<p>My son is an incoming freshman and is from California. I know he needs some kind of footwear for the snow. and rain. He only owns Vans canvas sneakers which will not work. What kind of shoes do boys wear at UW for the inclement weather? Do they wear boots in the snow at all, or something else? What about the rain? I was thinking maybe a pair of leather sneakers for the rain and then something else for the snow. Maybe he should just wait and see what everyone else is wearing. We will probably go visit him in late October so we could take him to a store at that time if I knew what to buy.
I bought my older son who attends college in Colorado a pair of Sorell boots for the weather, and he has never worn them. Because where he goes to school, they have 300 days of sunshine and even after a snowfall the next day the sun is out and a lot of the snow melts. But I have a feeling Wisconsin snow sticks around a lot longer! LOL!</p>
<p>WI resident, going into 2nd year. Yeah, the snow sticks around here. Usually around for about 3 months, though one of those months is winter break and there is sometimes a thaw midwinter. Last winter there wasn’t much snow cover at all because winter was extremely mild. </p>
<p>I wore tennis shoes (mesh) the entire year and was just fine. The snow is usually cleared quickly enough where there won’t be much on the ground (or so I’ve seen, last winter there was very little snow)</p>
<p>Full-on snow boots are overkill unless the snow is deep (rare on roads/sidewalks) so you would only use them sledding/playing in the snow. I wore basketball shoes sledding last year, they worked OK, my feet did get wet. I kept my boots at home. </p>
<p>I have no idea if my feet ever got wet from rain, I don’t remember. There were a few downpours. </p>
<p>I would wait and ask. It takes a lot for me to get cold, so I’m not the best person to help.</p>
<p>It will definitely rain before late October but snow that early is rare, at most a trace, likely nothing. </p>
<p>P.S. Halloween weekend is hectic, I would recommend visiting a different one if you were planning that.</p>
<p>Kids in Wisconsin are like kids anywhere – they pretty much wear athletic shoes year round. But many kids will have at least one pair of “hikers,” which as the name suggests are some variant on a hiking boot, although many are low cut more like athletic shoes than over the ankle. But as opposed to athletic shoes they tend to have tougher leather uppers and a lugged sole, both of which are much better suited to snow and messy conditions. Actual snow boots are very seldom needed and even more seldom actually worn by college kids.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information both of you. My son has a pair of low style hiking shoes, used them a bit when we visited Alaska. Maybe those will work and then a pair of athletic shoes…</p>
<p>Students should also have a sturdy umbrella. After getting soaked in the first downpour of the Fall semester, practicality takes over as those without swarm Walgreens and buy up the umbrellas, even the odd colored ones.</p>
<p>Umbrellas are a matter of personal preference. Again, most kids just wear caps, hooded sweatshirts or hooded jackets in wet weather. But it’s certainly not a bad idea to have an umbrella available.</p>
<p>But… you should be aware of one important cultural issue with umbrellas. In Wisconsin, they are for rain, NOT for snow. I grew up here, through many snowstorms of all sizes, kinds and intensities. In my late thirties or early forties I was in New York on business in the winter and it happened to snow while I was there. I almost tripped over my own feet crossing one of the avenues when I realized a lot of people were walking through the snow with umbrellas. I had literally never seen anyone in Wisconsin use an umbrella in snow. I had no idea anyone else did. Why don’t we use umbrellas in the snow? I really couldn’t tell you. We just don’t.</p>
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There is no reason to use an umbrella in the snow. Snowflakes do not get you wet provided that you brush them off before entering a heated building.</p>
<p>I’d guess that this practice becomes more common in places with warmer winters, where the temperature hovers around freezing and the “snow” is wet and mushy.</p>
<p>Son, a runner, owned more than one pair of shoes, initially all were running shoes and eventually he had some he wouldn’t use for running. Boots? Required in elementary school, never worn since to get to/from middle and high school, go running (yes, they ran in almost all weather with appropriate layers and shoes and socks). Boots in like new condition were left at home during college. I was relieved to find that he went to run indoors in zero degree (F) weather. He reported walking up the outside stairs on a snowy December Saturday (the year they had record snow) before they cleared things- wearing his shoes, of course.</p>
<p>Flip flops are bad in winter. Any shoe covering the foot and without a slippery sole will work. Socks for warmth seem like a good idea. He’ll probably wear long pants instead of shorts before everyone else deems them necessary.</p>
<p>Do not try to send him prepared for winter this month. He will likely return home for Thanksgiving and can wait until second semester for true winter gear. It will be better for him to talk to others this fall and figure out what he wants. He can also easily buy anything he needs in Madison. Prices and selection will be better this fall than now.</p>
<p>Footwear- nothing special for rain. It would be useful to have more than one pair of shoes. Again, easy enough to buy in town. Most UW students are not fashion conscience, or those that aren’t are not bothered by those who are. Whatever he owns/likes will work. This isn’t HS with peer pressure to conform. He’ll figure out what works by seeing others around him. Remember- sales tax in Madison (state plus local) is 5 1/2 %, less than many other states.</p>
<p>Umbrellas get lost, blown inside out in strong winds, get in the way of those near you, need to dry, need to be carried somehow… Many reasons not to bother with them in rainy weather. Snow doesn’t soak through jackets. Or shoes. Only liquid snow, aka slush, is a problem outdoors.</p>
<p>If they’re still around look at photos of students tray sledding or having the mega snowball fight. Many shoes worn.</p>