These Shoes Will Save Your Winter Workwear Reputation

By Ruthie Friedlander
Getty | Christian Vierig
Getty | Christian Vierig
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Sometimes it feels like during the Winter you have two options when it comes to footwear. Option 1: wear UGG boots on your commute and change into a sensible heel when you get to the office. Option 2: wear your favorite work shoes and freeze that tiny three-inch part of your foot that remains exposed to the elements (snow, rain, wind). We say there's a third solution, though. Finding a boot that's both warm and office-friendly is not that hard.

The key: a lugged sole.

A lugged sole is a thick rubber sole with indentations on the bottom, which enables you to brave less than perfect surfaces. While this type of sole is typically used for work shoes (most ubiquitously with Timberlands), the popular hiking boot trend has given birth to a whole range of lugged sole shoes, many of which are office-, date-, and even (gasp!) evening-appropriate.

My favorite lugged sole is a stretchy knit over-the-knee Linea Paolo Boot ($260). The stretchy knit allows me to slide them over a pair of leggings and pair them with an Oxford shirt or sweater for a cozy, warm, and totally work-appropriate look. The lugged sole permits me to jump, hop, or skip over the mountainous New York City snow mounds I face while en route to the subway with confidence. Style and utility: win-win!

Linea Paolo Lindy Over the Knee Boot

Linea Paolo Lindy Over the Knee Boot

These are the ACTUAL boots that saved my work wardrobe. The stretchy over-the-knee fit of the Lindy Over the Knee Boot ($26) makes them super comfortable, plus it adds an extra layer of warmth to your legs.

Marc Fisher Izzie Genuine Shearling Lace-Up Boot

Marc Fisher Izzie Genuine Shearling Lace-Up Boot

These Shearling Lace-Up Boots ($250) are perfect for the days when there's actual snow on the ground. The shearling trim will keep you warm, while the lugged sole will ensure you don't slip on your way to that board meeting. When it comes to height, you're getting a one-and-a-half-inch heel here, but the additional one-inch platform gives you the extra boost you're looking for.

Coach Grand Platform Loafer

Coach Grand Platform Loafer

So you're a little preppier than your average Jane and Winter reminds you of that yucky feeling you get in your favorite loafers when snow or sleet or just general freezing coldness seeps into your exposed feet. Find a pair like these Grand Platform Loafers ($295) that give you some extra height, keeping you a little bit higher off the ground in a lugged heel for protection.

Jeffrey Campbell Solar Boot

Jeffrey Campbell Solar Boot

Yes, you can wear white boots in the snow — especially if you find a pair as cute as these Solar Boots ($170) — as long as they're equipped with a heel that's able to be washed down. Pro tip: make the Magic Eraser your best friend.

Dr. Martens Hurston Chelsea Boot

Dr. Martens Hurston Chelsea Boot

Dr. Martens have been popular for over 70 years for a reason and will eternally be known as the cool-kids' shoes. This Chelsea Boot ($150) has everything you love about the classic Dr. Martens (i.e., that cherry-red/black coloring!) with an added three-plus-inch heel that will give you an extra boost of confidence.