The UGG Butte Is the Only Snow Boot You'll Ever Need
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I am not the kind of person who buys one thing for life. I wish I were, I really do. It has such a nice ring to it—buy it for life!—and I imagine in a world of hard-to-navigate unsustainable production practices, buying one thing and using it forever is just about the most sustainable thing you can do. And I love that. But also, I'm bored. The most fun part about style is that you get to change it. Except for the times (and the items) that just do their job well.
There are two things in my closet that I have had for nearly 10 years: a Canada Goose jacket and the UGG Butte boot. (Another editor wrote about the infamous Canada Goose, and I can confirm that the only thing I've ever complained about is that it can keep me too warm.) Although I stand by that the fun part of style is getting to change it up, when it comes to winters in New York—and cold weather travel, in particular—I'm really not trying to change anything but into sweats back on the couch. These winter boots have kept me warm, dry, and standing upright on even slick, black, city ice in the depths of winter.
Butte
These boots perform.
As someone who rarely, if ever, puts function ahead of fashion, I have to say that these boots really do hold up. As much as I love fun shoes, I decidedly do not like wet feet. I will not be sacrificing my dry, warm feet, and I'll never forgive B*ean Boots for seeping a puddle of water through to my toes on the way to class in college. So, yes, these boots are entirely waterproof, complete with a gusseted tongue.
Most snow and rain boots will say that they are waterproof, but end up having mediocre stitching that lets water creep in. I have had these boots since 2018, and I've worn them in rain, snow, and sleet, and they have not failed me yet.
Not to mention, the Vibram outsole is doing the lord's work. Bad traction was my first beef with winter boots in city. I had a few pricey pairs that simply did not hold me to the ground. I don't know if I'm just bad at walking, but it feels like any time I'm in a different shoe and there is a lick of wet on the ground, I'm done for. But in these, I don't worry about falling. I worry about other things, like getting hit by a bus, but not about falling.
I've heard complains but they never bothered me.
You know by now that I have had these boots for a long time, and, being someone who likes to try new styles and such, I do a bit of research every year to see if there is a new winter boot that competes with this one. Something that's lightweight enough to take off when I get to the office or pack in my ski trip bag. Something that doesn't feel like I'm going into the tundra, even if that's exactly what I'm doing. Something that feels cozy, keeps my feet dry, and doesn't make me feel like the marshmallow man.
In that research, I've seen some people complain about the lining and about the height of the lug sole. First, I do understand where the lining complainers are coming from: Although the shoes are soft and plushy, the lining is made with UGGpure, wish is a blend of wool and lyocell. Some were disappointed in the partially polyester construction. I honestly never noticed this, though. They feel soft, the way any other Ugg has felt to me. The only issue I've had—which is barely an issue—is that I wore down the padding on the insole. For this great disaster, I purchased a pair of insole replacements to create what felt like a brand-new shoe.
As for the height of the Vibram outsole, maybe a city person isn't the target audience for this. I'm wearing these outside, walking on the sidewalk, trying to get somewhere. Admittedly, I'm not trekking through streams or going out of my way to destroy them. Still, I've worn them in the city and on every ski trip I've ever been on. For a few inches of snow or water—what I'd say you'd run into a daily or weekly basis—they work just as well as a less-cute hiking boot.
Are they worth it?
They really are. I didn't realize, actually, how long I had been wearing this same pair of boots until I went to write this. I've never owned a pair of boots (that I actually wear) for this long. And every year, I'm grateful that I have these shoes to pull out for freezing cold mornings or when I need to run errands in the snow. It's a real mental weight off to know that I have the right shoes for the right weather. Now, all I need is Ugg to drop a few more colors so I can at least feel like I haven't deviated so far from my need-new-shoes-now mentality. (Also, they're on sale right now—a rare find for a classic style.)
Butte
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