Anonymous wrote:I wore rain boots with thick winter socks yesterday morning to play with my daughter outside for 20 minutes or so. My toes were very cold when I came back inside! I learned that a layer of wool plus a layer of rubber doesn't do much to protect you from real cold.

It really wasn't very cold yesterday.

Anonymous wrote:Are snow boots 100% needed? DD is 2 and has rain boots with to the knee winter socks, so her feet should be warm I would think. Snow boots seem like a slight overkill and she has difficulty walking in them. We primarly use them for school when they're out playing.

What do you think? Dumb question I know, but I've been going back and forth on ordering snow boots

Thanks!

rain are fine. it isn't that cold here. you can always buy her some polar fleece socks for playing in the snow.

I wore rain boots with thick winter socks yesterday morning to play with my daughter outside for 20 minutes or so. My toes were very cold when I came back inside! I learned that a layer of wool plus a layer of rubber doesn't do much to protect you from real cold.

We get lined waterproof snowboots every year, the kind with velcro side fasteners. Like snow pants or an insulated waterproof jacket, nothing beats 'em for playing outside in the snow. At age 2 though you can probably put it off one more year in the DC area.
P.S. You can find cheap ones at thrift stores like the Value Village in Hyattsville, or, yes, Walmart.

How long are your kids outside? Our kids are 4 and we've never bought any kinds of boots. They have two pair of shoes each. They wear their sneakers in the rain and the minimal snow we get here in DC and then switch to another pair until the others dry. But I guess they've never been outside for more than an hour in inclement weather. Neither has complained of cold feet so maybe we just got lucky.

Rain boots have a big gap at the top, making them easy to get in and out of. I grew up in Buffalo- that never would have cut it. Snow was often deeper than 8"-- the snow would have gone right in around the ankle, soaked through the socks, etc. If you're playing in big piles of snow, you need boots that are relatively close-fitting around the ankles. I've never felt that my son needs snow boots here in DC, but when we visit family in Buffalo, we always make sure he has a pair.

Anonymous wrote:I like the snow boots from LL Bean. The fit well and stay on.

+1

I'll buy clothes from Target, but never shoes. Their shoes just never work for us.

I like the snow boots from LL Bean. The fit well and stay on.

Anonymous wrote:In this area rain boots are fine.

But snow boots are better.

I get snow boots because they keep their feet warm, and we can play outside longer. The last couple of years, I got snow boots at Target, and those darn boots kept falling off as they ran through the snow. This year, I got boots from LL Bean on sale for the same price as the Target boots. They were in those boots all weekend having fun in the cold muddy and snowy weather. We were able to stay out for almost 1.5 hours yesterday because they were so well protected from the cold and snow.

In this area rain boots are fine.

I also thought that rain boots plus warm socks would keep feet warm, but they don't.

For kids, I find that the rain boot/sock combination is very susceptible to leaving a boot behind the first time they walk snow higher than a couple inches. It's fine for walks but not so much for playing. Snowboots stay on much better.

rain boots will be fine for DC. We rarely get enough snow. If you are traveling to a snowy region, I might reconsider.

Are snow boots 100% needed? DD is 2 and has rain boots with to the knee winter socks, so her feet should be warm I would think. Snow boots seem like a slight overkill and she has difficulty walking in them. We primarly use them for school when they're out playing.

What do you think? Dumb question I know, but I've been going back and forth on ordering snow boots

Thanks!