Mukluks - I Love Them

Good morning, Readers!

My father bought me a pair on Manitobah Mukluks for Christmas (by which I mean he gave me the money to buy them).  I've wanted a pair since I first saw them advertised a year or more ago.  I mean, they just look so cozy, and I really liked that the company is Canadian and indigenous.  For me, Canada isn't Canada without her indigenous peoples and cultures, and I'm always happy to be able to support that when I can.

They also do good work, with initiatives such as Storyboots, in which they provide a platform for aboriginal Canadian artists to sell their work.  There are some really gorgeous things up there, and you should really check it out.  The artists get 100% of the proceeds.  I love that they support artists this way.  I have my eyes on a pair of earrings from there.

Anyway, the mukluks.  They arrived two days ago, and I've been wearing them since.  So far, they've been incredibly cozy.  Now, it's been unseasonably warm out, hovering just below zero (Celcius, for those of you who for some unfathomable reason are not using metric), so I can't really attest to their warmth.  My unlined work boots have proven plenty warm for this weather.  The mukluks are graded to -32C, though, so I'm hopeful.  Of course, I've had the promise made to me before by various winter boots, and my toes always freeze.

Temperatures are going to drop today, though, falling below -10C for the first time in a long time, so there'll be a chance to see how my feet feel when it's a little cooler.

First impressions are that I absolutely love them.

Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they are so, so, so comfortable to wear.

The style I snagged was the Waterproof Solstice. They're great!

I adore winter.  Autumn is my favourite time of the year, but winter is a very close second.  There is one thing about winter, however, that I absolutely hate (other than road salt).  Boots.  I hate them.  So much.  I mean, I did grow up semi-feral and often ran barefoot through the bush.  Shoes are the bane of my existence.  Boots in particular are awful.  My toes are closed in and squeezed, and can't spread to bear my weight.  The soles are hard as anything, and never quite the right shape for my foot, and their inflexibility does bad things to my feet and legs.  Boots are the worst.

Part of what attracted me to the mukluks was the sole - the hyper-flexible Vibram sole that is about as close to barefoot as I can get away with in the city.  I have Vibram running shoes for the same reason.  Boy does this sole make all the difference.  I can feel the ground beneath my feet, the shape of the ice, the salt lumps.  This might not sound appealing to many, but I need that for my feet.  I need to be able to touch the ground, so to speak.  The flexible sole means I can grip with my toes.  I have more control over my step.

Now, the grip on the sole isn't the deep grip I get with my work boots.  It resulted in a few slips on wet ice as I was walking yesterday.  Time for some Yak Track (or similar ice grips).  Without the deep grip and the raised heel that you often get with boots, I've had to adjust my step and gait a lot to make it work.  This is nothing new (and a good thing.  I swear modern footwear has ruined the lower half of our bodies).  I make this adjustment every time the weather is warm enough to permit the constant wearing of flip flops.

You can take the girl out of Australia...

Related to the lack of a rigid sole is the fact that the mukluks are suuuuuuper lightweight compared to other winter boots I've had.  That's a really nice thing.  I've been wearing my work boots until now, and though those only go up to my ankle, my mukluks are lighter by far.  Unlike with other winter boots, I don't feel like I'm stomping around in frakkin' moon boots.

While I still find the mukluks a bit constraining around my toes (shoes, man. They're terrible), they are by far the most comfortable winter boot I've worn yet.  I really love them.

Like, a stupid amount.

I'll take one in every colour, please.