Winter is time for boots to shine
Whatever you think of the snow everywhere around us right now — some people love how pretty it is; others roll their eyes at the traffic and hassles it creates — there’s no denying the one area of our wardrobes it most dramatically affects: what we put on our feet.
Winter boots by necessity have to be practical.
That means weatherproof, safe and warm. But there’s also no good reason they can’t also be cute and add style to any look rather than detract from it. So this winter, I hope you’ll be join me in taking a stand against ugly boots.
What’s more, there’s another sartorial challenge we’ve got every winter: That there will be lots and lots of people who want us to take our shoes off when we enter their house? Hey, I get it — floors are important to protect.
But so is the integrity of an outfit, as Carrie Bradshaw once defiantly explained on the original “Sex and the City,” when a hostess required her to dispense of her shoes at the doorway: But this is a whole look, she replied, gesturing to her entire outfit (which clearly included her feet).
So to meet both of those two challenges, let’s get up on some of the extra warm and extra cute winter boots out there right now — many of them worn with pride and aplomb by our favorite celebs; and let’s also look at some style-savvy socks. So we’ll have nothing to be embarrassed about when someone asks us to take off our boots.
Sorel is a terrific place to begin. The brand was originally based in Ontario (now owned by Columbia Sportswear in Oregon), so the brand’s outdoor cred is quite real. But so is the fashion cred. It’s been embraced and styled by celebs across the globe — like, for example, Elizabeth Olsen.
At Sundance in Utah, she paired her Cozy 1964-213-W Sorel Cold Weather Boot ($91-$130 in amazon.com) with denim and simple black — a basic crewneck and single-breasted blazer. But your pairings don’t need to be quite that simple: these classic boots will go with anything in that same everydaymeets-fancy vein, from leggings with luxury cashmere sweaters and silk tops with herringbone wool skirts.
Elle Mcpherson is another proven Sorel fan.
Witness how she dons her Sorel Joan of Arctic Boot ($210 on sorel.com), matching their faux fur lining with a hefty weatherproof winter jacket trimmed in fur of the same color, over a black turtleneck, white T and black jeans. Kate Hudson’s another who likes to use winter boots (again, Sorel) as the style anchor to a minimalist look. She’s been known to take a hefty and take-noprisoners boot like the Glacier XT Insulated Winter Boot ($185.73-$327.51 on amazon.com) and make it the centerpiece, with jeans and a black Stella McCartney bag.
Think ‘L.L. Bean,’ and Khloe Kardashian may be one of the last people who comes to mind.
But that may change after you’ve seen her in snow boots inspired by Bean’s traditional duck boot. The Women’s Bean Boots, 8-inch flannel-lined, Thinsulates ($169 on llbean.com) are made for all-weather, yet also made adorable by the bright pink, purple and blue plaid flannel interior lining.
Looking to make an even more substantial statement? Look to J. Lo’s black Tyler Ultralift Platform Bootie ($325 on stuartweitzman.com) — a combo of high fashion and high-function, if there ever was one. They’re water-repellent leather that’s polished to get a puffy effect, and can be worn as either a mid-calf boot or turned down to become an ankle bootie.
And as for those crucial socks? Look no further than Alexander McQueen’s Stripe
& Skull Sport Socks ($85 on neimanmarcus.com) — the ribbed cuffs make sure they don’t fall down beneath those winter boots, and the striped print at the cuffs keep things looking good all the way up to the top.
For a simpler (but feminine) approach, go in for Garnet Hill’s Women’s Cashmere Socks ($34-$38 on garnethill.com), which are soft as can be but strong enough in the heel and sole to keep unsightly holes at bay for wearing after wearing.
And when the occasion calls for a pattern, pull on a pair of Natori’s Abstract Floral Socks ($18 at bergdorfgoodman.com) in dark-yetpretty neutrals. Or just head straight in the opposite direction with Rag & Bone’s Fair Isle Wool Knee High Socks ($65 on ragbone.com), in unapologetically vibrant purple multi. After all, if everyone’s going to see your socks anyway, why not make them a statement as bold as any other?