Some may be familiar with a post made about a month ago on Curia regarding a very visible, if not hot, topic at Bowdoin: LL Bean Boots. The author speaks to the usefulness of these boots, but asserts that "there is no way to ever justify their ugliness outside the state of Maine." These ugly pieces of footwear, the author goes on to write, are indispensable pieces of the Bowdoin winter uniform?a winter uniform that each Bowdoin student proudly produces the moment the weather starts to turn for the worse. The author is right; now that the weather has worsened in recent days, Bowdoin students have dusted off and donned their Bean Boots.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. In my opinion, they're not that ugly. The Bean Boot is also the only shoe I've seen large enough to fit the Old Lady and all of her children, which has to count for something...and the lack of comments on the Curia post, despite the fact that all the other posts under the "Stuff Bowdoin People Like" section have at least one comment, indicates that the poster may have struck one of those problems that everyone knows but no one wants to talk about: Bowdoin may have a Bean Boot obsession, but we're not going to do anything about it.
The Bean Boot does not go with everything, though. Carhartts and Bean Boots says rugged; skinny jeans and Bean Boots says confused. Also confusing: skirt-Bean Boot combinations. If you're very concerned about the warmth and dryness of your feet, you'll probably kick yourself when you realize you've completely neglected the warmth of your legs and crotch. Or perhaps you're trying to make a fashion statement, in which case, I'm not buying what you're selling. Guys, the mismatching of the Bean Boot may not be as much of an issue on a day-to-day basis, but they are inappropriate for any level of dressiness at or above khaki pants and collared shirt. Honestly, despite the apparent ubiquity of the Bean Boot, there are other cold weather options for footwear.
Starting with any other type of boot. Of course, there are the other pieces of Bowdoin foul-weather footwear (speaking to mostly the women here), such as Hunter-type Boots or Ugg-type Boots. There is great variety just in these two categories?patterned wellies of different colors and heights, or variations on the Ugg styles. So much variety that I would question the purchase of a "classic" dark shade of either of these boots. Still, these boots, while comfortable and warm when walking to class, are probably less comfortable and too warm when going out at night.
For both men and women, the better alternative for not-too-deep snow or not-too-wet weather would just be a switch to any high cut shoe of a fairly impermeable material. To me, there are few reasons (beside ethical) not to make that material smooth leather. It looks great, doesn't get ruined when wet, and can be quite warm. Salt and scuffing may discolor it, but a decent tin of shoe polish does not run more than $5 to $10, and can stretch the life of leather shoes and help you get your money's worth.
In foul weather, many are tempted to get footwear that they cannot ruin. The old sneakers and athletic shoes come out. Sneakers are perhaps at their worst in foul weather. The perforations in the already very permeable fabric, while comfortable in the summer or working out, can leave the foot cold, wet, uncomfortable, and unstylish. High cut leather shoes would both upgrade style and provide comfort as many of these shoes approach the comfort of sneakers.
Finally, footwear is never one-size-fits-all. The pressure to own Bean Boots is not productive if you are more comfortable wearing something else. There's an old episode of "Doug" (continuing my trend of quoting Nickelodeon from the good ol' days) where Doug, the lovable middle school protagonist, wants a pair of Sky Davis Inflatable Air Jet basketball shoes. But Doug doesn't have the change to afford this new trend, and they end up in the hands of arch rival Roger Klotz. The shoes are obviously too large, but he buys them in the interest of competition and trend. In the end though, Doug meets Davis, after whom the shoes are named, and learns that even Davis doesn't wear the Sky Davis shoes; in fact, he wears the same exact shoes that Doug wears! Roger Klotz trips all over himself in his several-sizes too big Sky Davis shoes, making a fool of himself in front of the whole school. The moral of the story: Shoes should be practical, comfortable, and your own style. If they aren't, find another pair.