites like Net-a-Porter are showcasing Sorel snow boots in fashionable outfit combinations. Practical and comfortable fashion has never been more on trend.

It’s not impossible to create fabulous outfits with snow boots, and these visuals provide a good starting point. Many of the outfits combine neutrally-toned snow boots with a neutral, and often dark support act. That’s a practical way to go, but not the only way. That said you might feel more pulled together and streamlined in dark, neutral combinations because snow boots and heavy outerwear is bulky to wear. 

Here are three easy ways to incorporate neutrally-toned snow boots into outfits. Note that all the bottoms are tapered – either skinny or straight – so that the hems can be easily tucked into the boots. No soggy hems. 

Black-Out 

Choose black snow boots with non-black neutral trim like shearling and faux fur because those types of trims go a long way to breaking up the monotony of the head to toe black outfit. The trim also adds important textural interest to the look. Combine black skinny jeans or trousers with black, ink or charcoal knitwear. Layer knitwear if you need extra warmth. Finish off the look with a black puffer coat and casual black bag. 

Although I don’t have a visual, you could substitute black clothing pieces for ink blue and wear ink-out with black snow boots if black is not your colour. The black bottoms could be dark blue jeans.

Combine Black, Grey, Brown, Tan & Toffee 

This combination works well with toffee and brown snow boots. Again, the snow boots with contrast shearling or faux fur trim add visual interest to the outfit, especially when you pick up the colour of the trim somewhere else in the outfit. 

Combine three, four, or all of these neutrals – black, tan, toffee, brown and grey – in one outfit. Create high-contrast effects with knitwear or with snow boots to break up the expanse of dark colour. Grey and black jeans have been used in these outfits, but feel free to wear dark blue jeans. Black outerwear is not your only choice. Think cream, grey, ink, and brown outerwear too. A casual bag in the same colour or a tonal colour to the outerwear creates a streamlined look. 

Throw in the Colour 

Combine a pair of blue jeans with a colourful piece of knitwear, and finish off the look with black or toffee snow boots, a black coat and black bag. The black coat picks up the colour of the snow boots, or the trim of the snow boots, creating a pulled together look. The tonal handbag creates a streamlined effect. 

The outfit the with the black snow boots on the right lengthens the leg line, whereas the version with the toffee on the left shortens the leg line. Personally, I prefer the version with the toffee despite the leg shortening effect because the high contrast looks more interesting and happy than the all black column from hip to toe.

Of course, you can incorporate snow boots into colourful outfits, and we’ll be covering that later. In the meantime, creating neutral ensembles with neutral snow boots is a classic and easy way to go.