Boots for Winterin'

January 8, 2025 7:49 PM

What is the stylish man wearing on their feet outdoors this winter?

I travel a lot for work, and ideally want to pack light. I find myself in places like Montreal, Toronto, NYC and other wintery cities. I'd like to not have to pack another pair of footwear other than what I am wearing on my feet.

So ideally, I'm looking for something that works at the airport / flying, tromping through slushy sidewalks, so waterproof and with tread, in boardrooms and at dinner. Works with dark jeans and pants. Probably black or dark brown or other dark colour.

I already have fluevogs (not waterproof at all), heavier snow boots (not appropriate for work), slippery leather boots (slippery!), and none of these fit the bill.

Any suggestions?

posted by miles1972 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

Sorel Slabtown? The moc toe might not be for you.

The Wolverine 1000 mile is $400 but looks great.

And Blundstones, if not too casual for your workplace.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:59 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

Maybe the Blundstone Winter Thermal All Terrains, and you carry gaiters and microspikes to add as necessary. No one seems to shovel or ice in downtown Montreal and it's treacherous - therefore the microspikes until you get to work. Gaiters are light enough and easy on/off, which will be better than a more rugged shoe. Plus they'll keep your pants hems dry(er), too.
posted by cocoagirl at 8:00 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]

The Redwing Wingshooter comes in black, has tread, is waterproof and isn’t a snow boot. I don’t know anything about East Coast city fashion, though.
posted by clew at 10:44 PM on January 8

I have a pair of those exact Blundstones and they are very comfortable and age well. Just keep them oiled and no one will look twice at a office in a city where it snows. Sizing can be weird so see if you can try some on in store.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 10:53 PM on January 8

Would "water resistant" be good enough? If so, something like these Nisolos seem like they'd do the trick.
posted by saladin at 3:56 AM on January 9

Mod note: One answer removed: spam.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 4:16 AM on January 9

My husband has nice hiking boots that he wears for this purpose.

We are vegetarian so his are from Vegetarian Shoes. For those in the market for real leather, I think these would be perfect.
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 5:01 AM on January 9

Caution re: Blundstone (and this is true of many brands). Quality may no longer be as expected.

My 2nd pair of Blundstones developed an enormous split along the sole after minimal light duty.

You can spend way too much time researching this, but reddit's r/buyitforlife or whatever was at one time useful
posted by ginger.beef at 6:18 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]

I'm stomping around in Dr Martens, but as ginger.beef says about Blundstones, recent quality isn't as good as it once was. I bought both my older pairs on eBay, I'd be leery of buying new.
posted by tommasz at 6:53 AM on January 9

The UK Guardian has a bunch of suggestions, many of which I'm guessing will be available in NA.
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 8:18 AM on January 9

Point well taken, ginger.beef. My Australian friends do recommend Redback boots instead of Blundstones now, quality wise. BUT they are definitely a step more rugged looking as well.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 9:11 AM on January 9

I got a pair of Oak Street Bootmakers Trench Boots this fall to be my Chicago go-to footwear between sneakers and snow boots. Like the Wolverine 1000-mile boots, they're about $400, but so far are great. I got the Color #8 which is similar to a burgundy and goes well with jeans or khakis. I've had a couple of my coworkers comment on them, which I don't think I've had happen for most anything else I wear.
posted by BevosAngryGhost at 12:58 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]

May I suggest wearing wool socks with your boots of choice?
posted by oceano at 4:33 PM on January 10