Warmer, Wetter Winters Need a Different Kind of Boot

Winter will be here before we know it, temperatures are dropping to 10 degrees over night and with that comes the beginning of thinking of winter boots. Here’s the thing - winter isn’t what it used to be and it’s about time we got serious with that. We are experiencing more slush, more puddles, more wet snow.

A lot of winter gear is designed for cold, and dry snow, meant to be breathable so that your body can be warm but not sweaty in the deeper colder. The problem is, breathable often means not waterproof. 

But rain-boots suck in Northern BC because the rubber gets cold, and the foot needs more than just a good sock to enjoy a few hours of outdoor play. We’ve been on the hunt to expand our collection of kids footwear that fit that need.

Enter the Wheat Thermo Snowboot Drizzle.

Why this one, and why now

I know there’s always demand for Bogs, and even though you can get Bogs in almost every store in town - you tell me that you want more selection and sizing. But my whole job is finding you stuff that you can’t already get here but will help you have a better outdoor experience. Wheat Kids has been one of our brands for a few years now, and the footwear has been getting raves. 

 So when a hybrid rain-boot-meets-snow-boot crossed my desk, with a galosh-style rubber lower, a quilted calf, and a wool-and-recycled-polyester lining, I got a little too excited about a boot. It happens. We went with a soft dusty sage green to appeal to both the girls and the boys, because as a small shop balancing things works best. It runs sizes 6 (toddler, say about 18M) to a J3 (which will fit early elementary school)

The Drizzle is exactly the middle-ground boot for our climate:  flexible natural rubber down low so shallow puddles and slush don't stand a chance, with enough insulation up top to keep little feet warm without going full Arctic-expedition overkill.

The Wheat Drizzle Boot

This isn't a sub-zero, deep-snow, three-hours-at-the-toboggan-hill boot. There are other fantastic boots for that, if that’s your lifestyle.

It's built for the reality most of us are living in more and more of the year: slush, shallow puddles, wet snow, the freeze-thaw mess that shows up before Christmas and doesn't fully leave until spring. If your kid's winter looks more like wet sidewalks than blizzard conditions - and let's be honest, that's most of our winters now - this is the boot doing exactly the job it's meant to do.

One of the most common winter gear mistakes parents make is buying gear for the winter they don’t experience - some of you will experience long deep cold, but many of you won't. Don’t buy gear for the weather you don’t have because you’ll be disappointed. 

What we know so far

Full disclosure: this boot doesn't have a mountain of reviews floating around online yet. Sometimes I just order a product based on construction and knowledge of what I know about the benefits of hybrid boots. We lean on our brands reputation adn quality - we trust Wheat to build great stuff. 

That said, the handful of notes we could dig up lined up with what we felt testing them ourselves: parents describe them as noticeably lighter than a traditional pac boot, the rubber lower flexes well and holds up in shallow puddles without leaking, and the drawstring closure makes them quick to get on and secure. One Norwegian parent reviewer summed it up simply: warm, waterproof, and flexible, with a strong recommendation attached.

A quick word on temperature ratings

You'll notice the Drizzle doesn't come with a temperature rating, and honestly? That's fine by us. Temperature ratings are a reference point at best. They're not the gold standard people treat them as. Every kid's feet run differently.  What actually keeps feet warm has less to do with a number on a tag and more to do with:

• Getting the right size (no cramped toes; cramped toes can't trap warm air)

• Dry socks, always. Wool Socks will be your best friend here

• Knowing your own kid. A kid who runs warm and sweats through their socks can end up with cold, damp feet even in a "warm" boot, rated or not

• For more tips and tricks on warm toes in the winter

The details

• Thermo lining: 30% natural wool, 70% recycled polyester

• Waterproof rubber galosh-style lower

• Quilted, mid-height calf

• Drawstring closure at the top

• Grooved sole for grip on ice and slush

• Reflective logo for visibility on darker days

• Sizes 6 (toddler) to J3; Wheat Kids online says these run small, we haven’t had any in store try ons to vouch for this. So we welcome you to come visit us. 

• $89.95 — a solid, comfortable option that keeps you well under the $100 mark without cutting corners

If your family's winter has started looking more like slush season than snow season, come try a pair on. Wheat Kids Drizzle Thermal Snow/RainBoot in  Dry Leaves is in store now.