Heels are thought to be incredibly feminine. They let our ankles look slim and delicate. They give us height, which gives the illusion of being slimmer than we are. They also let our calves look nice. However, many women think that in Alaska you can’t don your favorite heels. This post covers how you can wear heels in winter.
- Not all Alaskan women wear ducks or Xtra Tuffs
- Bring your pumps to work
- Why you should take your boots off at work
- What are the best ankle booties for snow?
- High heels lead to cold feet easily
- Stiletto heels act like nails in pressed snow
- Up your insulation with boot toppers
- Tall boots and over-the-knee boots for style and protection
Not All Alaskan Women Wear Ducks or Xtra Tuffs
This summer one of my readers asked me whether I can wear high heels in Alaska in winter. The short answer is yes. Yes, there are 101 reasons to wear heels. But this answer would end the post without your knowing to full story about how women in Alaska wear high heels when there is snow and ice on the ground. And yes, cleats help, but they ruin the shoes. Thus, one doesn’t see them very often. And they are not working with heels.
This post show which boots and heels work best in which temperature and snow conditions.
Bring Your Pumps to Work
Have you ever wondered why I have so large bags? I need them to carry my pumps in a shoe bag to work. This way I can wear a stylish work outfit. All it takes is taking off my boots and slipping into the pumps. The heels complete my indoor work outfit. You have heard the slogan that
The shoes make or break the outfit! #TuesdayShoesday Click To Tweetright? The challenge is not to forget the pumps on the way to or from work. At the end of the winter, many Alaskan women who love to wear high heels, have several pairs under their desk. Yes, I am one of them. 🙂
Why You Should Take Your Boots Off at Work
Never let your feet get wet! Taking off your boots and swapping into pumps at the office is not just a matter of style. It also benefits your health. In the heated rooms at work, your feet would sweat in the boots. When you leave and get in the cold outside, the sweat gets cold and so do your feet. You don’t want that to happen. It’s a recipe for catching a cold! Learn more about avoiding to get cold feet at frigid temperatures.
Style is not to the only reason to swap shoes at the office. #Health Click To Tweet
What Are the Best Ankle Booties for Snow?
When creating my outerwear outfit I pick the shoes first with the weather and surface conditions outside in mind. Booties with an opening, i.e. that don’t close tight at the ankle, are unsuitable after a night of snowing. They are also unsuitable when it is snowing outside. Typically, the parking lots are the last to be cleared. Thus, when you pull into a parking lot covered with 5 (12.5 cm) or more inches of snow and step outside your car, the booties would fill up with snow from the top. This load may not be large, but it is large enough for discomfort while walking to the office and your desk. The snow will melt by pressure, your body heat and the warm air in the building. Your tight or socks get wet. You still have wet feet all day even when you swap into pumps.
After work when walking thru the parking lot at 40 below, the wet tight/socks freeze in no time. You’ll have cold feet all the way on your ride home.
At below freezing temperatures, avoid wet feet like the plague. #health #lifestyle Click To Tweet
When there is fresh snow, lace-up booties like those shown above are your best ankle boot choice. However, …
Stiletto Heels Act Like Nails in Pressed Snow
On campus as well as at grocery and other stores, the parking lots are cleared about once a month, if at all. Thus, on days with no snow in the forecast and what I call moderate temperatures (down to -15F, -26.1oC), I wear my Harley Davidson motorcycle booties, my Manolo Blahnik, Antonio Melani (shown below), or Nine West half-boots (shown in the outfit photos). The stilettos have a small surface print of the size of a dime, but less than a quarter. The weight of my body pushes them into the pressed snow and hinders a bit that I slip easily.
High Heels Lead to Cold Feet Easily
When you have worn heels at least once, you know that all your weight is on the ball of your feet. This weight shift may reduce the blood circulation of your feet meaning that your feet get cold easily. To avoid this, I buy all my winter shoes at least a size larger than my summer or dance shoes. In the booties mentioned above, I have an insulating foam insole. The insole reduces the conduction of my body heat to the cold sole that is in contact to the frigid ground. Read more on how to avoid cold feet in frigid temperatures.
Buy your winter footwear a size up to allow space for doubling your socks or an insole. #wintertip Click To Tweet
Up Your Insulation with Boot Toppers
Boot toppers are also a great way to double up on insulation (see photo below). At the same time, you add more variety to your shoe wardrobe. In long cold winters, not to get into wardrobe boredom is important to keep the mood up. 😉
Up your style factor with boot toppers to stay warm in the cold. #winterstyle Click To Tweet
You can find lots of styling ideas to look mature with boot toppers in the guide at this link.
The Lower the Temperature, the Lower the Heels
Yes, we all learned in physics that cold shortens things and heat enlarges things. However, this physical process is not what I’m talking about here. 😉 At temperatures, below -15F and above -35F or so (-26.1 to -34.4oC), I still wear heels. However, these booties or boots have a foam insole with a lamb skin upper part for extra insulation. I also wear two pairs of socks or two pairs of tights. Below -35F I wear my flat shearling boots (see photo below).
Yes, I used to have a pair of Sorel booties that I only wore to for snow shoveling and to watch the Yukon Quest start. After 16 years of shoveling duty, they finally broke. I need to buy a new pair. However, the fashionista in me procrastinates spending the money on them. Yes, I know I have to and I will do, hopefully in time before temperatures go 40 below. But I prefer my ducks with heels. 😉
Keep your heels, head and standards high. - Coco Chanel #fashion #quote Click To Tweet
Tall Boots and Over-the-Knee Boots for Style and Protection
When it snows, wearing your tall boots with your work outfit on your way to the office is best. An alternative are over-the-knee boots. In cold climate regions in winter, they have the advantage to keep your knees warm, when you idle your car to warm up the engine.
Living more than 20 years in Interior Alaska, I learned to avoid cold feet at frigid temperatures. At temperatures below -10F (-23.3oC), one has to idle the car for a while before one can pull out of the parking lot. The colder it is, the longer you have to idle to warm the engine. The wait can be about 10 minutes or more at 40 below (-40oC or colder). Then over-the-knee boots come in handy as they keep my knees warm. However, they have heels. You can find styling tips on how to look great in over-the-knee boots over 40 in the post at the link.
You can wear heels in winter. #highheels #shoelover Click To Tweet
Did you know that my style recipe book How to Dress for Success in Midlife has also sections how to dress for cold weather? You can buy it here.
Learn the tricks to look to your best in life. Get a subscription to High Latitude Style. Deep inside you know when I can do it you can do it too.
Photos: G. Kramm, N. Mölders
© 2013-2022 Nicole Mölders | All rights reserved
