Shoe fashion that doesn’t slip

While some students feel they know what shoes to wear on bad weather days, others think people need better shoe IQ.

“People need to have more common sense, especially girls,” said Kate Horton, a 21-year-old senior finance and accounting major.

For the snow, Horton said she depends on the Sorel boots from REI because they have good traction.

“They are big rubber boots with fur,” Horton said. “I feel like I can plow through an iceberg.”

James McMillin, a 19-year-old sophomore philosophy major, said he is also a fan of heavy-duty snow boots.

“[I wear] North Face boots,” McMillin said. “They are these giant boots, they look like Timberlands. You can trudge through anything. They’re like SUV’s, but shoes.”

For those looking to round out their shoe closet with snow boots, the Sorel women’s boots start at $110, according to REI.com, and men’s North Face boots start near $80, according to TheNorthFace.com.

Less expensive cold-weather boots can be found at FamousFootwear.com, with prices beginning at $40.

Other students, like Ashley Kulik, a 19-year-old sophomore speech, language and hearing sciences major, said they prefer to wear rain boots for the slushy days.

“I have these Sperry Top-Siders,” Kulik said. “They are really warm and good for snow.”

Brand name buyers can purchase rain boots like the Sperry Top-Sider and Hunter Wellingtons, “Wellies”, for $70 and $125, respectively, according to SperryTopSider.com and Zappos.com. Rain boots are also available for as low as $25, according to Target.com.

Despite the risks of falling or ruining shoes, some students take their chances with wearing dry weather shoes.

“I wear non-waterproof shoes,” said Rana Novini, a 22-year-old non-degree student. “I go slower and I avoid puddles.”

For slippery shoes, scuffing the soles with sandpaper or placing adhesive non-slip pads on the bottoms can help with increasing traction.

While every student wears footwear that expresses their own individual style, many students said they agreed on one foul-weather fashion don’t.

“Uggs are not waterproof, there’s no traction and they’re ugly,” said Dani Feiges, a 21-year-old senior history major.

Kulik said she agreed that Uggs are not well-suited for bad weather.

“[I wouldn’t recommend] Uggs…I see a lot of girls slip and fall in them and they get wet easily,” Kulik said.

Die-hard Ugg lovers can take steps to protect their Uggs from the weather by using Ugg’s Sheepskin Protector for $10 plus shipping.

But to Matthew Reed, a 23-year-old freshman environmental design major, there’s only one shoe to avoid on snowy days.

“No flip flops,” Reed said.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.