<p>So I’m JUST barely starting to shop around for college “stuff”…and I’ve realized that I won’t be able to wear my beloved Rainbow flip-flops all year round anymore (sadface…I’m such a SoCal native. XD). I need to get some good winter shoes, but I have no idea what to get, because I’ve never had a “real” winter before.</p>
<p>I’d love to get some Ugg Boots, but I have no reason (or justification) to shell out $200 for a pair of boots. Any suggestions on good, sturdy, all-weather shoes? (I believe it rains quite a bit, but does not snow, where I’m going…if that makes a difference.)</p>
<p>Get some cute rainboots! You will probably want some cute tennis shoes (the retro Puma’s are great) and some comfortable flats (make sure they have some padding in the sole). My daughter really likes her Tom’s shoes that she got online, and she also likes her very inexpensive flats from Newport (kind of old lady clothes on this site, but they have some great inexpensive shoe deals). Try them on at department stores, but try to find them online to save money. I ALWAYS search for online coupons to save money. You can save a lot on brand name shoes that way.</p>
<p>D ordered boots last summer from [Shoes</a>, shoes, shoes! Zappos.com - Fast FREE Shipping, 365-Day Return Policy, HUGE selection of dress shoes, casual shoes, athletic shoes, online shoe store](<a href=“http://www.zappos.com%5DShoes”>http://www.zappos.com). They had over a thousand pair of women’s boots - amazing. She is only in St. Louis and used them MANY times this past winter. We love zappos because the shipping to you and returns are free (probably factored into the cost, but it makes you feel better that they say it is free!). There are also many reviews by customers under each shoe/boot that tells you about it - comfortable or not, waterproof, true to size, quality of construction, etc. Returns are also a breeze. D order three pair, tried them all on, decided on one and we sent the other two pair back.</p>
<p>We’re huge Zappos fans here, too. It’s hard to go wrong with free shipping both ways.</p>
<p>Ellemenope’s advice to wait and see what it’s really like is wise. If you know it’s going to be rainy, yes, cute rainboots are a good mood lifter and pretty inexpensive (try Target as well as Zappos). But you also might want to look into Keens - they make several different styles of cute, waterproof clogs and shoes.</p>
<p>For cooler nights in SD, my DD brought her Birkenstock clogs from VA. They work with or without socks and last forever. (Of course, she also needed a new pair of Rainbows, for variety!)</p>
<p>Well you can’t go wrong with a good pair of Rainbows, mominva!</p>
<p>Thanks for the great advice, guys. I was up there in December and it was pretty chilly/rainy so I got a little taste, but maybe I’ll take the advice and wait. I have a great pair of Adidas now that will probably last me until I get up there and decide what I need.</p>
<p>I also just remembered that it’s tradition for my grandparents on my father’s side to give the grandchildren $200 on HS graduation, so maybe I CAN by my uggs after all…<em>hmmmm</em></p>
<p>Of course I’ll have to wait and see if it’s needed for anything else, because I found an almost-the-same pair of Skechers boots for about 1/4 the price. But I suppose we’ll just wait and see!</p>
<p>Definitely try Zappo’s for boots! I got my D a great pair of Doc Martten’s (not the biker kind!) for a fraction of their original price. They were discontinued, but they weren’t out of style.</p>
<p>Wait till you get to school, see what others are wearing (especially upperclassmen), then order from Zappos.com. They deliver in 2 or 3 days, so you can afford to wait. And you can order a couple different sizes and send back the wrong ones. Free shipping both ways.</p>
<p>Warning on Uggs - they are warm, but they’re not good in snow (voice of a New Englander here). Snow and icky slush messes up the pretty suede. :-(</p>
<p>Check out sierratradingpost.com for boots and coats. Also landsend.com has reasonably priced things that will last longer (both style-wise and wear-wise) than Uggs.</p>
<p>you can find them at nordstroms, h&m, jcrew, for more money, but the cheeper ones are just fine!!!</p>
<p>dont’ get the kind with the wedge heel. that just defeats the purpose.get the kind with the boot type heel, so you don’t slip, so watch for that when you buy them</p>
<p>and regular leather boots are in as well…with skinny jeans…</p>
<p>I’d wait until you are there and see what other people are wearing. I’m from MA and I remember that last winter those kind of colorful rainboots were becoming regarded as a bit last-year’s-fashion and the Uggs that had been so ubiquitous the previous couple of years were completely passe.</p>
<p>I live in NOCal and the rainboots are still in fashion,but if in doubt get a yellow or solid colored pair…you will be glad you have something that first rain, no matter the color!!! My D is in nyc andwhen that first rain came, and she pulled on her paisley purple rainboots, no one cared about the color or anything, they were jealous of the boots!!</p>
<p>and for twentybucks you can’t go wrong</p>
<p>as for ugghs, well, they are still around, as are northface jackets, another college staple</p>
<p>pricey, but they seem to last forever and do keep people warm</p>
<p>girls LIVE in them up here</p>
<p>if you are small, like my Ds, you maybe able to get away with youth large/extra large sizes in uggs and northface…I am a 7 1/2 and can easily fit into a kids 5 in uggs…</p>
<p>I’ll probably just go with a cute pair of the Target ones. I’ve never been “trendy girl” to begin with, so it won’t bother me terribly to be “out of fashion”…as long as I can wear them with jeans, I’m good to go!!!</p>
<p>It’s pretty unusual to see people running around Marin in rainboots, so I wouldn’t expect to see it much in Sonoma either. Not that it wouldn’t be practical, but if you’re walking around campus a lot you might prefer a shoe that has more support. I always found the whole Ugg boot and mini-skirt thing pretty silly, and expensive as you point out. I wear good water-resistant leather shoes with sturdy soles and have no problem with the rain. My kids wear athletic shoes pretty much 24/7, rain or shine, but make sure that you have a few pairs so that you can let them dry out if need be. In any case, I wouldn’t buy anything until you see what other people are wearing. It won’t start raining until end of Oct. at earliest.</p>
<p>You may want a couple of pairs of closed-toe shoes, however, for when it starts to get too cold for flip-flops. I’d recommend a visit to the Puma store at the Petaluma outlet mall. I took my d there after she was diagnosed with plantar fascitis. She needed attractive shoes that she could put an arch support into, and Pumas have the advantage (for her) of running narrow in several of their styles. We bought 7 pairs of shoes (1 pair for me, 6 for her), a pair of boots, a T-shirt, and a bag for her track shoes, all for $400! The outlet mall is just a few miles south of SSU.</p>
I was up there in December and it was pretty chilly/rainy so I got a little taste, but maybe I’ll take the advice and wait. I have a great pair of Adidas now that will probably last me until I get up there and decide what I need.</p>