Cold Weather Boots

Believe it or not you can still have fun with your snow boots, and they do not have to be heinously ugly!

Warmth is key, and so is water repellence.  By far, the warmest boots I have are my UGGs, but they can take quite a beating in the snow.  This year I was seeking something cute and warm that I can wear on days the snow is falling, and the sidewalks are full of slush.  I have North Face winter boots from a few years back, but my feet weren't warm enough in those.

Last month, I found these adorable Cougar Canada brand boots at ShoeFly in Highland Park, Illinois.  Okay, I admit, they are not entirely practical, being white.   But they were so adorable, and they turned out to be really warm. So far, they are not looking too scuffed up too.  But I will let you be the judge:

What I like about the Cougar is the knit sock look on top and the fact that I have not seen them carried anywhere else.  I like that because then I don't see myself coming and going in them.  I have gotten a lot of use out of them so far, and hopefully, they will make it into next winter.  If they don't, I think I may have to opt for the very popular, Sorel boot.  Now, wearing the Sorels I may see myself coming and going, but I am told they are very warm.  They seem to be well-made too.

Below is my favorite style of Sorel, the Tofino style, in black.  The Tofino in a gray color is really cute, too.  The photo below was taken at Lori's in Northfield, Illinois (check their website for their Chicago area locations and online ordering).

I have seen tons of moms wearing Sorel boots this year, even though the boots have been around for awhile (the company was founded in 1962).

I like to call Sorel the "North Face Jacket" of boots.  I have found that I cannot take issue (stylistically speaking) with us moms who opt for a North Face parka and popular boots like UGGs or Sorels on these really cold winter days (just don't be caught wearing a hoodie underneath!!!!).  Sometimes practicality has to win out (even though I am the one who bought white winter boots).

You can find Sorel at lots of online sites, and at this time of the year you may be able to find them on sale somewhere too.

Other styles of winter boots I have seen out there are these below from Stilettos in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.  These cute boots are called Aquatherm by Santana.

On the higher end are the Aquatalia by Marvin K., which are supposed to be amazing, and I have seen those at Nordstrom.  They are supposed to be water repellent, warm, and what's more, they are very stylish too.