Foul weather boots - YouLookFab Forum

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Foul weather boots

Maya

Veteran

What do you creatures wear when walking becomes a hazard? Last year I had to commute to my internship and I am genuinely surprised I made it through the winter unscathed. There were lots of patches of black ice on my commute, and thick ice can remain on the sidewalk for days until it melts after a storm hits. Given that it was an internship, I could not afford to buy proper boots. But now..!

I'm not expecting cutting edge fashion here. I just want to make it to work with all my limbs intact. I would, however, prefer to be spared of anything along these lines.

Also, it amazes me what Endless considers to be "snow and cold weather" boots. For example, these:

http://www.endless.com/Celeste.....browserel2

Wonders never cease.

Shopping

27 replies

Latest reply was from Velma

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Angie swears by her Docs, doesn't she?

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

We had a big storm in Seattle just before Thanksgiving. My Coach boots while warm had crap traction, and I fell walking down a big steep icy hill. My Uggs weren't much better the next day. My Helly Hansen were better. But when I was I in Whistler, BC my friend grabbed onto my arm and down I went.
While a thick sole is good for insulation you don't want too thick. You need some flexibility to allow your feet to "grip".

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

This is an area of my footwear that I feel is inadequate as well. I am interested to hear from others.

When the cold snap hit London last week I wore some reasonably ugly snow boots that have a thick sole, with traction. They work well - at the moment I don't want to risk falling. I am not sure any sort of boot would stop you slipping on black ice though.

Beth

Veteran

Well, since I've already outed myself as a wearer of nerdy fuzzy earmuffs, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I wear LLBean boots when it's snowy. I just bought my second pair in 25 years.

I am one stylish woman~

Jonesy

Veteran

I wear my regular leather boots and booties during the winter (so, about 5 months or so) for work. But, I'm never walking more than 10 minutes or so (I commute by car). When I walk the dog or do outdoor activities, I wear shearling-lined, lace-up boots sort of like this:

http://www.amazon.com/ULU-Wome.....B0018BZ48I

Seems like some flat-ish boots with a good tread would do the trick for you, and be safe and stylish.

Inge

(website)

I totally side with Angie on this: Dr. Martens, all the way. The sturdy soles are perfect for this kind of weather. No wet feet (I do waterproof the leather with a spray), no cold toesies, very comfortable and I feel very safe in them. Normally I walk fast and take big steps, but as soon as it starts to snow or there is ice on the sidewalks I feel insecure - I'm very scared of slipping. Well, I can honestly say that this does not happen with my Docs, they're the only boots I want to wear in this weather...

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I am in the same boat as Anna. I really didn't have what I needed when our storm hit. I ended up wearing my Aquatalia flat boots once the majority of the snow melted (I had to work so they were work appropriate). They have decent traction.

In that situation (black ice, unsalted sidewalks, hills) I don't know what would work besides these:
http://www.rei.com/product/806475

That's my plan, anyway!

Anonymous

Maya - I know these are 1% away from gear, but I picked up a pair of kids timberlands from Daffys, many moons ago. These things have seen me thru many snowy winters. They are waterproof, have good traction etc. Every winter I try to find something more stylish to replace them with but I end up not finding anything.
The style I have is no longer available but they look very similar to these.
http://shop.timberland.com/pro.....Id=4208303
The only difference between mine and the ones linked is that the shaft on mine is made of some down/nylon material.
ETA: I bought kids because they are cheaper and more delicate LOL

Louise

Veteran

My winter gearish snow boots are very warm but rubbish traction wise. I've got some Docs on order x

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I actually do have the dreaded Sorels but when there is 5 feet of fresh snow to wade through, you kind of have to. But for less deep storms and more fashionable times, I found some crinkled patent leather Sportos that are awesome. They sold through HSN originally but I got 'em on ebay. http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=.....re=channel

cciele

Veteran

I wonder whether those Endless shoes were miscategorized!

I use the La Canadienne Colleens as my foul weather shoes; I've worn them in snow country (Utah, Lake Tahoe) and they've been great there. Warm and suitable traction. They are more streamlined, structured versions of Uggs La Canadienne no longer makes this style, but I'm sure they have something else that works, since they're great for all-weather boots.
http://www.sierratradingpost.c.....Women.html

Kari

Veteran

Maya, our true snow days when walking is treacherous are few and far between in the Seattle area, so I didn't want to invest in a pricey snow-and-ice boot. You have colder & snowier winters in NYC, so it might be worth more of an investment than what I'm going to show you. If I liked Doc Martens a lot and would wear them on a regular basis, I'd probably scope out a pewter pair of tall 20-eyelet boots like Tanya has, but I don't really prefer the Docs aesthetic with my own style. I used to wear my hiking boots in the snow, but can't really tuck pants into them. La Canadiennes are nice - and I think that you have a pair - but are out of the question for me because they are so narrow.

This year, we had just a few snow days so far, and only one where the streets and sidewalks in my area were pretty much black ice. (The sidewalks weren't so bad because they hadn't been salted or shoveled, but crossing the street was dicey.) I wore my gear plastic wellies that have a very sturdy sole with lots of tread & good grip over ponte-knit pants layered over leggings. I had a 30 minute walk each way in this,, with my puffer coat over the top, and stayed plenty warm.

Marigold

I'd look into the Docs as well. However, when I used to commute on snowy, slushy and slick NYC sidewalks (walked from 32nd to 42nd street everyday), nothing beat my Uggs (yes, I'd still do that again after joining YLF), I had a couple pairs of work shoes (high heels, flats etc) at work drawer to change too. My Uggs are 3-4 years old and the model with zipper and a thicker sole, after being beat up every winter, they still look great too!

Laura

(website)

Veteran

I actually own the Sorel Caribous and cannot believe that they are all over the JCrew catalog for the second winter in a row. I bought them when I spent 3 weeks in the Yukon one winter! I would never ever wear them for anything but gear. Egads, JCrew.

Anyway! I must agree about Docs, although they are not super warm. However, the tread cannot be beat. My second-best snowy weather boots are La Canadiennes. They have nice insulation that doesn't overheat when you are indoors, although the tread is not as sturdy as my Docs'. These aren't the ones I own, but I bet they would be stellar for commuting in winter:
http://www.endless.com/Canadie.....enne+boots

Maya

Veteran

La Canadiennes are too expensive for me. I can only get them on sale, and not all of the styles are suitable for bad weather.

I know Angie wears Docs, but I am not sure if our winters are comparable. Kari's comment makes me think not. Then again, Inge, you sound a lot like me so your testimonial is very insightful. I don't really like Docs but I guess I could tolerate a pair just for bad weather. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to love whatever I get, but I really do need something.

I don't mind some of the non-slipper Uggs, actually.

These seem like the best option I have found so far. Not hideous, good traction, warm, and the review about how narrow they are (in the calf) sounds good.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/30.....tback=1145

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Wow - $259 is WAY over my boot budget. And I lived in Lake Tahoe for 17 years where boots are a complete necessity 6 or more months a year!

medusa

Veteran

I came to say Docs as well. They are pretty good.

You can also take a regular pair of shoes and add more traction with Yak Trax:
http://www.yaktrax.com/walker

You'd want to do this with some shoes that aren't too fancy, but I can attest that they work GREAT on snow and ice.

Maya

Veteran

I said they were the best option, I didn't say they were the best PRICE. I'll have to stalk them while I look for other options.

Maya

Veteran

Do they have to be "traditional" Docs? Will something like this work?

http://www.6pm.com/product/7549483/color/142264

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Maya, I recently bought some Santana Canada boots that were both narrow in the shaft (I'm a 12.5 ") and polar fleece lined. I see my style is now sold out but perhaps look into that brand on Amazon? (Mine were the Penny for under $100)

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

I've never lived in Seattle - but it seems (from pictures) that it must be more mild than our snowy, freezing winters...I just can't imagine Docs (with no insulation) being warm enough...maybe with Smartwool socks?

Steph

Veteran

Maya, I got through several New York winters (and this past horrid super snowy DC winter) with Docs as one of my snow boot options, and they do have good tread. Depending on how cold you get, you may need a pair or two of socks.

Docs aren't really my style either, but I have kept a pair from high school for about 15 years, and I do use them when the weather is awful. I also wear my J. Crew fleece-lined wellies, and find those work fine (but don't have as much tread as the Docs).

I think the Docs you posted should be fine. The sole looks exactly the same, and that's what matters.

Anonymous

Question.Are Dr. Martens waterproof? I'm seeing a lot of cool styles @ Zappos right now, at a reasonable price. Maybe I can replace my timberlands.

Louise

Veteran

Maya I love those doc Marten boots you posted they were on my final wish list. I've ordered these http://store.drmartens.co.uk/p.....-boot.aspx
http://store.drmartens.co.uk/p.....-boot.aspx but again our winters are probably not as bad as yours. I really love those Hunters you posted too x

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

I have a very warm pair of "suede" LL Bean short boots in brown that held up great during last year's very long and snowy winter for all kinds of commuting. They are still good but I want a second pair in black so I just ordered these Dansko Kylees from onlineshoes.com that Barking Dog Shoes recommended. The foldover is so cute!

http://www.barkingdogshoes.com.....eaway.html

http://www.onlineshoes.com/wom.....p_id190774

eric

(website)

Member

WE don't need to wear boots on my country.
http://scarftips.com/scarf-tying-tutorials/

Velma

Veteran

I have a pair of Timberland boots, somewhat like the Uggs that Jonesy showed, that I use for commuting. They are shearling-lined riding boots with laces that zigzag around and tie at the top. These are very warm and have a good grip, but they are not as ugly as my Columbia boots, like the Sorels you want to avoid :-).

I like Docs, but as an upstate New Yorker, I don't wear them outside when it is really cold and snowy. They are not warm enough for me, even with Smartwool socks underneath, and the traction is not quite extreme enough for ice--the soles can be a little slick!