At 62, the winter boots that stopped me dreading the ice
At 62, the winter boots that stopped me dreading the ice
Six things that make these warm, grippy winter boots the pair I trust on a frosty morning, from a woman who is not a fashion writer.
Caroline Richards · Customer · Nottinghamshire · 5 min read
Let me be plain about who is talking. I am Caroline, I am 62, I live in Nottinghamshire, and I have never once sat down to write about a pair of boots in my life. But something had crept up on me these last few winters that I am not proud of. I had started to dread the frosty, wet mornings, because I did not feel steady on my feet any more, and the fear of going over on a slippery path had begun to keep me indoors. So this is not a review. It is a woman who found a pair of boots that gave her back her footing, saying why.
What I found is from Nottingham Boutique, a small boutique that has been quietly looking after women our age for a few years now. They are called the Síofra, a warm, grippy, slip-on winter boot, and I chose mine in black. When the boutique later asked if they could put my letter up for others to read, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
I wore them out on the first frosty morning half braced to feel that familiar wobble, and instead I felt planted and sure the whole way round. That was the moment they won me over. Read on.
Here is the little defeat these last winters had brought. When the frost came down, I had a choice between an old pair that had no grip left and slid on the wet, or staying in by the fire and missing the morning altogether. So I stayed in more than I would like to admit, and quietly minded that I did.
I had started to believe that feeling unsteady, and staying in when it was icy, was simply part of getting older. It turns out a good pair of boots can change that.
These are the first winter boots I have owned that are warm and grippy and easy all at once, and having barely had them off since it turned cold, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
The morning they arrived. A proper deep sole, and a soft warm fleece inside.
SURE-FOOTED ON THE ICE AND WET
This is the heart of it. There is a proper deep, grippy sole on them, so I feel steady and sure-footed on a wet pavement or a frosty path, and that knot of worry I used to carry about slipping has simply gone. I plant my foot and it stays put. For anyone who has started to fear a fall on the ice, this alone is worth it.
Steady on a wet, icy step. The deep grippy sole holds fast.
I was so frightened of falling on the ice, and now I am not. I feel planted and safe on my feet. They have given me my winter walks back.
Christine B., West BridgfordTOASTY WARM, LINED WITH SOFT FLEECE
They are lined all through with a soft, warm fleece, right up round the ankle, so my feet stay cosy and warm on the coldest morning, and the padded upper keeps the wet and the wind out. No more coming home with cold, damp feet. It is like a warm slipper that happens to be a proper outdoor boot.
Soft fleece round the ankle, and that deep grippy sole underneath.
So warm and snug. My feet used to be frozen all winter and now they are cosy. The fleece inside is lovely and soft. I could not be without them now.
Margaret E., SouthwellTHEY SIMPLY SLIP ON, NO LACES
Here is a small mercy I did not expect to love so much. They simply slip on, no laces to fumble with and no bending down to the floor, which my back and my hands are truly grateful for on a cold morning. There is a bit of give at the sides so they are easy to get on and off, and once they are on they stay snug and secure.
By the door, ready to step straight into. No laces, no fuss.
I struggle to bend and do laces with my hands these days, so these are perfect. Slip them on and out you go. Such a simple thing and such a relief.
Pauline H., ArnoldCUSHIONED AND LIGHT, NO ACHING FEET
For all that they look sturdy, they are surprisingly light on the foot, and there is a soft cushioned sole that soaks up every step, so a walk to the shops or round the park no longer leaves my feet and my knees aching by the time I get home. They were comfortable from the very first morning, with no breaking in at all.
So light and cushioned, like walking on a soft sole. I can be on my feet all day and they do not ache. Comfortable from the first wear, no rubbing.
Dorothy S., BeestonSTEADY AND SUPPORTIVE, A KIND FIT
There is proper support built into them and a firm, steady base, so I feel balanced and secure rather than teetering, which matters more to me now than I would once have admitted. And they are kindly cut with a bit of room, so they sit comfortably whether your feet are narrow or on the wider side, without any pinching.
Lovely and supportive, I feel so balanced in them. I have a wider foot and dreaded buying boots, but these fit beautifully and did not pinch anywhere. True to size.
Eileen T., NewarkHONEST SIZES, AND THEY GO WITH EVERYTHING
Here is the last of it. The sizing runs honestly, so what you order is what turns up, and my black pair goes with everything I own, my jeans, my trousers, the lot, so they are the first thing I reach for all winter. They would make a lovely gift too, for anyone you worry about a little on the icy mornings.
Ready for the cold, with a scarf and gloves. Black goes with everything.
True to size and they go with all my winter things. I bought a pair for my sister too, as she worries about slipping. She has not stopped thanking me.
Maureen C., BinghamThese, against the worn-out winter shoes you have been sliding about in
You can spend every winter indoors by the fire because you do not trust your feet on the ice, wearing old shoes with no grip left. I know, because I did. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
A worn, slippery sole with no grip
Cold, damp feet by the time you are home
Laces to fumble and bend down for
Leaves you nervous on every icy step
Keeps you indoors when it is frosty
A deep, grippy anti-slip sole
Warm, dry feet, lined with soft fleece
Slips straight on, no laces, no bending
Steady and sure-footed on the wet
Gets you back out all winter
About the price
The Síofra is £39.95 at the moment. It was £80.00.
I will pass on what the boutique told me, which is that with the winter sale on they are going quickly and the middle sizes sell first, so once they have sold through it can be a wait until next winter. Their words, not mine. What I can tell you from my side is that half price is usually where I start asking what is wrong with a thing, and for a boot this warm and this steady, I have found nothing wrong with it.
And I do not trust perfect scores, so I read the reviews before I ordered. Just over three hundred of them, sitting at 4.2 stars, which sounded like real women rather than robots, so I read on. The same things I have just walked you through come up in them, over and over, in other women's words.
If you have quietly started to dread the frosty mornings the way I had, this is the pair I would point you to myself, while your size is still in stock. Go and have a look.
Caroline
THE SÍOFRA WINTER BOOTS
- A deep, grippy anti-slip sole, steady on ice and wet
- Toasty warm, lined all through with soft fleece
- Slips straight on, no laces and no bending
- Cushioned and light, no aching feet
- Steady, supportive, and a kind fit for narrow or wide
- Honest sizes UK 2 to 8.5, and black goes with everything
- Free UK delivery and 30 day returns
The winter sale is on now, half the usual price. The middle sizes tend to go first.