<p>We live in a relatively warm climate, and my daughter does not own a pair of winter boots. But she will be going to college in a much colder climate and will want to have a pair. There aren’t likely to be winter boots in the stores before she leaves for college in August, and she is reluctant to buy boots online because she is worried about fit.</p>
<p>If your kid has been in a similar situation, what did he or she do?</p>
<p>Marian,
Try the retail LL Bean stores – by late summer, they may well have boots in stock for your D to try on. That has worked well for us with getting winter coats, etc.</p>
<p>That’s a good idea, CountingDown. I see on the LL Bean site that there’s a store in Tyson’s Corner. I hope they get stuff in stock soon enough. My daughter has to be on campus on August 17. (Maybe they should call it summer semester!)</p>
<p>I feel a little guilty that we didn’t accomplish this last winter (my daughter was accepted ED, so we knew this problem was coming). We did manage to get a heavy winter coat for her but somehow didn’t get around to buying boots.</p>
<p>Marian, most college kids do not wear boots in winter. Many of the girls wear clogs and slides that are fur-lined, and that is their concession to the snow on the ground. I would wait until your D saw what other kids were wearing before buying anything.</p>
<p>My D goes to Chicago, wears flipflops in summer, sneakers in winter. She does want a pair of galoshes for the spring slush though. But only because they come in such awesome patterns :)</p>
<p>I say, let her wait till the weather turns cold, and she can buy whatever the kids at her school are wearing. Nothing worse (to me, anyway) than spending money on something than then sits unused in the closet. </p>
<p>BTW, my D bought an expensive pair of boots for her first winter in Boston. She wore them maybe four times; the rest of the time, like everyone else, she mostly wore running shoes.</p>
<p>Mine wears her Uggs in upstate NY
Try Zappos.com they have stuff all year around- although they had a mild fall and she didn’t really need them until 2nd semester and then I think they had snow through April…</p>
<p>Marian,
Call them in early August and see when they’ll have stuff in stock. I would love to get stuff during the winter close-out sales next Feb. for DS1, but his current top choices are in completely opposite climates, so with my luck, he’d need flip-flops and a windbreaker if I bought a down jacket. Unfortunately, younger brother DS2 can’t reap the benefits if I guess wrong, as DS2 is six inches taller and 100 lbs. heavier than his older brother! ;)</p>
<p>The last time we visited my daughter’s future campus, people were wearing boots. In April. (It was snowing.) My daughter even commented on the types of boots that various people were wearing and expressed some preferences. I’m not worried about boots not getting used; I’m just concerned about the timing of the shopping.</p>
<p>I tend to be fairly stupid about shopping. Once, I was horrified when one of my kids needed a bathing suit in the winter and didn’t have one. I had no idea what to do. Then somebody told me that sporting goods stores carry bathing suits year-round. Who knew? I figured that there might be equally obvious ways to buy winter boots in August that I have never heard of.</p>
<p>I agree with chocoholic. My son goes to school in rural New Hampshire and wears sneakers or flip flops year round. I don’t get it – my feet are always cold!</p>
<p>Marian - I also graduated '76 and have a d starting in the fall. When we are in Ithaca this past weekend for son’s graduation I asked his girlfriend re: boots - I had bought my dd Wellingtons - gf said they were popular but not for cold as no insulation…I did already purchase a down jacket on line!</p>
<p>I don’t understand the wearing of sneakers in snowy climates, either. They get soaked through so easily. You would have to have at least three or four pair to have any chance of having a comfortably dry pair available when you want them.</p>
<p>DO NOT buy boots before she gets there. Let her figure out what she wants when there. Your $$ is way too likely to be wasted if you get something that seems sensible in advance. She won’t need boots, if ever, until several months after she arrives. </p>
<p>Remember that in the Northeast, kids are not walking around IN THE SNOW in their sneakers. We have snow plows and shovels here ;), so they are usually walking on cleared paths. And, yes, the girls wear flip flops. Last year at Bates, I saw a girl in 38 degree weather in a 12" khaki miniskirt and white peek-toe 4" heels. And these kids have the IQs to get into selective colleges :p!</p>
<p>Signed -</p>
<p>Mom in the Northeast whose kid has not owned boots since freshman year in hs (and he didn’t wear the ones he had then). The only time he wore boots after middle school was to go skiing. And doesn’t do that anymore.</p>
<p>Speaking from an 18 year old, a good pair of shoes (that aren’t mesh sneakers) are good enough. I think it’s always good to have hiking boots, but snow boots for someone who isn’t going to be building snowmen and going skiing may be a bit excessive. I think a good option for girls (although they have reached critical mass) are Ugg boots with the rubber soles. They’re still stylish and you can tuck your jeans into them so you’re not walking around with soaking wet pants.</p>
<p>p.s. I have lived in MA for my entire life, and I haven’t owned snowboots since middle school.</p>
<p>My D actually DOES own a pair of snowboots but she never wears them except if we’re having a blizzard (chances of that are slim in SE PA). She also hates sneakers. She wears her tims or uggs when it’s cold and the walking is sloppy. Otherwise, it’s moccasins or flip flops if the temp is over 40 degrees. Needless to say, she refuses to take snowboots to Happy Valley.</p>
<p>Hiking boots…hi or lo. My daughter wears hers pretty much year 'round except for 2 months in the summer when she lives in sandals, swim shoes and bare feet. A decent pair of hiking boots will keep her feet warm, give her traction, and minimizes the dork factor. </p>
<p>Zappos is good because they carry all types and sizes and have free returns.</p>
<p>My daughter is heading to Ohio from Florida next year. She purchased a pair of snow sneakers from LL Bean at the end of the season. If you get a Bean’s credit card shipping is free. She will wait and buy most everything else once she arrives. I hope she can store all the cold weather clothes in Ohio since she will have no need of them in Florida.</p>
<p>These are the boots my D wears at school (Western Massachusetts - transplanted from So Cal) <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Wmns-Tattoo-Rainboot/dp/B000HGHK00/ref=sr_1_14/105-4122493-3973268?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1180715524&sr=8-14[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Wmns-Tattoo-Rainboot/dp/B000HGHK00/ref=sr_1_14/105-4122493-3973268?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1180715524&sr=8-14</a></p>
<p>Only hers have cows on them; she has 2 pair, the second is blue tartan.</p>
<p>My son went from high school in Hawaii (Teva’s year round) to college in Massachusetts. I told him we’d pay for boots when he found a pair he liked. Round about November, he found a nice pair at Eastern Mountain Sports. Leather low cut hiking boots. On sale for $25. Another $10 for the waterproofing stuff and a couple of pairs of wool socks.</p>
<p>Let your kid buy her boots herself. Think of it as a life skill.</p>
<p>Why not give her a month or two, then go for a visit and a shopping spree? That way she could get an idea of what’s hip and cool, plus the prices are bound to be lower in a colder climate for winter clothes than in a warmer one. I know this from trying to buy snow clothes in Florida- you end up paying out the nose.</p>
<p>i vote for the light hikers…they come in many waterproof styles and give a little ankle coverage and look cool with shorts or long pants…good on a rainy day when walking far across campus with laptop and books on your back</p>