At 63, my feet were cold from October to April

It wasn't another pair of socks that fixed it. Five things I've learned since, from a woman who'd stopped going out in winter without quite noticing.

Diane Pelletier · Customer · Ottawa, Ontario · 5 min read

Every year, somewhere around Thanksgiving, my feet go cold, and they don't warm up again until the snowbanks are gone. Two pairs of wool socks. A hot water bottle under the blanket in the evening. And still, by the time I'd walked home from the grocery store, my toes were like ice cubes.

The bus shelter on Bank Street was the worst. I'd stand there shifting from foot to foot like I was waiting for a parade to start, counting the minutes until the bus came round the corner.

So I did what most of us do. I put up with it. I said no to the Christmas market with my sister. I let the groceries be delivered. I went out a little less every winter, and told myself it was just the weather.

It wasn't the weather. It was my boots.

Why more socks never worked

I'd always assumed cold feet were just something that happened to women our age, like reading glasses. Then I worked out where the cold was actually getting in.

It gets into a boot in three places. Down through the opening at the top, where there's always a gap round the ankle. Through the sides, when the wind comes off the canal. And up through the sole, from a sidewalk that's been frozen since December.

A second pair of socks doesn't close any of those. It just puts one more layer under the leak, and makes the boot tight, which in my experience only makes things colder.

Then I saw them on Pauline at the bus stop

My neighbour Pauline was waiting for the same bus in a pair of navy quilted ankle boots, with soft grey fleece peeking out round the top. She wasn't shifting about at all. I asked her how on earth she wasn't frozen, and she lifted one foot and said, "Fleece. All the way round."

They were the Rosa, from Sylvie & Odette, the same little Montréal shop I'd bought my winter hat from. They dress women our age. I ordered mine that evening, in the same navy, because it goes with every winter coat I own.

What happened at the ByWard Market

The Saturday after they came, I spent the best part of an hour at the market on a properly cold morning, minus twelve with a wind, choosing apples and chatting. My feet were warm the entire time. I actually forgot about them.

Three different women asked me about my boots. My friend Sue said I looked like I'd "made an effort," which I've decided to take as a compliment. She's asked me to write the name down for her.

It's a small thing, warm feet. I'd forgotten how much more I want to go out when I'm not dreading the cold. I've told my sister yes to the Christmas market this year.

That was three weeks ago. I've worn them nearly every day since.

Five things I've learned since

1.The fleece goes all the way round

Remember the three places the cold gets in? The Rosa closes all three. At the top, soft thick fleece runs right up and folds over the edge, so there's no gap at the ankle. On the sides, the outside is windproof, so the wind off the canal simply doesn't get through. And underneath, a thick sole sits between your foot and the frozen sidewalk. Warm in, cold out.

2.They grip on icy sidewalks

This is the one I think really keeps a lot of us indoors. At our age, a fall on the ice isn't an inconvenience. It's a broken wrist and a winter on the couch. The Rosa has a chunky, grippy sole made for wet and icy paths, and I feel steady in them in a way I didn't in my old boots. I walk to the bus now instead of shuffling.

3.My feet don't ache after a long walk

The sole is cushioned underneath, so it's soft to walk on. After an hour at the market and the walk home, my feet were warm and they didn't hurt. I can't say that about a single pair of winter boots I've owned before.

4.They just slip on

There are no laces to fumble with in cold fingers. You don't have to bend over in the front hall with your coat on, tugging at knots. Feet in, out the door. And they're kind to narrow feet and wider feet alike, without squeezing.

5.They don't look like "sensible boots"

This was my real worry. Warm boots for women our age usually look like something you'd wear to shovel the driveway. These are a neat quilted ankle boot in proper colours, and with the fleece showing at the top they look cosy rather than clunky. Mine are the blue, a deep navy. They also come in black, wine red, green and beige, and every one of them goes with a dark winter coat.

The Rosa vs. the boots by my door

My old winter boots are still by the door, so this is a fair fight.

About the price

I'd assumed boots this warm would cost a fortune. My last pair of winter boots was nearly two hundred dollars, and my feet were cold in those too.

The Rosa is $79.95 CAD.Was $160 CAD

Over a winter that runs from October to April, that's less than fifty cents a day for warm feet.

There's no catch. Sylvie & Odette have their fall sale on, and shipping is free across Canada. They come in sizes UK 2 to 8.5 (EU 35 to 43), and there's a size chart on the page.

One thing worth knowing before you order, because I'd rather you heard it from me: they're winter walking boots, not rubber boots. Wet snow rolls straight off them and my feet have stayed dry on every walk to the bus, but I still step round the big slush puddles at the corner. For everyday winter, they've been perfect.

I did read the reviews before I ordered. They aren't all five stars, which, if I'm honest, made me trust the rest more.

What I'd tell you if we were friends

If your feet are cold from October to April, don't just pile on another pair of socks and stay in. That's what I did, and I lost more winters to it than I like to admit. Get a pair of boots that keeps the cold out properly, and go out.

Next time you're at the bus stop in January, you'll be thinking about where you're going, not about your feet. And if they aren't the warmest boots you've owned, there are thirty days to send them back. The only thing you're really risking is another cold winter.

They don't look like they were made for somebody half my age. And they don't look like I've given up, either.

Diane Pelletier

About the writer

Diane Pelletier is 63 and lives in Ottawa, Ontario. She is a customer, not a fashion writer, and she was not paid to write this letter.

Rosa | Anti-Slip Winter Shoes

$79.95 CAD$160 CAD

• Soft, thick fleece lining, all the way round
• Windproof upper, wet snow rolls off
• Grippy anti-slip sole for wet and icy sidewalks
• Cushioned sole for comfortable walking
• Slips on: no laces to tie
• Suits narrow and wider feet
• Five colours: navy blue, black, wine red, green and beige
• Sizes UK 2 to 8.5 (EU 35 to 43)
• Free shipping across Canada · 30-day returns

Get warm feet this winter

The fall sale is on now — save $80.05 while it lasts, and have them before the real cold sets in.

This page is an advertisement for Sylvie & Odette. Sylvie & Odette · Free shipping across Canada · 30-day returns.