Let's Go Shopping (updated)

And it's even writing-related! I need warm boots for my first MFA residency in Vermont this January. The dynamite Haddayr Copley-Woods pointed out some excellent options at Zappos and I think I've narrrowed it down to the following fabulous selections:

crunchy
tall
flowery
gray
these (I keep going back and forth between tusk and rootbeer -- possibly too short; opinions requested, but I kinda like these best at the moment) (or here's a slightly taller version)
taller

Which is where you come in. Preferences? Other candidates? (X-posted at LJ, which is the usual writing nattering spot these days.)

Updated: Thanks to all who played! Cleary, crunchy has won the fantasy boot competition. But the actual cold weather-livers have confirmed my opinion that these or a taller version of these (why is the taller version not available in tusk? gnash) are probably going to work best ... especially when wearing pants. I like pants. So I'm gonna try those first and see if they work. Next stop: warmer coat that does not look like a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costume!

Comments

[eek]

The first ones, the crunchy reds. Because red boots are fabulous.

[Colleen]

Okay - from my years of Alaska I can tell you that Sorrels will last forever. They do have taller (mid calf) options out there, so you might want to look.

One huge thing to consider - the snow in Vermont is wet and you need to have waterproof (or at the very least water resistant) boots. I don't know how these all stack up on that score but you will be cold and miserable if they cave in to the wetness. So be sure to check that out.

(I'm buying a pair of Uggs for this winter out west. Otherwise - I'm all hiking boots all the time as it is so damn wet in the PN.)

[Gwenda]

Thanks, guys. (That makes two votes for crunchy.)

Supposedly these are all waterproof and snow-good, but I'm betting some are better than others. Good tip on the Sorrells! My experience in places with lots of snow is that they tend to be pretty good at clearing paths and such, so I'm wondering if I need superhigh boots. Hopefully, someone will tell me if I'm wrong.

[Julia]

I like the flowery boots. They are the prettiest. I can't speak about boot functionality, as I am from Nashville. If we get cold feet we just go in.

[Colleen]

I don't know about boot height - I know VT gets a ton of snow but it depends on whether or not you will be straying from the streets. If you don't plant to hike in unplowed areas then heighth won't matter.

In AK we didn't get a lot of snow (Fairbanks is actually a desert clmate) so the snow wasn't deep (unless you were way out in the boonies and whose gonna do that at 30 below?). We went for comfy, warm and dry!!!

[erin]

Whichever ones you choose, definitely get yourself some SmartWool socks. I'm in considerably less snowy CT, but I love my socks more than any human being should love an inanimate object.

[Richard]

The crunchy ones look the most Gwenda-esque, w/ flowery coming in a close second.

[Gwenda]

I LOVE SmartWool socks. Yay!

Richard just called me a hippy. (Kidding, I kid. Bohemian. If anything.)

[eek]

In other boot news, I bought some bitchy black leather high zip-ups today. I feel like a superhero. Though I kinda wish they were red.

[Gavin]

Drifters?