BATTLE OF THE BOOTS
Which of this winter’s styles will look good – AND keep you warm and dry? Our ingenious soggy sock test reveals all!
GREEN SOCK BOOTS
Mojito sock boots, £49, topshop.com hUGGING my ankles, these bright green sock boots look rather sexy. As with all the other pairs, I plunged one foot into a bucket of puddle deep water for 90 seconds, then weighed my sock to see how much water had penetrated.
Then, on the other foot I took the temperature of my big toe, put my foot in the boot and pressed an ice pack on the top for 30 seconds then took the temperature again to see how much cold got through. With this boot, I may as well have had bare feet. I can feel the ice through the thin material and after being in water, can pour liquid out of it. FREEZE TEST: 2.5 degrees colder SOGGY SOCK: 9.67g heavier VERDICT: 3/10
LEOPARD HEELS
Shoe boots, £40, next.co.uk THESE leopard print stilettos have a leg-lengthening effect and go with all manner of outfits. As they are made from a textile, I’m fairly sure I’ll be sopping wet in seconds, but of course the 9cm heel means my feet are — stilt-like — above much of the water. They’re chilly after 30 seconds, but don’t feel wet. Very impressive. FREEZE TEST: 1.4 degrees colder SOGGY SOCK: 0.23g heavier VERDICT: 9/10
ZIPPED WEDGES
Leather wedge boots, £99, marksandspencer.com INSOLIA technology — which distributes weight away from the balls of the feet so heels can be worn all day — makes these black welly-shaped zip-up boots blissfully comfortable.
There is little heat loss from pressing an ice pack on the top of my foot but sadly, they aren’t water resistant. My foot is freezing when I remove it from the water and the sock is drenched. Not great for autumn showers. FREEZE TEST: 1.1 degrees colder SOGGY SOCK: 9.11g heavier VERDICT: 7/10
SCARLET SUEDE
Bounty suede western boots, £42, topshop.com RED suede ankle boots are versatile enough to go with trousers or a skirt. But the sole of these is thin, so probably not ideal for long jaunts. After 45 seconds in the water my feet certainly feel chilly, and after 90 seconds the boots look trashed — the toes have gone dark red with water, although the sock within is impressively dry. FREEZE TEST: 3.9 degrees SOGGY SOCK: 0.66g VERDICT: 8/10
RIDING BOOTS
John Lewis, Tilly knee high boots, £149, johnlewis.com TheSe brown suede kneelength riding boots look sensible and they’re extremely comfy.
Athough I thought these might hold back the elements, I can feel the chill of the ice as soon as I press on the pack. Within 48 seconds of putting my feet in the water they are painfully chilly and soaking wet. I think that if you wear something which looks sensible, it might as well behave in such a way. FREEZE TEST: 3.8 degrees SOGGY SOCK: 14.2g VERDICT: 6/10
THIGH-HIGHS
Red Pointed over the knee boots £85, riverisland.com I’M SURE thigh-high boots are best left to the film Pretty Woman. Once on, though, these look surprisingly sexy and are easy to walk in. The slope of the heel means less water enters the back of the boot and they’re made from a faux suede fabric upper, which I wouldn’t have thought waterproof, but my feet stay surprisingly warm and dry. FREEZE TEST: 2.3 degrees colder SOGGY SOCK: 5.5g heavier VERDICT: 8/10
TAN KNEE-LENGTH
Dune Tyrell Boots, £160, dunelondon.com AS WELL as being smart enough to get you through the working day, these knee-high tan boots have grippy wet-weather soles.
I can barely feel the chill of the ice through the leather, but when I plunge my feet into the water, it streams in as though a dam has burst. My feet remain warm — but the weight of the sock almost doubles. The boots don’t look wet, though; you may feel soggy, but no one will know. FREEZE TEST: 2.2 degrees SOGGY SOCK: 11.93g VERDICT: 7/10
BRIGHT BROCADE
Block heel brocade ankle boots, £49.50, marksandspencer.com I LOVE the rich red pattern of these tapestry block heels, and they are wide-fitting and comfortable. But are they suitable for winter? I feel the ice through them very quickly, and as I stand in the water it instantly floods around my feet. After a minute-and-a-half my feet are freezing. Beautiful, but impractical. FREEZE TEST: 5.5 degrees SOGGY SOCK: 9.2g VERDICT: 5/10
BIKER CHIC
£39.99, hm.com bIkEr boots are everywhere, and this slip-on, fake fur-lined H&M pair are so comfy they feel like slippers.
They look sturdy, but when I plunge my feet into the icy water, I feel a hint of wetness seeping through the seam within 15 seconds. However, the sock stays almost dry, and the fake fur lining is barely damp. There was hardly any temperature change when pressing on an ice pack. All impressive results. FREEZE TEST: 1 degree colder SOGGY SOCK: 0.04g heavier VERDICT: 10/10
COWBOY STYLE
Oro Western Ankle Boots, £119, johnlewis.com THE cowboy boot has featured in a Vogue’s must-have roundup for this season. They are perennially fashionable and this bronze/gold pair are my favourites. Alas, they’re made for fashion, not wet weather. The sock absorbs the most water of any of the boots, though my feet don’t feel freezing. But I don’t think I care — I still love them. FREEZE TEST: 1.6 degrees SOGGY SOCK: 17.62g VERDICT: 7/10