Winter footwear

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omens

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I hate clothes shopping and I hate shoe shopping more than anything else. The snow days in February this year and December last year had me slipping and sliding. Especially when trying to walk on frozen slush. So I'm in need of advice for footwear.

Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for footwear in winter?
I need some office shoes (that look smart enough with a suit and shirt), and I need some casual footwear to go with jeans.

Being short and fat means I can't pull off wearing anything higher than ankle boots.

Help please.
My current shoes are Clarks Goretex ones but they're about 7yrs old and in need of replacing.
 
I’d look at Timberland lightweight. Smart enough but very warm
 
I've worn Salomon XA Pro 3D GTXs for years. They seem to last about 3 years before the speed laces rip holes in the upper and they are no longer waterproof. They last about another 5 years for kicking around in :)

Get them in all black, obvs.
 
For the type of rugged casual winter footwear for slippery conditions, I like Merrell shoes and for comfy office type shoes I like Ecco and always avoid leather soles.
 
From experience I stick with Caterpillar. You can conveniently order those from Amazon or ebay outlets at the lowest prices.

They have good grip and tend to outlast anything else by a considerable margin, and doesn't feel like they've had a critical design fault intentionally built in.
 
boyfalldown said:
I’d look at Timberland lightweight. Smart enough but very warm
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My experience of Timberlands has been suede-like camel-brown shoes. I've just had a look at some of their current offerings and a few could easily pass for office shoes.

JonathanRyan said:
I've worn Salomon XA Pro 3D GTXs for years. They seem to last about 3 years before the speed laces rip holes in the upper and they are no longer waterproof. They last about another 5 years for kicking around in :)

Get them in all black, obvs.
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I spotted Salomons when doing some searches but found some mixed reviews. I don't think they'd pass as office footwear but look like they could handle cold weather quite well. I also found Merrells, Sorrel, and Alt-Berg in my googling. Again, limited feedback.

Cartus said:
For the type of rugged casual winter footwear for slippery conditions, I like Merrell shoes and for comfy office type shoes I like Ecco and always avoid leather soles.
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How do you find longevity of Merrell shoes? Some of the more recent reviews have been more negative WRT quality.

LongLensPhotography said:
From experience I stick with Caterpillar. You can conveniently order those from Amazon or ebay outlets at the lowest prices.

They have good grip and tend to outlast anything else by a considerable margin, and doesn't feel like they've had a critical design fault intentionally built in.
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What are they like on frozen snow, and on ice? Waterproofing?
 
You need a pair for travelling and a pair that you keep at the office.
No-one looks twice at your choice nowadays.
 
Uncle Fester said:
Brilliant! :LOL:

Still Game is one of the finest sit-coms broadcast by the BBC that most people (outside of Scotland) have never heard of.
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Chewin' the fat before that was pretty good sketch show too. And before that even, Naked Video from which Rab C Nesbitt came.

Oh and for icy conditions/shoes - I got some stud/cleat rubber things from Cotswold which you stretch over the sole of your boots and got little studs in which grip into the ice/snow, worked well about a £10.
 
kendo1 said:
You need a pair for travelling and a pair that you keep at the office.
No-one looks twice at your choice nowadays.
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I was considering that. I just didn't like the hassle of having to swap shoes round and I know I'd invariably forget the winter shoes or boots at work when I needed them. Still, it'd be cheaper than having two sets of winter shoes.

DorsetDude said:
Oh and for icy conditions/shoes - I got some stud/cleat rubber things from Cotswold which you stretch over the sole of your boots and got little studs in which grip into the ice/snow, worked well about a £10.
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Must look into this as an alternative (or even for the missus).
 
omens said:
What are they like on frozen snow, and on ice? Waterproofing?
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Generally pretty good if you look after them, but obviously they are not wellies and do include crampons for the extreme stuff. Lots of different options are available so properties will differ across the board. I've hiked up a few peaks in cold weather and they've been OK.
 
Pair of nice comfy shoes kept permanently at the office ,and a pair of muck boots to keep your feet toasted all winter
 
Caterpillar has my vote, my current pair are 5 years old and still going well
 
omens said:
I spotted Salomons when doing some searches but found some mixed reviews. I don't think they'd pass as office footwear but look like they could handle cold weather quite well. I also found Merrells, Sorrel, and Alt-Berg in my googling. Again, limited feedback.
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Yeah, it depends what sort of office you work in :) But if it's bad enough to need them, nobody bothers if you change when you get there.
 
good pair of office shoes kept in the office, where walking shoes to and from the office. I kind of do the reverse - trainers to work and change into boot/shoes for work. I do it every day rather than just in good weather
Timberlands seem to fit better than Cat boots
 
I wear me Doctor Martin boots once winter kicks in, never slipped on ice wearing them yet. I'd rock them with a suit too :D
 
Like Jonathan, I've had a pair of XA Pros which I've hammered. The sole flapped off last week and Salomon offered a no quibble replacement after 14 months which I was stunned by. New pair on the way.

I've also got a pair of X-Chase Mid GTX boots for really stinking weather which (again) I hammered last winter. They're super light & sturdy and I'd recommend for keeping your footing as well as ankle support.

The quick lace system is also really fab for getting your shoes or boots off/on with a minimum of bending and faffing. My back doesn't like me doing laces and because they get filthy, I'm often taking them off on doormats or outhouses which means standing rather than sitting. Not sure I can go back to proper laceups.

Neither are what I'd call office wear though.
 
Thanks all. I'm now leaning towards the idea of having normal office shoes kept at work, and using winter-specific boots or shoes for weekends and for commuting. It cuts down on the number of shoes I have and means I don't have more than the missus!
 
Separate 'smart' shoes for the office is probably a good idea. If you get a pair of warm, waterproof trekking type boots to walk to work in then your feet will be stewing in them all day in a warm office environment.

However, it depends if your feet smell or not, as two ponging pairs of shoes left in the office on a 24 hour rotation basis isn't going to win you many friends! Also, watch for the office joker (if you have one), as a plastic spider or an egg in the toe of what you've left unattended would probably give them hours of smug amusement.
 
Mr Badger said:
Separate 'smart' shoes for the office is probably a good idea. If you get a pair of warm, waterproof trekking type boots to walk to work in then your feet will be stewing in them all day in a warm office environment.

However, it depends if your feet smell or not, as two ponging pairs of shoes left in the office on a 24 hour rotation basis isn't going to win you many friends! Also, watch for the office joker (if you have one), as a plastic spider or an egg in the toe of what you've left unattended would probably give them hours of smug amusement.
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Feet don't generally smell. I don't know how keeping winter boots in my office would fare and I hope it wouldn't affect clients. I do have a shoe deodorant somewhere. Thankfully no office clowns or jokers.
 
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