For those of you who live in snowy climates, how do you keep your footwear interesting? I have been pondering this lately. The problem is, even if the pavement is not overly icy and would therefore permit the wearing of a nicer shoe, there is still the issue of puddles of slush and small banks of plowed snow that you inevitably have to walk through. That will quickly ruin a nice pair of shoes, even if worn infrequently, especially when salt is thrown into the mix.
Do you look for booties or knee-high boots with lower, chunky heels that are made from synthetics? Or do you look for thicker leather, such as you might find in a comfort shoe, that might hold up better against the elements? Or do you stock up on snow boots in a few different styles and forget about looking "refined"? Please share your wisdom with me.