(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best mid-calf boots for women

Naot Viento in luggage brown is currently under $150 in all sizes (list price $300). I'm a bit of a Naot fangirl, because mine are my most comfortable shoes, and are over 5 years old with over 1200 wears, and still have life left in them. So if you like the look, I'd certainly recommend them.

Cobb Hill Ashlyn has a small heel, but should still be comfortable: Cobb Hill is a New Balance brand, and specifically billed as comfortable. Given that it's got a full grain leather upper, I'd expect it to last well.

Naturalizer Joen also looks nice, and I'd think it would comfortable.

I live about 2 hours east of you and we had one of the worst winters ever back in 2007 or 8 - subzero temperatures for weeks, more snow than I'd seen since I was a kid, and the cold, the biting, horrific cold - I could not stand it any longer, so here is what I did:

Coat - spent the money and bought myself a Columbia ski jacket. It has a lining you can zip out, is breathable when you get too warm, and is flexible enough to shovel snow in.

Gloves - again, ski gloves. I got mittens b/c gloves never, ever keep my hands warm. The palms are leather and pretty grippy for shovels, snow brushes, etc.

Hat - Tight knit, felt or fleece lined. I always hated hats. After that winter, hats were my best friend. I even got one of these mofo's on clearance from an outdoor store last year.

Boots - I went to Amazon and did some research on these, because I have never found a boot that can keep my feet warm. I went with these. Note the "Minus 40 Degrees" rating in the description. Waterproof is a MUST.

So here it is, 2014, and I still use this winter wear. In that respect it is "cost effective," but the upfront cost was about $300 (half of which was the boots). Everything was pretty expensive, but it was well worth it. Best of luck to you!

I'm looking for boots now too. I think my standards are similar to yours: able to stand up to the El Nino rains coming up, able to walk at least 2 miles without getting uncomfortable, and I want something cute, not too formal - something I can wear grocery shopping and back and forth to the gym.

These are the 4 I was looking at, I was going to check out REI tomorrow to see if I can try them out. If anyone has any feedback on mine, feel free to share!

Keen Bern Boots

Merrell Captiva Buckel-Down Boots

Born Jorah Boots

Teva De La Vina Boots

Out of the 4, I think I like the look of the Merrell and Teva the best, but I want to try them on and see them in person before I make any decisions.

EDIT: I have a 13" calf circumference, any ideas if these or other brands might be suited for a narrower calf?

SECOND EDIT: I tried on the 4 at REI today (although they didn't have the Merrell Buckle Down, they had another Captiva) and of them I thought the Teva De La Vina had the best fit and look for me. No major gap in the calf. They didn't carry the black though, so I ended up ordering them on Amazon for $137 and free shipping.

I think they're unironically gorgeous but all my friends think thy're hilarious. I have a pair of these eyesearing bad boys. Fun fact, each of the two shoes actually has a slightly different design. All of my friends agree that they fit my personality well enough that I can pull them off.

It's not so much the brand of boot that matters, but rather the construction of it. For the sole, look for a deep/complex tread. The flatter and less deep the grooves are, the more it'll slip around. The concept is much the same for winter tires - deeper tread equals better traction.

A lot of people were recommending Sorels to me when I was winter boot shopping last year, but none of them had great tread. For example, this Sorel boot obviously has a rather flat sole, so I wouldn't expect it to walk well on ice. I ended up settling on this much cheaper boot by Kamik, which has a deeper tread.

For research, I actually Googled it and found Rate My Treads, which is a Toronto-based company that experiments how different boots fare in slippery conditions. This website was also pretty good at rating boots and is where I researched the Kamik boot I eventually bought, as they do rate each boot's traction.

I swear by Ugg-type boots for keeping warm honestly... I hate how they look but I've been wearing them for years because they're stupid warm. Plus it's like wearing slippers all day... So that's just sort of amazing. When I was living up north I'd buy a pair and then wear them all winter (they're usually last like 2-3 years). Super warm boots + a warm coat is key to staying warm up there (plus all the warm winter accessories you can find). It's always better to splurge on something expensive and it'll last a few years than just cheap out.

I don't know if you'd be willing to give Frye another shot, but I just got these last week, and I'm in love. They were a little heavy on my feet the first day I wore them, but I've worn them 3 times since, and now I find them quite comfortable. I can tell they are good quality, and that I'll be wearing them for years to come. Depending on your size, they are likely in your price range on Amazon. Haven't checked other retailers. Let me know if you want pics of them on, and I'd be happy to post.

My time to shine!! I am a shopaholic and have been scouring for chicken products all season. Personally I think if the holidays as a time to buy things for people that they normally wouldn't buy for themselves. Here's some Recs:

• Sur La Table has a Jacque Pepin line of serving ware that is all chickens, ranging from paper napkins to casserole dishes.
  
• TOMS will be releasing chicken patterned shoes in prep for the year of the cock, but it's catalogue only (I saw it at my parents and then found out that it's not available online :( they are the usual grey slip-one with red rooster prints!)
  
• lots of rooster stuff art will be available in the coming weeks! I'm getting ready to release my greeting cards for New Years, and a lot of other [amazing](https://www.etsy.com/listing/477169816/holiday-greeting-card-year-of-the
  https://www.etsy.com) [artists](https://www.etsy.com/listing/485280797/funny-new-years-card-rooster-party
  https://www.etsy.com) on [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/475237351/year-of-the-rooster-note-cards-set-of-8
  https://www.etsy.com) are too
  
• did I mention the bajillion chicken plushies that are available on amazon, like puffy the silkie by Adore? I bet she'd want a legion of these on her sofa!
  
• last but not least, I got these chicken boots for going to the coop. They're super comfy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Kalesalad, out! MIC DROP

I don't think they're what you're looking for but I have these in brown and they're my absolute FAVORITE boots. For years I was looking for boots like them but I have wide size 11 (US women) feet and the boots I'd find and try on were always too narrow or too tight in the calf. Then I found these, and I took a chance ordering them online but they are PERFECT.

I bought these Sorels for a super reasonable price. I bought them specifically for snow, but have wearing them for hiking and working in the woods on our property. They have been comfortable straight out of the box and not horribly heavy, have held up to a lot of hard work (chainsawing, hauling branches, driving equipment), and are totally waterproof. They get covered in mud every time and scrub up like brand new. They were a great buy for $60. I see the price has gone up since I bought them, probably because I was shopping for snow boots in summer, but I would still pay what they are asking now given my experience.

Okay so first off, be aware that really the only way to wear rain boots in winter in nothern states is with wool socks and even so they can tend to be pretty cold. If you're looking for true winter boots I'd recommend Sorrel.

However, just strictly speaking about Hunter boots. Personally I think they're very stiff and VERY heavy as far as rubber boots go. Also, overpriced. After a lot of evaluation I decided to go with the Kamik Jennifer instead which also comes in a short size the Kamik Jenny. They look very similar to the Hunter boots with the exception that they have a slightly narrower shaft, weigh less than half the Hunters do, have a REALLY cushy insole that's amazing and are made out of a slightly softer rubber. I should have done a side-by-side comparison before I mailed the Hunters and the Jenny boots back, but I preferred the two Kamik styles over the two Hunter styles on the basis of comfort, asthetic, weight, fit and price. Oh, did i mention? They're about a third of the price of Hunters. I haven't had the Kamiks too long, but they're very highly rated and almost all the reviews say they last for years. I haven't seen any reports of Kamiks cracking while I've seen lots of reports of Hunters cracking recently.

So there's my two cents. :)

Having lived here all my life I have a variety but you may not want to buy as many. I have something like this for grip and something like this for higher snows/shoveling snow/wearing when its cold and I’m wearing a dress or skirt. I dont like the grip on them as much though so sometimes I pair with crampons depending on what I’m doing.

Anyway, I don’t think as a newbie you need more than one solid boot. If you are looking at this one, I think its a good choice. Some may say overkill, but if you have a 20 minute walk in the cold, you may appreciate at least having space for layers of wool socks and a place to tuck in some under-armor.

They are Corral boots!

Here are the boots!

I tried them on at a local western store so I knew they would fit lol. I have muscular calves and they still fit! No extra room but still comfy!

Good luck on your boot search!! :)

Not sure if you're a fan of Dr. Martens, but they're usually what I think of when I hear combat boots- something like these. At the high end of your budget but more similar to the Troopa are these Timberlands. Depending on your size they might be a little cheaper on Amazon.

I also think of the Troopa as being more similar to paddock boots, for horseback riding. I don't see any in brown on their website, but you could look around on secondhand websites for brands like Ariat. I have Ariat boots and they're great quality, especially considering I wear them around in the dirt and muck and they're still in good shape!

Also, for what it's worth, I've had the Troopa for about 3 years and they've held up well. I did get them re-soled but that was after 2 years of walking around in them almost every day on a college campus, in all kinds of weather.

I've had a craving for the perfect pair of black Chelsea boots for about three months now, but I'm also looking into other sleek-ish styles (read: not as chunky as my moto boots). I'm looking for something a little taller than strictly ankle-height, but not quite mid-way to my knee (shafts about 5.5"-6" from the arch). My office is business casual (no jeans, but skinny chinos and trousers are accepted), and ideally I'll be wearing them with straight/slim ankle pants. Maybe similar to this, but with a more tailored-fit blazer

I've been going back and forth between heel or no heel, but I definitely prefer a chunkier heel. Here are the 1.5+ inch heel options I have in my Amazon wishlist:

• These from H by Hudson - probably my favorite right now.
  
  
• These from Clarks - I like how the elastic panel looks different than regular elastic, but I'm not sure I'm feeling that buckle.
  
  
• This first pair from Frye - Not a Chelsea boot, but I picked these because the full-leather construction would probably fare better in the winter for my walk from the train to the office. These are a bit lower on my preference list.
  
  
• Here's another pair from Frye that I found on my Pinterest board. I'm not sure how I feel about these now.
  
  
• Lastly, this other pair from Frye - I'm not as fond of these as I remember and will probably take them off my list. I'm really not a fan of the Western-style boot heel, plus my steel-toe Doc Martens (worn for work) are combat-y enough.

These will work great! I've had them for a year now and they do fantastic through Chicago winters. Last year when it was -55 these boots kept me toasty and they're isnt a bit of wool on them! I also have chunky calfs and they fit great!

Globalwin Women's 1729 Black... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XDFXV4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Ugh I have so many shoes, and just moved into a VERY tiny apartment with only one closet. So I downsized. But these are my staples:

I'm in these the most, weather permitting. Here in the Bay Area I'm lucky that there's only a few rainy days out of the year where I have to bust out the boots. I'm SO MAD that they seem to be discontinued. They're the best flat I've ever owned and I have them in black too.

At work, these are my go-to. I'll admit that I have about 5 different colors. Heh. I like coordinating them with different pencil skirts!

These boots when it's rainy or cold. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I snagged em last year when Amazon was having a 25% off boot sale around Christmas. I could never find a tall boot that was flattering to my stumpy legs until these came into my life.

And although summer is coming to an end, it's still warm enough to wear these. They are so flattering to my legs its amazeballs. I saved them for special date nights or when I decided to go open-toed at work.

I came here to rep the Ugg shearling-lined Bonham chelsea boots, which perhaps might be the perfect boot for you given the name, haha. I live in the upper Midwest and these work great a lot of the time. For general super-snowy weather I have a different pair of pull-on Uggs (I really hate having to spend time lacing/unlacing when I've just come in and I'm all wet and cold and covered in snow). The chelsea height is more casual and works throughout fall and spring, and during winter when it's well-shoveled and not an actual snowstorm situation. And they are pretty cute, I think. (I have an older version that is black nubuck and without as much detailing as the one I linked)

I recommend not getting much in the way of heels on your boots, getting a pull-on style for the reason mentioned above, and I also highly recommend a real wool lining instead of faux shearling because your feet will get sweaty and stinky in there, and real wool cuts down on that compared to polyester.

I live in the midwestern US. Here are my boots:

1. Frye Harness 12R. Love these. I've had them for years & they still kick ass
   
2. Merrell Luxe Whip - a bit dressier than my snow boots but still warm and have traction for the snow.
   
3. Keen Hoodoo II - these are my snow boots and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. They're so warm, lots of traction, and still a bit cute.

Yea US prices. Amazon has down to 5 in stock for most boots right now but you're correct about probably not finding a place to try them on.

Overkill but these are forestry and Firefighting rated apparently. Pretty awesome boots but likely Overkill.
https://www.amazon.com/Thorogood-Hellfire-Wildland-Composite-504-6379/dp/B007KJ77YQ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=thorogood%2Bboots%2Bwomen&qid=1554161019&rnid=7141124011&s=apparel&sr=1-5&th=1&psc=1

Less expensive CAT boots in a 5 women's. Steel Toe as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Caterpillar-Womens-Kenzie-Steel-Black/dp/B00I856LUC/ref=asc_df_B00I856O5O/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312463264964&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14117561969889069483&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031424&hvtargid=pla-570181152643&ref=&adgrpid=62532751616&th=1&psc=1