Owlet: Winter

Winter's supposed to get here any minute now. We've been so lucky - not only has the snow held off (we've had less than an inch in total since fall "ended"), but the temps have been averaging in the 40s and 50s, and even a few days nearing 60! So, the fact that it's January 12, and we're just now getting all the snow warnings, is less painful than if they were coming in November, like normal. I don't know if I worded any of that the way I wanted to, but I haven't had any coffee, so you'll forgive.

Mostly I started writing about this today because in the elevator on the way up to my office this morning, there was a young gal with the cutest winter boots on, in preparation for the onslaught the weather folks are getting all worked up about. Meanwhile, there I stood, in clunky but cute fashion boots, thinking, 'will these be ruined by the time I get home this evening?' But p.s., people are totally geeking out about this "winter storm watch" as if they've never experienced winter weather before and as thought they don't live IN FREAKING CHICAGO! Seriously, there's hardly anyone at my office, and my bus commute down the usually-traffic-heavy Lake Shore Drive this morning was a breeze. Maybe I missed some sort of memo...

So anywhoozits, I started considering the winter boot... a shoe in which I often do not invest. For the past two years I've added a yummy fleece boot liner to my Hunter rain boots and called them winter boots. This works fairly well, because the snow in Chicago tends not to stay soft and fluffy--or even packed--for very long. It's usually lovely for 10 minutes and then gets wet and slushy and grey-brown-gross. So tall wellies are effective for multiple reasons. That said, they're not the warmest, in spite of those liners, and they are more difficult to get on and off with said liners.

All that to say that I'm considering a purchase of some truer cold-weather boots. Suggestions? Here are a few possibilities (I guess)...