If your hands and feet get cold, the rest of your body isn’t far behind. This is a fact! Going back to my high school days, I attended a private Lutheran High School, and it was about 13-miles from where I lived – that is a long, long distance in a big city (Chicago) to travel. On a good day, it would take me about an hour and a half to get to school, and home at the end of the day, on the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) bus. As most big-city dwellers will know, buses usually make a stop about every other block, if someone is standing at a bus stop sign.
During the warmer months, there wasn’t any air conditioning on the buses back then. And in the winter months, and the heaters didn’t work very well at all – except near the front of the bus where the drivers sat. More often than not, during the winter, especially if there was fresh snow on the ground, the buses almost always ran 15-minutes late – ugh! Chicago isn’t called the Windy City, for nothing. During the Winter months, the wind really kicks up, and if you are standing on a street corner, waiting on a bus, then you got cold – just that simple. I usually wore my high school jacket – it looked cool, but it wasn’t warm once the wind started blowing. Add some blowing or falling snow into the mix, and you got cold, very cold.
Back in the day – circa the mid-1960s to late-1960s, there weren’t any such thing as insulated boots – just wasn’t any such thing outside of miitary “Mickey Mouse” boots. So, leather shoes were the uniform of the day, and they were not – and still are not – very warm to wear in winter months. Back then, if your shoes happened to get wet, then you were all that much more miserable. In 1969, Gore-Tex was invented. However it wasn’t very well known back then, and it was pretty expensive. Add in some light-weight insulation to waterproofed clothing, and it was a miracle, and you stayed warm and dry.
I’ve been wearing insulated and waterproof boots for about 35+ years now – during the winter months, and they keep my feel warm and dry. This is important since I have Type 2 Diabetes. You have to keep your feet warm and dry so, you have good circulation in your feet. If you don’t, then you can easily lose some toes, or even your feet if the blood isn’t circulating down to your feet. We live in Western Oregon these days – going on our 16th year, and as a rule, we don’t get a lot of snow or a lot of very cold days. However, when it does get down below freezing, I reach for a pair of waterproof and insulated winter boots. My gloves are also insulated. You can’t be too careful when you have Diabetes 2.
As a rule, I wear waterproof hikers most of the year, however at times, I will reach for a pair of hikers or athletic shoes that aren’t waterproof – especially in the hot Summer months. I’ve experimented with several brands of insulated/waterproof boots over the years, and I’ve found that the ones made by Rocky, to be about the best. I’ve owned several different pair over the years. One pair, I had resoled twice – unfortunately, the second time around, the boots squeaked – a lot when I walked. I finally gave that pair away.
Now, save your hate mail: I’ve done a lot of research, and found out that about 80% – 95% of our footwear is made in China. Sad to say, when we go to war with China – and it will happen – if we don’t win right away, many of us will be barefoot ‘cause there won’t be much more footwear coming into the USA. I know, I know, none of us like “contributing” to the Red Chinese economy, but it can’t be avoided. One of the best boot makers in the USA happens to be Danner, right here in Portland, Oregon. Their top of the line boots are still made here in the States. However, the majority of their boots are now made in mainland China. That had to happen – everyone else is doing it, and in order to compete in today’s market, “you have to do what you have to do”, to stay in business.Continue reading“Rocky Winter Boots, by Pat Cascio”
