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What shoes to wear in the winter

NYStile

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Hi,

I'm hoping some of you gentlemen can offer some suggestions on a new footwear problem I've encountered.

I travel to Toronto for 2 days on a weekly basis for work, and can really only pack one pair of shoes in my carry-on luggage. It's been a harsh winter there and my work regular leather shoes are getting ruined by the snow and salt.

Does anyone have any suggestions on good shoes/half boots that can stand up to the snow/slush (waterproof?) while still looking appropriate with a suit?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 

Aaron

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If you're going to be in Toronto I would suggest stopping by Holt Renfrew and checking out some of the Brown's boots. They aren't the best quality (certainly compared with EG or Lobb) but most have rubber soles and the leather is fairly nice. Plus, if they're going to be winter boots they're going to take a beating anyways. Whatever you do, don't pay full retail...

A.
 

j

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A budget level would greatly help people suggest options. How much do you have to spend?
 

Dakota rube

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Pardon my ignorance, but whatever happened to men wearing overshoes? Not the big, sink your whole foot and half your lower leg into things, but what we used to call rubbers? (At least until discussion of prophylactics became socially acceptable conversation.)

Here in the frozen tundra I wouldn't think of leaving the house without encasing my shoes in either a LaCrosse or a Tingley rubber anytime there is snow on the ground. Not only do the rubbers protect my shoes from water and salt, but they keep my feet warmer and provide better traction on ice. They are the very low-cut style, which extend up above the soles of my shoes barely an inch except that they envelop the entire heel.

I wouldn't think of taking my Benz out of the garage in the winter without putting on my Blizzak snow tires, so why not do the same thing with my feet and shoes.
 

j

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Unfortunately, that only helps me to know I don't have anything to suggest. However, if you run a search on 'winter and shoes' or 'rain and shoes' (be sure to set the 'search from' section to the beginning and newer), you will come up with some ideas from when this topic was discussed previously.
 

kabert

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I agree with Dakota -- where rubbers/galoshes if you're going to wear leather soled shoes in the snow and rain. They're easy to pack too. If you want to wear rubber-soled shoes for your winter Toronto trips, consider some rubber soled Allen-Edmonds lace-up shoes (go to the allen edmonds website to view them, or search for them on Ebay).
 

Alias

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I hear rubber overshoes do a great job of ruining your shoe's polish.
 

Stu

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That's why the good Lord made Bostonian
biggrin.gif
 

johnnynorman3

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I've been wearing Goretex hiking boots and changing in my office. So much simpler than looking for "nice winter shoes." They simply don't exist. You either wear Bostonians in the snow, not caring that they get ruined but knowing that they look like crap in the office, or you wear some nicer boots that don't really go that well with dress trousers. Either way you lose. It isn't like an Edward Green can become a good snowboot just because they call it a chukka.
 

Alias

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I do believe that both Trickers and Cheaney offer veldtshoen models that are waterproof. They look a bit clunky, but if you aren't crazy about ruining your good dress shoes with bad weather, you could probably care less. Both brands are available from Pediwear.
 

riahvi

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I feel your pain. Several years ago a trial took me to Boston several days a week. Nice town, slushy streets. I solved the problem by packing a pair of Tingley Moccasin Rubbers. You can get them on the
Web (16 to 30 dollars) or at some shoe repair shops. I sprayed them with Amoral Tire Protector High Gloss and wiped them off with a damp paper towel back at the hotel. They look fine with a suit on a sloppy day and
you can slip them off, put them in a plastic bag and throw them in your briefcase when you get somewhere.
 

marc237

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I bought a pair of captoe Timberland shoes that are waterproof and have more of a lug sole. Because they are captoe lace ups, they can be worn with a suit or sports coat in most circumstances. Because they are Timberland, they are waterproof and somewhat warmer than regular dress shoes. The two negatives are:

1. Not as dressy as one might hope, but still better than 90% of whatever anybody else will be wearing in harsh weather; and

2. The leather does not hold a shine real well, so I need to attend more frequently to the shine.

On the other hand, a New York City winter does not seem to leave much of a mark and they cost < $100.00. When I need/want to be dressier, I stick a pair of dressier shoes in the brief case and change when I arrive whereever I am going.
 

LA Guy

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I've been wearing Goretex hiking boots and changing in my office.

I've done this during the last snowstorm, but usuaslly just wear sneakers and have a spare pair in my office if they get wet. Two things about Canadians: 1)We understand that, hey, it's winter, and there is snow, and anyone who wears leather soled shoes on Toronto/Ottawa/Edmonton streets in January is either a man to be contended with or a fool, and 2) People generally don't care what sort of shoes you wear (thus the crap selection even in Toronto,) even if you are in a businesswear required field, as long as they are black or dark brown and bear some resemblance to dress shoes. This might be one of those rare cases where the rubber soled Ferragamo or Cole Haan laceup boots might be the answer.
 

Crockett

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Have you considered the Cole Haan Chelsea boot? They are waterproof and don't look too bad. Plus, they are below your budget. I currently own a pair that I wear in the snow and rain.
 

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