Warm boots and the socks that fit them

It is such a good idea to buy boots a half or full size bigger than you need, so you can fit heavy socks inside for cold winter days.  Especially if the boots are gorgeous and deeply discounted and not available in your actual size, but that's another story.

During our February cold snap I was especially absent-minded going out the door, and forgot not only the heavy wool sweater I layer under my coat, but also the fact that no percentage of wool in a high performance sport sock is going to compete with 100% wool handknit ones.

My thinking was that I had to go to the gym.  Normally I do this by walking, after running other errands that involved walking, so I want warm toes and also minimal baggage.  The solution: just wear the Vespers. Fingering weight wool socks are cosy and warm, and they fit into running shoes just fine.

But my comfortable winter walking boots come up to my knees, and they love the handknit socks too, and suck them right off my feet when I try to get out of the boots on arrival.  So I decided this particular day (-12 Celcius before the wind chill: I am a genius) was the day to test out a new pair of very grippy wool-blend sport socks.

I have now decided I would rather lose my socks than lose my toes to frostbite.  It was a real throwback to my student years, when I put fashion over function and suffered daily in - oh dear, sometimes cotton socks inside boots without proper insulation.  So glad I'm past all that now, even if I did choose to live for 18 years in a house with no insulation at all.

Heavy socks are also so, so important in winter.   I hope you have a few pairs yourself, even if they aren't handknit.