I get grumpy about all the layering I do in the winter to keep warm. I have bad circulation and my fingers and toes are always cold. Living in New England I try to be practical about foot wear. When there's snow, most days I alternate between my Orla Kiely wellies (going on 11 years now, for blizzards and post storms - sadly I don't think they make these anymore) and my recently replaced no 6 clogs (warmer and good for a few days after a blizzard). But, both of these are heavy and bring me back to my first point, which is I get grumpy by being weighted down. I've been looking for good in between alternatives, something waterproof and warm but not as heavy as hefty boots. My ideal boot or shoe would be flat, warm, have no laces or zippers (or worse, both at the same time!), and rubber soles. As much as I like shoes that have leather soles, having to re-sole or add soles when you already put out so much $ is not very practical for a good chunk of year in Massachusetts. Here are a few options I'm thinking about:
Tabi:
I just ordered these Rikio Tokusei boots. I've been looking for a winterized version of my leather tabi flats. I wish that margiela did a flat leather version like these, but there only seems to be those high heel ones, which are not really my thing. These were only $39, and shipping to the US was only $14 for economy. They are padded, waterproof, and lined. They are also short, which I prefer these days to taller boots. Like many tabi boots, they have a hook closure which is adjustable to different ankle widths. I ordered them in a size 24, I hope they fit. If they do fit okay, I'm thinking about getting these tabi wellies (below) also from the same site. I think they are a thin rubber, so probably better for spring than winter.
Ideally I would love to track down a pair of these - tabis combined with bensimon sneakers - what could be better? They are hard to come by, I've seen a few on ebay but only in small sizes. I like how waterproof they look, especially in the toes.
Flats / slightly platform?!
I don't know how I feel about these yet. I kind of like them. They have a rubber sole and leather upper and they would elevate you from all the mucky slush. They kind of look like the Christophe Lemaire ones. Ebay has a good selection of Eileen Fisher things....clothes, and everything is pretty affordable. But I'm not sold on the whole platform thing....but maybe I could get into it if it's 1 inch or less?
Here are some other Eileen Fisher shoes. The top part looks pretty comfy and they look like a slightly fancied up sneaker. Rubber bottoms, maybe not perfect for trudging through snow but good when the side walks have been cleaned up a bit.
Sneakers:
Always a good choice, all black leather low chuck taylors. I've been meaning to get a pair and it seems you can find anything on Amazon, so why not. I think the leather and rubber both look pretty waterproof. (Can you tell that that is my main concern here, haha).
Sisii low top canvas sneakers - sold out but hopefully there will be more at some point in the spring! I hear these run small - has anyone tried them?