Are you as sick of winter as I am? Well, buckle up because winter isn’t sick of us yet and is sticking around. As I walked to the corner bodega this morning, the snow was falling, and it was sticking. It is doing its best to make our lives more inconvenient by the day, and to keep my car parked permanently in the same place for fear of black ice. It isn’t all bad, the best part of the winter is you get to break out your favorite sweaters and the best coats for a few months. You get a break from the sweltering heat of the summer.
The worst part? The snow piles up, and everything becomes more cumbersome. Driving is harder. Walking to the office is more precarious. Even going to get the mail is a pain in the neck, literally, if you fall on the ice. But if you have the proper footwear, that isn’t an issue. I learned a hard lesson long ago: The wrong shoes can be the difference between an uneventful trip to the office and a broken tailbone. Men’s winter shoes are a must-have for your closet, and they will help you navigate the months until you need to trade them in for the waterproof needs of the April showers.
What kind of shoes to wear in the winter
Alright, this is a bit of a tricky question because winter is different in many places. But let’s look at some qualities you want from men’s winter shoes that are best for you. Obviously, they need to be close-toed shoes (I can’t tell you how many people I have seen in sandals in the snow). If you are in Florida or Southern California, you likely don’t have to adhere to this for as long as the rest of us do, but then again, you don’t really have winter, so by all means, stick with your Crocs and thong sandals, respectively. For the rest of us, other than being close-toed footwear, here are the attributes you want:
- Insulation: When the temperature drops, you want shoes or boots to be insulated for warmth. Your feet are the area on your body furthest from the heart, which means they will get cold first.
- Waterproofing: The sky is blue. The sun is hot. These seem obvious, right? Snow is wet, so you want your winter shoes to be waterproof, or your socks will be soaked, and your day will be ruined.
- Traction: Unless you have spikes, traction won’t help too much on ice, but the snow requires traction to stay upright and ensure you don’t hurt your neck on the way to get the mail. Remember that whole broken tailbone thing we talked about? This is why you need the traction.
- Fit: Snow boots are so popular because they lace up tight and keep your feet and ankles warm and snug. You want your winter shoes to be comfortably snug so your feet are safe and secure.
Some of the best winter shoes for men include duck boots, rugged cap-toes, Chelsea boots, and snow boots. No matter your situation, these will keep you warm and dry as you trudge through the snow.
Snow boots vs. winter shoes
If you are wondering the difference between snow boots and winter boots/shoes, it is quite simple: function vs. fashion. That is not to say snow boots aren’t fashionable and winter boots aren’t functional; they absolutely can be. It is more about the design intent of the footwear.
For instance, snow boots are specifically designed to protect you from the deep snow of the wilderness while hiking, hunting, or search and rescue during a blizzard. Winter boots are focused more on one or two of the above attributes with an additional focus on keeping you stylish while wearing winter boots. They may be insulated and have good traction while looking fantastic. Most of them don’t have all four attributes.
Best way to look at it: If you walk to the office or grab drinks, winter boots or shoes are perfectly suitable. If you are going skiing or rescuing a lost camper amid a blizzard, it’s best to stick with the snow boots.
What winter shoes should you wear when you don’t have snow boots
If you don’t have snow boots, you can substitute them with good winter boots in a few ways. First, if you’re going to be in deep snow, then there isn’t a good substitute for proper snow boots, but there are some that will help you in the short term if you need them. If you are in deep snow, you want to go with something waterproof. Good cold-weather hiking boots are oftentimes waterproof and at least marginally insulated, so you can make do for a short time in deep snow. Keep in mind that the closures on many of those aren’t entirely closed off, so moisture will get in eventually, and your socks will get wet.
If it’s more about making it across snow and ice, but you’re not worried about the depth of the snow, then you can go with any hiking boots or rugged boots with great tread. Traction is everything. Stay away from gum soles or dress soles whenever possible; they won’t keep you upright long.
How to keep your feet warm in regular shoes
As I said, not all boots are snow boots, which means they don’t have all the attributes above to make them perfect in the snow. However, there are some things you can do if you want to wear your regular shoes. The first thing you can do is something many people will snicker at when they first see them. Then you will try them, and it will silence the haters. Wears hoe covers — rubber sheaths for your shoes. Keep the moisture out and remove them when you get to the office. Trust me. The next thing you can do is wear thermal socks or feet warmers in your shoes. If your feet stay warm, you don’t have to worry too much about anything else.
Stick with it, fellas; you only have a couple more months before I start writing about swimsuits and island paradises to head off to. But until then, I’m donning my men’s winter shoes (for my tailbone’s sake) to head to the bodega.
