After the recent snowfall in New York and the city’s absolute failure in clearing any of it, I completely over reacted. I went out and tested boots that I thought would come in handy should the city be caught napping, again, in the coming months. I settled on two that I found incredibly comfortable and reasonably priced (if you do some homework online).

The first is made by Sorel and is really overkill for urban dwellers except for those first hours and days when trudging through snowdrifts and slush to get some milk. The Maverick is self-certified by Sorel as waterproof and able to withstand -40 degree weather and when I stomped around in them I felt like walking all the way north to touch the Pole. Coupled with my down jacket and faux-fur hood trim all I needed was some goggles and ski poles to start my adventure.

In a more sensible moment, I slipped on a pair of Frye Rogan Hikers. I am always wary of leather hiking boots because they are synonymous with blisters, but I figured given Frye’s reputation it was worth a try. Having a high arch and wide feet I always dread boots and how restrictive they feel, but these guys fit like a glove and did not restrict movement or cut of my blood supply. They are certainly not going to give you the peace of mind that the Sorel’s do as far as jumping into puddles of brown slush, but they are water repellent and sturdy nonetheless. There are slightly different variations out there (mainly the way the soles are built) and the price difference is significant so make sure you look around for the lower end of the price spectrum. I tried both sole “variations” and could not really tell the difference so why spend more for essentially the same thing, right?