<p>We live in a warm state and my son is going to visit a college in a cold, snowy state next weekend.
I need to buy him some type of shoes/boots to wear when he goes up there. The loafers he normally wears around here would be soaked and frozen in about two seconds if he walked in snow.
What kind of footwear do college guys in cold climates wear these days??</p>
<p>Most times when it snows and rains heavily I wear Timberland boots but most of the time I can get around fine in snow and rain with plain basketball shoes.</p>
<p>If it’s very cold and not snowing hard sneakers work fine. It’s only when the snow is melting or heavy snow is falling that one really needs boots.</p>
<p>i live in ND and the key to keeping your feet warm aint boots</p>
<p>you really only need boots in unplowed areas. so it aint really necessary on a college campus, and walking around all day in boots visiting a campus is too tiresome.</p>
<p>So my vote is a definite no.</p>
<p>If you are still worried about your son’s foot warmth or anything, than the key is good socks. wait, scratch that, you don’t even need good socks. just wear a thicker pair. they dont have to be armani or anything. but dont go overboard with a really thick pair or then it’ll just make his feet sweat like heck and the sock will become soaked (no joke). just get a slightly thicker pair. (dressing for winter isnt as complicated as i am making it out to be) </p>
<p>you only need like wool socks if you’re going to be outside for hours on end in -20 degree weather.</p>
<p>if you have any other questions about the cold/clothing/whatever, just ask me, the north dakotan.</p>
<p>In Upstate New York, Tims (timberland boots) are the norm.</p>
<p>Every campus I’ve ever been on that regularly gets snow is very good at keeping the sidewalks clear. They’ve been responsible for wheelchair access since the mid-70s.</p>
<p>If your son is going to spend a lot of time walking around off campus and more than a few inches of snow is expected while he’s there, then maybe boots would make sense.</p>
<p>Otherwise, I’d hold off on boots and just send him with extra socks (if your shoes are wet but your socks are dry you’ll be okay) and something with a tread. If he’s got athletic shoes, those would be fine. If he doesn’t, figure out what he’d be willing to wear some of the time and go buy that, whether it’s boots or not – just keeping in mind that he’ll want shoes that are easy to break in.</p>
<p>If it has snowed recently when he’s there and he’s walking around off campus, he may want to look into crossing the street at driveways rather than crosswalks or walking in the street from driveways to get to crosswalks, if it’s safe. Around here, in an area where most people have cars, people dump a lot of snow in the curb cuts at crosswalks and trying to get from the sidewalk to the street and back is where your shoes really get wet. But driveways get cleared fast so that cars don’t get stuck.</p>
<p>Normal sneakers with some nice warm weather socks. I prefer merlino wool socks which keep you warm when it is cold but don’t make you sweat when you go back indoors.</p>
<p>We have about two feet of snow here, and I don’t even own boots. Tennis shoes work just fine.</p>
<p>If it is going to be really cold and he’ll be out trekking around on campus, I would have him put toe warmers in his shoes. The same company that makes the hand/pocket warmers makes them, you just stick them in your shoe and they work in the same fashion.</p>
<p>When it’s really cold sometimes I put on two pairs of socks. I wear sneakers. Otherwise it shouldn’t be a problem.</p>
<p>Helps to have a spare pair of sneakers when it’s really wet out, nothing worse than putting on wet sneakers the next day…</p>
<p>I’m still stuck on the loafers…</p>
<p>My son is upstate NY, in the arctic! Wears Timberland boots. He’s obviously walking more on campus than he did at home. Sizing seems true to size. Hear wears an 8 or 8.5 and purchased the 8.5 which left comfort room for socks. Buy them on ebay or Zappos. You really want a thick some to keep your foot off the cold. Warm gloves and hat are a must too.</p>
<p>I do running shoes+athletic socks (inside layer)+winter wool socks (outside layer)</p>
<p>too lazy to get boots haha</p>
<p>" I’m still stuck on the loafers… "</p>
<p>I googled it to make SURE they meant what I thought they meant</p>
<p>i just wear sneakers everywhere. sidewalk maintenance is very good here, and if i do need to walk off the path through the snow, its not for very long. no special socks either</p>
<p>I used to live in Colorado. When it snows all over, a pair of sneakers can work surprisingly well.</p>
<p>All I did was simply dress in layers (t-shirt, sweatshirt, warm jacket). As long as you’re being sensible, it should be OK. Wetness is the real thing you have to worry about, but that can be combatted with wool instead of cotton socks.</p>
<p>Or, you simply just get used to the weather and go out like you do in the summer. The human body is surprisingly robust to the elements. :)</p>