The Happy List #5: A Story and Boots
We here at A Pretty Happy Home (and by we, I mean me) are not very trendy and we definitely aren’t going to win any fashion awards for moms.
But I do love shoes. They make an outfit, don’t they? I’ve learned the hard way that some shoes are designed to look good while walking to and from the car, but they are not designed for walking miles and miles per day.
Case in point. A couple of months ago it was a beautiful, sunny day in Ireland and I had a pair of leopard print flats that I really wanted to wear, so I did. They were fine for about a mile. After that, they started rubbing my feet. In multiple spots. I travel with bandaids and I had about 7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bandaids plastered on all of the tender spots, plus a few tissues shoved here and there and nothing was alleviating my misery. I still had a train ride and a mile-long walk to endure before I made it home. Going barefoot did not sound smart and that left only one option. The logical choice, really. In my desperation, I asked my 6-year-old son to take off his dirty, sweaty, too-small-for-me gym socks so I could wear them home with my cute leopard print flats.
Sadly, this is not the grossest thing I have done as a mom.
So who better than the woman wearing her 1st grader’s sweaty socks to write a post all about boots? I learned my lesson, so that makes me a self-proclaimed expert. Now my shoes, if I intend to walk very far in them, have to look good and feel good on my poor, poor feet.
Here are some boots that I can vouch for and some I’d like to try out.
I have these exact boots and I love that they aren’t your usual waterproof boots. While there is a slight heel, I can still comfortably walk in them for 3-ish miles. My one criticism is that when I first got them, I had a hard time slipping my foot past the arch area and I don’t have high arches or wide feet. However, they weren’t tight once I got them on. After I wore them a few times, this area loosened up a little. Just a little.
Amazon link for this style. Sorel link for other styles.
I also have these boots and I can’t tell you enough how awesome they look and feel. I wore them yesterday and did 16,405 steps without any problems. The best part – besides looking sassy – is that they are also water resistant for light rain. I’ve walked through Irish downpours in these babies and my feet stayed dried.
I did spray mine with the Kiwi Suede Protector
when I first got them and the suede has stayed like new except where the color of my jeans rubbed off on the very top seam. That suede protector is worth every penny. I do prefer to wear these boots with a sock that goes over my ankle bone just for added cushion.
Amazon link for this style. Sorel link for other styles.
I don’t have these exact boots, but I have two pairs of Madden Girl boots that are, what looks like, an earlier version of this boot. I’ve always found my Madden Girl boots at Macy’s, but you can order these online direct from the Steve Madden site or from Amazon
.
I’m really digging the tassel detail on these boots and the price at less than 100 bucks is fantastic.
Merrell Sylvia Mid Buckle Waterproof
I’ve had Merrell hiking shoes in the past and you can’t beat the quality. These boots look like shoes I could walk in, so I’ve put them on my Christmas list. At $190, Handy Husband is much more likely to buy them for me than I am to buy them for me. Shopping guilt is real if you are me.
Amazon link
to this style, which was cheaper as of 11/8/16. Merrell link to this style.
Jeffrey Campbell Taggart Cutout Bootie
If I didn’t have to worry about silly things like walking, rain and cold temperatures, I would definitely be buying a boot like this for fall. A girl can dream sweet shoe dreams.
Nordstrom link to this style and other colors.
I saw a lady wearing these boots the other day and I thought “wow, those are not what I expected from Uggs.” And then I thought, “why does she look so put together on an early weekend morning at her kid’s fencing practice?” Maybe it was the boots. I’d like to try them and find out.
Prices seem to vary a bit based on style. Here’s the link on the Ugg site. Here’s the Amazon link
. Here’s the Nordstrom link.
Columbia Jessa Waterproof Boot
This doesn’t look like a waterproof boot to me and that’s what I like about it.
Here’s the link on the Columbia site. Here’s the Amazon link
.
If you have a pair of boots that you love, then I encourage you not to get rid of them when you’ve worn the soles out. Try having the heels or the entire sole replaced first. I recently saved my Madden Girl boots by having the heels replaced for 15 bucks! That’s it!! (I totally would have paid more, but I kept it cool…I swear.) I can’t tell you how happy this made me because those boots and I have been through a lot together and I wasn’t ready to let them go. Happy shopping!
P.S. There are affiliate and non-affiliate links in this post. Over and out.
