Maybe I don't need to fill that wardrobe gap

When a hole isn't a hole

Feb 24, 2025

An old photo from a trip to Colorado. If I lived here, I would probably have snow boots by now.

Snow boots have been in the SHOP list of my notes app for going on 10 years.

Each winter I think - this is the year I hunt down the illusive snow boots and fill the hole in my wardrobe!

Trouble is, I can’t seem to find any I actually like. A few years ago, I ordered and tried some from LLBean, but they felt too clunky. Sorel seems to be the go-to in winter boots, so I would scour their site every year trying to find something that I liked (Sorel - it’s SNOWING I don’t need a heel, I need traction).

L: the infamous LLBean duck boot. So cute! But it felt like I had 12 lb weights on each foot.
R: a classic Sorel snow boot. They all look like I’m trying to cosplay as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider goes to Antartica. Which I’m not honestly opposed to, but that much fur is too early 2000s for me to get behind.

This video I found in my phone from January 2019 chronicled my challenges….

And since I still don’t have snow boots in 2025, it’s obviously a hole? Right?? RIGHT???

I think, maybe not.

In doing my usual scroll of the internets, I came across this Substack post: “I’m Quitting the Personal Style Industrial Complex” and was, of course, intrigued. I love any article where someone is quitting something outright. It feels so dramatic and there’s bound to be a few juicy points in there.

What I loved specifically was that the author included a quote from Nikki Ogunnaike, editor in Chief at Marie Claire, that said:

“I really think there’s a hunger that’s happening on the internet that’s like, WHAT IS MY PERSONAL STYLE? Go outside. Live your life and then figure out how clothes fit into your life. There seems to be a fervor around this conversation right now, and it's not that deep, guys.”

I took the whole “go outside” part pretty literally. I live in Virginia and we’ve had more snow in the past two months than the previous five years. Yes, I’m writing this while being halfway blinding from the snow covering my back yard, while also realizing: I don’t actually need snow boots!

Because when I look outside - there’s snow on the ground. When I look in my closet - there are no snow boots. But you know what is in there? What I actually grabbed the last two days?

These two tried + trues: my Blundstones and soft waterproof hiking boots.

I have the Blundstone dress boot in rustic black. I wore then nearly every damn day for 4+ years which overlapped when I worked in a brewery. These are some hardy long lasting boots that look good. They aren’t technically waterproof, but they ca get the job done kin the snow for a quick mail run or check on the chickens.
Ahnu waterproof soft hiking boot. The brand isn’t that important (it’s not around anymore, supposedly it was bought by Teva. I linked to the exact boot I have via eBay so if you’re a size 7, you’re in luck). What is important are the features: it’s soft like a tennis shoe, has traction (look, no heel!!), and is waterproof. Sure, it’s a hiking boot, but all of these features make it dual purpose for longer snow walks (we got 5 inches, I don’t need fur lined knee high boots here!).

Fact: these boots are not snow boots. But, they are, in fact, the boots in which I live my life and they work for my life. A specific item for an event that doesn’t happen that much (especially when I have thing that get the job done), isn’t a good wardrobe investment.

Crossing off what is a “not hole” is one of the best things to happen to my SHOP list. Outside of enjoying all this snow in my waterproof hiking boots of course.

What’s on your SHOP list that maybe doesn’t belong there?

Vogue [ish]

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