It’s Winter Quarter. Snow falls. Salt is laid to melt the snow and ice and our precious Uggs, Bearpaws, Emu boots, and knock-offs, become victimized, left stained and damaged beyond repair.
It’s the same concept when in a saltwater fish tank, the water evaporates and salt is left on the glass. Once water dries off our boots, the dirt and salt are left behind and the salt decides to crystallize atop the smooth suede like crystals in a cave.
I have three pairs of Uggs. Two are brown and one (used to be) gray. The gray pair faced a brutal beating with the salt my freshman year and have since turned brown.
A few of my friends have used UGG protection spray to prevent water damage on their boots, but the protection spray doesn’t protect against salt, so after this fails, our next instinct is to “clean” them.
An UGG care kit costs $20 to doctor up damaged boots, but typically if boots have repetitively been stained by the dirt and salt of winter, they cannot be repaired.
Boots can be cleaned without spending extra cash on repair sprays and kits, though. Dilute household leather cleaners with cold water and gently brush the mixture onto damaged boots, then brush the dry surface with a suede or lint brush.
Even though our boots are going to get damaged after they are trudged through the snow-salt mix, we continue to wear them. This is where the “beauty vs. comfort” argument comes into play. We refuse not to wear our Uggs in the winter because they continue to stay warm and cozy on the inside when they are damaged on the outside.
Some girls, I have noticed, have been trying to avoid damaging their Uggs by not wearing them at all in the winter. I have seen some trying out wearing rain boots and others going for the more sensible choice of snow boots.
Rain boots have no insulation and are not all that fashionable anyway, so they provide neither beauty nor comfort in the cold, unless you buy an insulated pair. If the name “rain boots” doesn’t give enough of a hint, let me fill you in: Rain boots are to be worn when it rains, not when it snows.
Those that have chosen to wear actual snow boots are making the best choice. No, not all snow boots are fashionable, but you are definitely getting footwear built to withstand the winter weather and keep your feet warm at the same time.
I have a pair of North Face snow boots myself and admit they are the best footwear I own for winter weather.
My advice: Invest your money into footwear that is capable of withstanding the winter weather like snow boots. Stay away from the rain boots.
Continue wearing those already-damaged Uggs for the comfort and keep that new pair you bought to replace the damaged ones in the closet until the weather is appropriate.
