(a bit long and whiny. Sorry!)

So we had a big snowstorm on Saturday, and several days later the sidewalks are still pretty nasty and slushy with lots of black ice, and it's supposed to snow again tonight. As a result, I've been in my snow boots quite a lot, and I gotta admit I'm feeling less than fab about it.

Now I like my snow boots. I had a ridiculous set of requirements when I bought them (lace up, good traction, no hairy fur or fleece, at least mid calf, not puffy, and maybe something else I'm forgetting). But they are brown. You guys know of my travails with the color brown, plus the color makes them inherently casual (but they are snow boots after all). In my defense, the style I wanted (with shearling lining) only came in brown and tan (the black had hairy fur, which was a dealbreaker for me).

I generally wear them with my black or dark green wool coats. I don't own a puffer. This results in a somewhat odd juxtaposition of dark, somewhat dressy looking coat and casual brown snow boots. It's not a huge deal though.

Also, I've worn the snow boots Sat/Sun/Tues so far this week (I did not leave the house yesterday). I never wear the same shoes more than 2 days in a row if I am not traveling. My feet do not like it, plus I get bored! So it's entirely possible that I'm just whinging right now because I am bored. Is this a reason to invest in a second pair?

Another big issue is that changing shoes is not always an option. If I'm going to work, it's fine because I have a couple of pairs of shoes under my desk, or I can carry a small pair (like oxfords or slipper flats) in my purse and change shoes at work. The bigger issue is when I'm going out to a concert, dinner, or something similar. I walk to many of these events, or I take the subway which requires a 10 minute walk to get to. I don't drive, parking is often more trouble than it's worth, and in any case we only have a car on weekends at the moment. So there's nowhere to change shoes or stash the snow boots, which means if I'm going to a nice dinner or the symphony or something, I just have to wear the snow boots, and that does not make me feel particularly fab, particularly since many of my nice clothes do not go with brown. I would wear something like photo #1 below. My patent Naot boots, while dressy and warm enough, unfortunately do not have good enough traction if the sidewalks are not clear. The same is true of many "dressier" cold weather boots I've tried (I used to have some aquatalias that were too slick for real snow as well). My Docs do have good enough traction, but they are ankle height (so not good if there are deep snowbanks) and Docs are not really sleek either in any case. I'm not really sure what the solution is here. Just suck it up and deal?

I think we have been spoiled here the last couple of winters. Very little snow, and I didn't have to wear the snow boots too often. But this winter is looking to be different. I am seriously considering getting a second pair (in black this time, hopefully).

Specifically I am thinking about these:
http://www.zappos.com/sorel-conquest-carly-black

They are similar in style to my brown ones, but black. Would this be a (slightly) dressier look? Or is dressy snow boot just not happening?