Hey CHICKS!

My mailbox is being bombarded with all the new clothing catalogs for this fall! (I am SO excited about flared bottoms coming back and the higher waist bands (goodbye plumber-bum!)) I've decided to really go all out for new clothes this year. Now that I've survived one Alaskan fall and winter, I'm more prepared to survive AND look cute this time! I cannot WAIT! All the textures, and patterns, and fabrics. I've never, ever, in my entire life cared about clothing. I've hated shopping with a VENGEANCE. But I am STOKED about this season!!

Does anyone in the colder regions have experience with Dansko shoes and specifically how they are for walking on ice? When I moved to AK I went to a shoe store and asked specifically for shoes that would NOT slip as much as the tennis shoes I was wearing in the fall - and I spent 150.00 on Keens. I wore them maybe 20 times this year - I just hate them. I found that my run-of-the-mill knock off crocs are WAY better on the ice. But Crocs keep your toes cold, and then snow gets in them, and that's not nice for anyone.

Anyways - I'm thinking one pair of normal every day shoes, maybe some hiking boots for the more hardcore snow days, and some nice fancy boots to wear with my new awesome jeans (I've yet to buy..) and the beautiful sweaters coming out.


But! Back to the QUESTION!

I live in Alaska where we walk on four inches of compacted ice every day to get to class - and ladies, it gets slippery. What do you wear to prevent from breaking your bum on the ice in the fall/winter?

I had a pair of crampons I used when I was doing homecare in Alberta, They're these spiky things that strap onto the soles of your shoes or boots, and you can take them off when you go inside.

I used to wear those when I worked at the gas station shoveling. Work really well and then the bottom of my shoes weren't completely wet and slippery inside.

I'm hoping for regular shoes that have incredible non-slip stuff to them, but I'm definitely taking those recommendations into consideration!

hey how do you get that Avatar that looks like you? can you put in your exact weight and height? that would be so cool

sry, that was kinda random....it's just that the only ice we have around here is in our sweet tea! haha

I love Danskos and I wore them when I was in AK, but they do take getting used to. When you walk they will slip a bit on your heel and that's NORMAL. You think they don't fit right at first, but you get used to it and they are amazingly comfortable. Not pretty though.

My favorite shoes for when I'm working are Skechers ... I lllluuuurve my Skechers. I have 4 pairs in various black options (patterned and not) to wear when I'm working (shooting weddings). They look dressy enough with a pair of black slacks, but are incredibly comfortable for being on your feet for 10+ hours.

I hate HATE high waistband pants, though. The more fabric over your behind and up your waist, the bigger your butt looks. Give me hipster pants any time ... they make your butt look smaller and your waist look narrower. Also the bigger the pockets, the better ... small pockets also make your butt look huge.

I sincerely hope I can keep buying my lo-rise pants even when high waists come back into style.

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I can't even remember anymore what I wore when I lived in an icy climate...I was pretty counter culture at the time, so it probably ran along the lines of combat boots.

Since I've settled down a bit and live in the south, I tend to wear either closed toe heels or ballet flats in the winter months. Rarely is it cold enough to warrant socks. I think I own one pair...and I don't even know where they are.

I wish more women would embrace the mid-rise jean - honestly, unless you have a fabulous body and are a teenager...low rise give you a muffin top (which is horrid) and the high rise jeans only look great on model types. Mid-rise don't even hit your belly button (forget the mom-jean look) and almost always flatter the hips and butt of a normal sized woman.

Thanks for the heads up about the Dansko's Photochick! I'm trying to change my 'look' as I lose weight, and I want something more 'grown up' looking. I want something more professional for interview and presentations, and Dansko's are the closest I can find but I don't want another Keen repeat, where I buy them for 32984324 dollars, just to hate them. I'm a poor college student! I can't afford that kind of mistake again!

I've got sketchers I used to wear for my dance class, but they have less 'grip' than ice skates. I've never been so scared of walking in my life!

Zeffryn - I'm a teenager and I still get the muffin top! Ohhh it's not cute! And it seems I have too much booty in the pants for low rise jeans, because no matter the size they just don't cover what they need to cover! - And on a nosey note - what's your 140 day countdown for?

I have to wear Dansko's because I have foot problems and my doctor recommended them. They can be a little slippery, but they're not bad.

The only thing I hate about them is how THICK the sole is!! I'm already really tall...I don't need those extra inches!! Just make sure you try them on before you buy them -- they're all hand-made and are all a little different.

I found that my arch always hurts for a day or two after I haven't worn them in a while, but once I get re-acclimated to them, they're really really comfy.

Thanks for the great insight, Artsnsmarts!

Try to see if you can find a brand called Merrell. They specialize in hiking footwear and have a wide variety of styles that would be suitable as a winter outdoor walking shoe/boot to handle ice, snow and are weatherproof. Very comfy too.

Ohhhh, I'm looking in to that right away! Thanks Boomcha!!

Where I live we have cold, real winters too, and my best tip for winter footwear is curling boots.

The biggest brand is Bally. They look like this: http://www.rizzo.se/begood/image_db.php?id=185.jpg

I have some by Clark's. They look like this (this is not me): http://content.expressen.se/blog/76/...s/IMG_1675.jpg

I live in the cold weather testing of north america Ford, Honda, Jag and skidoo do their cold testing up here.

I wear mukluks made in Churchill, MB. The regional trading post has them mass produced and in all my life living here I have yet to find something as amazing to weightlessly walk through the snow. They dont grip ice very welll... so I always have to walk on some fresh snow for grip but I refuse to wear huge clunker boots. And the mukluks are made by local aboriginals and decorated with intricate beadwork so they're fun to wear.