<p>I’m looking to outfit my SoCal D1 for a couple of cold-weather trips (1 week in Chicago, 1 week in DC). She probably won’t be spending a great deal of time outside (these aren’t college visits), so she should be able to manage for the most part with layering clothing. IME as long as you have a hat, gloves and a comfortable pair of warm boots that will keep your feet dry, you can conquer the world. D1, being a teenager, wants looks over functionality. She says she would be fine with a pair of Uggs and/or rubber rainboots. I’m suggesting she get some ankle-high sneaker-style boots from Land’s End or LL Bean. Could some kind forumite offer any advice on The Right Thing To Do?</p>
<p>She is a high school junior, and is planning on applying to some schools with real winter weather. Which means that if we buy her expensive boots, she will end up going to school in California, and if we buy her cheap boots, she will end up in New England :)</p>
<p>What date is the trip? One week in Chicago in Jan. or Feb. could be a foot of snow. She would need waterproof boots, not Uggs. She might need a down jacket too–windy and freezing cold there. DC will probably be milder and the layering approach for clothing and Uggs might be OK.</p>
<p>I would go to a discount shoe place like DSW. They have awesome warm boots right now. I would go for higher boots rather than the ankle-type. There are some cool new styles by Sorel right now, too.</p>
<p>North Face boots are the best out there – they’re waterproof unlike Uggs – they’re fashionable but pricey. LL Bean and Lands End boots also get the job done. Rain boots would work in a pinch if she had THICK socks underneath them. You really might want to invest in a down coat as well – though layering might be the way to go if she’s never going to be using it beyond this trip.</p>
<p>Chicago will be frigidly cold. It get’s snow and isn’t called the windy city for nothing – which just whips that snow up. She will need a thick coat and scarf for that city. I lived in Michigan for 18 years and made frequent trips to Chicago and now live in DC :)</p>
<p>DC is milder, but if she comes in January I wouldn’t recommend wearing Uggs. DC doesn’t get a heck of a lot of snow but we get ice instead. Uggs have no traction – and if you don’t slip on the ice on the sidewalk you WILL slip because of the wet bottoms on the marble floors of the buildings. DC is also a walking city and Uggs don’t have a whole lot of arch support.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t buy anything before she goes. It could be that Dec in Chicago will have no snow or no snow on the ground at that time. She will be fine in her uggs. The only time you would want something other than what she has is if there is a lot of snow on the ground. Even if it’s cold and hasn’t snowed in awhile, she will be fine in the boots or shoes that she has. My S goes to school in a place that gets a lot more snow than Chicago and he only has a pair of waterproof hiking boots. </p>
<p>Even if you buy something, it won’t guarantee that kids will wear them. I wouldn’t worry. If the weather is bad and she has to have a pair of boots, she can go to Walmart and buy some.</p>
<p>I really would not worry about DC in Feb. They don’t get enough snow and if they do, it melts in a day.</p>
<p>My D goes to school in NE. Waterproof taller boots are the best for winter months, according to her. She has sheepskin-lined Ugg rainboots and a pair of leather boots (neither cost me more than $100).</p>
<p>Reading comments so far, just wanted to say that she won’t be able to go and buy something during the trip. These are both heavily programmed weeks and she won’t have the opportunity.</p>
<p>Borrowing boots: the only friends of hers who have winter boots will be using them while visiting relatives in cold climates over winter break, so no dice there. I’m not a big fan of borrowing shoes, anyway. Jackets, scarves, that’s fine. Shoes, you buy.</p>
<p>Agree with the comments above that DC is a walking city. LL Bean has some functional, decent looking boots in their latest catalog. More reasonably priced than Uggs, I think. I love DSW, but have noticed that the boots are not usually very functional.</p>
<p>Honestly, she could probably get away with a sturdy hiking shoe or an ankle high boot. I live in Minnesota, and unless I am out walking the dog or going up north to a cabin, I do not wear taller boots. My D who goes to school in Pennsylvania not far from DC does not even have any boots at school, she just has a sturdy brown shoes sprayed with silicon (got the shoes at Clarks, I think).</p>
<p>My S has never worn anything but sneakers to school/college. He grew up in Maine and goes to Dartmouth, so he’s been around plenty of snow. He owns some Bean boots, but rarely wears them. (Usually only if trekking across fields or something.)</p>
<p>Even if there is a foot of snow, the sidewalks will be shoveled. Unless she is planning to play in the snow or there is a major blizzard she is very unlikely to <em>really</em> need boots. If she happens to own a pair of rain boots, socks such as Smartwool inside will keep her perfectly warm and dry. Sneakers with some decent socks would probably be fine. Generally, boots designed to keep you warm tromping through the countryside in the upper midwest in January are going to be overkill in DC in February. Hence rainboots and differing socks: the foot version of layers. </p>
<p>I would not invest in any boots until you know where she’s going, and she has a chance to check out what other people are wearing and see what she likes.</p>
<p>Another Minnesotan here, and unless I’m going trail hiking in winter or going out to do something in deep snow, I never wear tall boots. Campuses have sidewalks, and in wintry places they will be regularly plowed. So the main thing is keeping your feet dry and warm, not protecting your leg up to the knee. </p>
<p>A pair of slip-on waterproof “duck shoes” with warm socks suffices for most winter outings for me.</p>
<p>The reason girls go after tall boots is simple - fashion. I agree that warm wool socks and waterproof short hiking boots are good enough in places with shoveled sidewalks.</p>
<p>I’ll pass on the boot comment except to say that she’s right…the kids don’t wear “real” boots…except Uggs. They wear whatever fashion boots. </p>
<p>BUT…I will caution you that “layered clothing” will NOT suffice in these climates in these months. Maybe you can wait until the week before and see what the climate is. But, even if you THINK you know what 30 or 20 or 10 degrees feels like…when you add that wind off Lake Michigan…it’s like nothing you might have ever felt. EVen if just walking from shopping to a cab or friend’s house to get into a cold car. Now a coat is something that CAN be borrowed, but… I’m just saying’…think about it.</p>
<p>Yup, duck shoes would be perfect. Just make sure they are comfy, though, because DC does require a lot of walking. I say this because my duck shoes are a size too large :(</p>
<p>I live in Northern Il and most of the winter I wear sneakers. The only time I put boots on are when I am hiking through the yard with the dog. A lot of time in December, we don’t even have snow. City sidewalks will probably be fine. Maybe just waterproof the sneakers.</p>
<p>You might try 6pm.com. I just bought two pair of fake Uggs. With shipping under $25.00. They have great specials particularly if you aren’t ridiculously fashion conscious which in this case you shouldn’t be since she might end up only wearing them for this trip.</p>
<p>The problem with heavy high cold weather boots is that they make your feet hot if you’re indoors with them for very long. But your feet will freeze with skimpy shoes, particularly if they get wet.</p>