a messy day with happy feet

The snow that started falling late in the day yesterday continued into the early morning hours before changing to rain. Before the switch there was 8.5 inches of snow on the ground. The snow compacted quickly leaving snow-covered surfaces, puddles, and generally messy walking conditions.

Since I have a strong preference for exercise walking outside I try to make sure I have the right layers for all weather. While I wear running shoes whenever possible, sloppy weather sometimes means that is the wrong choice. My first backup is my hiking shoes but on cold wet days like today that's not the right answer either. It was time for new winter shoes!

I've been very happy with my New Balance running shoes. Since I was pretty sure they had a winter walking/running boot I headed to the factory store (in the summer) to see if there were any boots hanging out on the shelves. No boots there...

It was time to turn to the New Balance web site. I ordered a pair of Fresh Foam 1100 Boots, described as "an ultra-modern sneaker boot". I crossed my fingers for a good fit and happy feet, waiting for winter weather to confirm their utility. Today was my sneaker boot maiden voyage, a wet and messy 5-mile (fast) walk. My feet were happy, warm, and dry!