Winter snows arrived early this year, so you may have just come back from sloshing around in leaky boots. Now, go throw your socks on the radiator and check out these fab ugly boot styles.
Most real snow boots will make you look like a dorky dwarf, but there are days when you have to clunk around in clodhoppers whether you like it or not. (Well, wearing ugly shoes is preferable to losing toes to frostbite.) Other wintery days, you will find that you can get away with fashionably cute winter boots. You should have both ugly snow boots and cute winter boots in your closet. Well, here are the ugly ones.
Warm and Functional Snow Boots
Real snow boots are made for cold weather and some have temperature ratings, but before plunking down your credit card, think about the actual conditions in which you will be walking. If you wear your snow boots for après ski boots, you will want higher boots to help you wade through unplowed areas. If sidewalks are icy on the way to work, you will need rubber soles with big treads for a good grip. If you’re dealing with slush, heavy socks and rainboots may help you get around just fine.
How to Wear Snow Boots with Jeans
High boots look best when you tuck your jeans into your boots. The other way around is hideous, and your pants will get wet and, possibly, salty. So, don’t even bother.
Baby Boomers can look pretty good when they wear clunker boots with:
- Skinny jeans (Yes, skinny jeans come in fat sizes.)
- Jeggings (More comfortable than skinny jeans.)
- Leggings (Just make sure to cover up your groove things if you are over 40.)
- Olden-style stirrup snow pants (Ski pants like we wore in the 60s.)
Ugly Snow Boots
Unless you live in LA, where Uggs are ubiquitous, you will need warmer, more-waterproof footwear. I’ve been wearing Sorels forever, so I know this brand. My 10-year-old Sorels are heavy, but they have kept my tender feet warm on ski trips and, also, while toodling around in the backcountry by snowmobile.
Sorel Snow Boots
Sorel Women’s Caribou: Pathetically ugly, but super functional, Caribous are what I wear. Everyone in the Northwest has these or should have these. I’ve worn my Sorels with a black cashmere turtleneck, black mink coat, and jeans while at Bachelor (Sun River). I’m not sure it was my best look but no one pointed and laughed. These boots will last for generations.
Sorel Joan of Arctic: If you are tall and thin, these might look good on you, but, in general, I think that women over 45 should refrain from any overly-fluffy fake fur that draws attention to their ugly footwear. Most women over 40, and all women over 50, should leave these boots for the 20-somethings. There are exceptions, but they are few and far between.
The North Face Boots
North Face Chilkat II Boots seem (ever so slightly) more sophisticated than Sorels, and they have a temperature rating of -25 degrees.
North Face Amore Boots look like the boots worn by dumpy Russian women in St. Petersburg. But, if you don’t wear these snow boots with knee-high pantyhose (that stop just below the knee) and a knee-length skirt, I won’t give you a hard time. (I will allow you to wear brown Amores paired with a funky midi skirt.) These lightweight boots are only about $85, which leaves some money left over for a cute hat.
Columbia Snow Boots
Columbia Bugaboot Plus XTM look like a higher version of hiking boots, and they would have looked great with my black mink, my shocking-pink parka, or my white down parka. Actually, you could wear these (or similar boots) with skirts for an earth-mother, former-hippie, living-on-a-ranch-in-Colorado look. Hey, clunky boots have been seen on some runways.
Columbia Ice Maiden Lace boots are another Columbia style that you should consider. I like these best in black, and they're only $75. Why did I use the word “only”? These days, $75 for a pair of ugly boots is a lot of money.
Other Good Snow Boots
Here are other boots that I’ve never seen or tried on, but they get good ratings.
- Bean Boots by LL Bean: Not as clunky as Sorels, these boots seem to have a cult following and Family Circle gave them a favorable rating in their September 2011 issue. Made in the USA.
- Hi-Tec St. Moritz 200 WP: This style has over 100 (mostly positive) reviews from Zappos customers.
- Sorel Cate the Great: Some online reviewers say that their toes got cold and their boots leaked, however these look better than most other knee-high snow boots.
- The North Face Janey: Most reviews of Janey are good, and Janeys might be a perfect fit for narrow feet.
- Propet Sundance: No, it’s not your imagination. Your feet probably got bigger with each pregnancy. Try these for wide feet; they go up to size XX (4E). I believe this is a French company.
- Ilse Jacobsen Women’s Rub 1 Rain Boot: If you need to protect your tootsies from slush or rain, and heavy socks will keep you warm enough, try these adorable Danish rain boots. Hunter (wellies) are also good, but Jacobsen boots have furry linings.
No one has, yet, to come up with a perfect snow boot with a 3-inch heel that’s warm, waterproof, and absolutely stable. If you have something like this, let me know, because I hate perfectly flat boots. That’s one of the reasons I like Sorels. Their lug-nut soles give me an extra inch or so, along with giving me stabilizing traction.
More Articles:
How to Wear Leggings Yep. Baby Boomers can wear 'em.
Hot Winter Boots for Fall-Winter 2012: Women Over 40 or 50
Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
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