There’s no denying it — winter is officially upon us.
Soon, the roads will be covered in layers of slushy snow and spotted with slippery ice puddles, making staying dry and warm a priority over anything else — including, unfortunately, our appearance.
See, when the mercury dips and the snow piles up, most of us tend to trade our stylish kicks in favor of something a little more utilitarian.
And while there’s nothing wrong with dressing for the weather — in fact, you absolutely should — there’s no reason it has to be sartorially sub-par.
To prove it, we scoured the web to find stylish footwear you can wear all season long.
Our criteria were simple: The kicks must have some weatherproof quality (either waterproof, snow-resistant, or durable and warm) and they must look good. That’s it.
There's no reason to let fashion suffer just because the weather outside is frightful.
The (Warm) Winter Pair
Even when it's not a snow-covered apocalypse outside, you’re going to want an everyday shoe that keeps your feet toasty — because there is nothing worse than cold toes.
We’re partial to these moto boots from Topshop, which are lined with a thick, fluffy faux shearling, aka the warmest material ever.
The Lug Sole
We wouldn’t advise these for serious trudging, but lug-soled shoes are great if snowfall is light (as in, a few inches max) or the ground is extra slippery.
Look for soles made out of a thick rubber and you shouldn’t have any problems conquering black ice.
There are tons of different styles on the market to choose from, too: Look for oxford styles like these from Viole Blanche, or go dressier with knee-high varieties, like this Dolce Vita pair.
The Rain Boot
It’s wet outside, but you don’t want to bust out your actual snow shoes just yet. We get it. Waterproof rain boots will keep your feet dry without sacrificing style.
Any rubber rain boot will do the trick, but we’re especially drawn to these Michael Michael Kors booties because they don’t look like your run-of-the-mill wellies, which are a bit overdone (and frankly not the cutest shoes on the planet).
The Special Occasion
Dressing up in the winter is especially hard because most weather-appropriate footwear is decidedly non-formal.
Luckily, we found a pair of heeled waterproof boots from La Canadienne that look sleek enough to dress up but are functional enough that you won’t be left with soggy toes at the end of the night. You’re welcome.
The Serious Snow Boot
Ahh, the snow boot. There’s no getting around this one: Real snow boots are going to be made out of rubber or nylon, and they’re going to be vaguely chunky and rugged.
If they weren’t, they wouldn’t do their job effectively.
This entirely waterproof option from Sperry for J.Crew is just about as chic as it gets in the snow boot department. (Plus, they’re lined with shearling for extra warmth.)
As far as snow boots go, you really can’t get much better than these.
