Reader Question: Hott Boots for Cold Days

Dear Winona,
I have a serious problem. Winter is coming, and although I love the snow, I have no cute boots to wear in it. It seems like Uggs are the only option these days, but they just aren't my style, and I'd prefer something a little different, a little more "Winona-esque" if you will. Do you have any winter boot ideas for a New England college girl on a budget?
Signed,
No Doubt Aboot It

Dear No Doubt,

I have actually been having this same dilemma (except the New England part--I live many miles from New England, but I so enjoy your clam chowder). Winter boots are so tough, and I think that's partly because fashion magazines print things like this:

The perfect all-weather footwear for traversing the urban arctic!

After seeing hundreds of editorials insisting that suede stilettos are perfectly good blizzard attire, even the most wary of us can get sucked in and start thinking, "Vogue and InStyle are right! What am I doing running around in these sensible, flat, cleated ice boots when I could be strutting my stuff in some sexy D&G heels?"

But we must resist this dangerous propaganda! The cold (heh heh), hard truth is that icy, snowy, slippery winters call for embracing function over fashion (my dad would be so proud of me right now), which is code for "some of the following boots will be ugly."

Like these:

They're not leopard print, they don't have a heel, they sort of look like they need a bikini wax, but these babies will keep you warm, dry, and upright. I think they'd be pretty damn cute with some thick black leggings, a slouchy sweater dress, and a warm coat.
The North Face 'Nuptse' Faux Fur Boot, $99, nordstrom.com

Although the bottom half of this pair is reminiscent of the shoes my mom used to wear for 1980's gardening, I find their dorkiness quite charming, and plan to purchase a pair myself, tuck in some skinny jeans, throw on a giant puffy jacket, and just OWN it.
Sorel Joan of Arctic Boot, $99, amazon.com or nordstrom.com

I'd suggest going to an outdoor store to find more functional, ugly boots at lower prices. My brother owns a clunky pair of camouflage fishing boots he got for $30 that I would have stolen from him by now if his feet weren't fifteen sizes bigger than mine. (Ah, to have a sister...)

Another option that is actually very cute are flat riding boots:

I have a pair almost exactly like this, and I wear them all the time. They're obviously not as warm as their puffy, fuzzy counterparts, but layer thick socks underneath and you'll be toasty and chic. I like to wear mine with black tights and bright pink wool socks that peek out above the top. I also get great pleasure from knowing that, if the need arose, I could effectively command a horse.
Naturalizer crissa, $129, naturalizer.com

This style is pretty popular right now, so check out department store sales for good deals.

I was finishing up this post while sitting at Starbucks with my friend Lyndsey of You're Gonna Need to Write This One Down fame (I know what you're thinking: "Two bloggers of your caliber can just sit in a coffeeshop in broad daylight without being mobbed by fans?" And the answer is of course not, we're wearing disguises), and I asked her for winter boot ideas. "Moonboots!" she said.

"Nope," I told her, "the girl who wrote the email doesn't like Uggs."

"Neither do I," she said. "I hate Uggs but I love Moonboots."

I hadn't even considered this, as I put the two in the same category, but I suppose it's one of those a-square-is-a-rhombus-but-a-rhombus-is-not-a-square things (that was probably wrong, because I never thought I'd use geometry in everyday life--pay attention, kids!).

And so, I present to you, the rhombus of footwear, the Moonboot:

Good god these are rad. Definitely "Winona-esque." And "Lyndsey-esque" too, as an added bonus.
Technica Moonboot, $129, amazon.com