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For thirty winters, the seven o'clock dog walk meant cold, damp feet. At 64, I finally found the boots that fixed it
Six things these wool-lined leather boots get right that a lifetime of freezing rain boots, heavy walking boots and soggy trainers never did, from a woman whose dog has never once agreed to wait for better weather.
Catharine Laurent · 64 · Dallas · 5 min read
I am 64, and I have walked a dog every single morning for thirty years. Rain, frost, a norther blowing through, it makes no difference to Biscuit, who stands by the back door at five to seven with the lead in his mouth. And for thirty winters I have come home with cold feet. Rain boots keep the water out but they are like walking in a fridge. Proper walking boots are warm but heavy, and by the time I have done up the laces he has given up and gone back to bed. Trainers are comfortable right up until the first wet patch of grass. So this is not a review. It is a woman who finally has warm feet on a winter morning, saying how.
The boots I am writing about are the Charlotte, wool-lined leather boots from Novira Dallas, a small boutique that dresses women our age. Mine are the brown, a rich cognac leather with a cream wool lining you can see at the top. My sister Jean, who never lets me get away with anything, sent me the link with one line: "Stop complaining about your feet and buy these." She was right, as usual. When Novira Dallas later asked if they could share my letter, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
Here is what thirty winters of dog walks taught me. Cold feet ruin everything. You can have the best coat in the world, but if your toes are numb by the end of the road, you are miserable for the whole walk and for an hour afterwards. And somewhere along the way I had accepted that this was simply what winter mornings felt like at my age.
I had a good coat, a good hat and good gloves. I had never once had warm feet.
The Charlotte is the first pair of boots I have owned that keeps my feet warm for the whole walk and still looks nice enough to go into a coffee shop afterwards. Having worn them every morning for a month, on the trail round White Rock Lake, to the store and out for lunch with Jean, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
A real wool lining, all the way down
This is what makes the difference. The Charlotte is lined in wool, soft and thick, right down to the toes. The first morning I put them on, my feet were warm before I had even reached the front gate, and they were still warm when I got home forty minutes later. After thirty years, I nearly cried on the doorstep.
Frost on the grass, forty minutes out with Biscuit. Toes warm the whole way. Did not need to stand by the heater afterwards. First time in thirty winters.
Soft leather that copes with a wet morning
The leather is soft and pebbled, with a lovely rich cognac color and contrast stitching around the sole. It is described as water-resistant, and in my experience it is: wet grass, drizzle and the odd puddle, and my feet have stayed dry. I will be honest, because I promised I would: I would not go wading through a stream in them, and they are not snow boots for deep drifts. But for an ordinary wet winter morning, they do exactly what I need.
Drizzle all the way round the trail round White Rock Lake. Wet grass, two puddles. Dry socks at the end. Geoff checked. He did not believe me.
A soft crepe sole that is kind to your feet
The sole is a soft natural crepe rubber, light and springy rather than heavy and stiff, with a cushioned footbed on top and room in the toe. They feel lovely from the first wear. No breaking in, no blisters, none of the clumping I get in walking boots, and they are light enough that I forget I have them on.
Forty-minute walk, then straight on to the store. Never once thought about my feet. That is the whole point of a good boot.
Pull them on, tie them, or turn them down
There are soft leather ties at the ankle, so you can draw them in snug on a cold morning or leave them loose. You can wear the top up for warmth or fold it down to show the cream wool, which looks very cozy with jeans. Best of all, they pull straight on, so I am out of the door before Biscuit has finished whining.
Boots on, lead on, out of the door in under a minute. Biscuit has never been so impressed with me.
Smart enough for lunch afterwards
This is the part I did not expect. They look lovely. The rich leather, the white stitching and that crepe sole make them look like a proper pair of boots from a good shoe store, not something for yard work. I have worn them straight from the dog walk to a coffee shop, and to lunch with Jean, with jeans, with corduroys and with a long knitted skirt.
Lunch with Jean. She looked at my feet and said, "Told you." She always does. She is always right.
Five colors, and an honest word on sizing
The Charlotte comes in brown, dark brown, blue, red and black. I chose the brown, which is the warm cognac you can see in my photos. I will be honest about sizing, because I promised I would: there is a size chart on the product page with the foot length for each size, and I would measure your foot before you order, as I did. Not every half size is offered, so the chart really helps. And there is a thirty-day money-back guarantee if they are not right.
Jean has ordered the dark brown. Biscuit has started bringing me the boots instead of the lead.
These boots, against everything I tried before
Most of us have simply accepted cold feet in winter. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
Cold inside, like walking in a fridge
Heavy, stiff and clumpy
Laces to do up while the dog waits
Too scruffy for the coffee shop afterwards
Cold toes by the end of the road
A real wool lining down to the toes
Soft leather that copes with a wet morning
A light, springy crepe sole
Pull on, tie, or turn down
Warm feet, the whole walk long
About the price
The Charlotte is $69.95 at the moment. The website says that is down from $232.00. I will not pretend I know what a pair of wool-lined leather boots ought to cost, but I can tell you I have spent more than that on walking boots that left me with cold feet anyway.
Novira Dallas also take a bit off if you buy more than one, up to 20%, which is how Jean's pair ended up in the same order as mine.
Shipping was free and tracked, and there is a thirty-day money-back guarantee if they are not right. After thirty cold winters, that is what got me to press the button.
the toes
to choose
US delivery
If you also have a dog, or a garden, or a long walk to the bus, and you have spent every winter of your life with cold feet, these are the boots I would hand you myself, while your color and size are still there. Warm feet change everything.
Catharine
Charlotte · Wool-Lined Leather Boots
Bundle and save up to 20%
- Wool lining, all the way to the toes
- Soft, water-resistant pebbled leather
- Light, springy natural crepe rubber sole
- Cushioned footbed with room in the toe
- Leather ankle ties, wear up or turned down
- Brown, dark brown, blue, red and black
- FREE tracked US delivery & 30-day money-back guarantee
Check the size chart on the product page before you order.
About the writer. Catharine Laurent is 64 and lives in Dallas with her husband Geoff and a spaniel called Biscuit. She taught elementary school for thirty-one years and still cannot walk past a library.
This page is an advertisement for Novira Dallas. Individual experiences may vary. Novira Dallas · FREE tracked US delivery · 30-day money-back guarantee.