It’s that time of year again when women start to search the high street stores and online shoe retailers for that perfect winter footwear, whether it’s a pair of shoes for work, boots for everyday use or a pair of fun wellies. Winter footwear is an investment piece to be added to your wardrobe to see you through the season in style and there are so many aspects to consider when choosing your footwear for winter.

The ideal winter footwear needs to be comfortable, warm and practical to withstand conditions like heavy rain or snow with a thick sole and firm grip to hold up against ice and slippery leaves. Your winter footwear should also be versatile enough to wear with lots of different outfits and for all occasions.

Here’s a useful guide to choosing the right style of shoes, boots and wellies as your winter footwear.

Shoes

If you’re keen to keep on wearing shoes during winter then it’s important that you first of all consider the design of the shoe; avoid strappy design, open toes and slingbacks if you can; they’ll be no good up against the splash back from puddles and snow. You’re best going for a pair of simple court shoes or stiletto style shoes that offer a full shoe design with no cut outs. Of course, the lower the heel the better too, although a platform sole or chunky wedge heel will lift you further off the ground and keep your feet relatively dry.

Boots

You can’t go wrong with boots as your winter footwear choice. They offer comfortable, fashionable and practical footwear that’s perfect for winter, although since there are so many styles of boots it can be difficult to choose the right pair. As you’d expect, the higher the boot the better, so knee high boots and calf boots are definite winners, while fashionistas will love funky thigh high boots. Although many people love the cosy feeling of sheepskin boots, they’re not often practical because many are not waterproof and have poor quality slippery soles. If you’re not overly keen on high boots then ankle boots or shoe boots are a great alternative, while still offering protection to keep the feet warm and dry, they’re much easier to wear with lots more styles of outfits.

Wellies

Of course wellies are the ultimate winter footwear choice, they offer all over waterproof protection so you don’t need to worry about standing in puddles, splash back or walking in snow and as most wellies have chunky soles they also offer a sturdy grip on slippery surfaces. Wellies can be as plain or as fun as you like, you’ll find lots of fun patterned wellies around these days that make them a little more interesting to wear. If you just can’t live without your fashionable shoes and heels then there are now even wedge wellies on the market that are the winter footwear best friend to any glamour puss.

Winter footwear fashion tips:

• Avoid winter footwear in knitted or other fabric styles that are not waterproof; you’ll never be able to wear them. Stick to leather and suede
• If you really want to wear your favourite sandals or open shoes then team them with socks, it’s a trend set to take the catwalks by storm this season
• Going with the socks theme again, fold chunky knee high socks over your boots for a cute and cosy yet fashionable look
• Don’t be afraid to don the heels in winter for fear of a tumble; a small heel of approximately one inch is in fact the most comfortable and easy to walk in
• If your choice of winter footwear isn’t holding up on the slippery ice or wet leaves, rub a bit of sandpaper on the soles for extra grip
• Make sure you protect suede and leather boots with a suitable water resistant spray to prevent water stains and clean them when they show signs of dirt
• Don’t be afraid to spend that little bit extra on winter footwear; it’s an investment piece that will last the entire winter and into the following year

About the Author

This helpful and informative article was produced and distributed by Viva La Diva.