How to Style Winter Boots

Today I'm partnering with Zappos to share how I style my Kamik winter boots with a special cameo from Mac ;) !

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. For those of you who have never been or are unfamiliar with the city, it's in southwestern Pennsylvania. Just about 7 out of the 12 months of the year, it is cold, cold, cold. Not to mention, we get a lot of rain and a ton of snow. Of course, it differs from year to year and season to season like any other city, but that's kind of the norm around here.

Me and Callie 1996

It's fun to look back at photos growing up. My mom always tells the story about me being born on April 14th and how when my parents brought me home from the hospital, it was snowing. I also vividly remember the year my sister, Callie, was born (1994). We had just been hit with a huge storm days before she was born! The year before that we had one of the biggest snowstorms in Pittsburgh's history (22" of snow in one day!)... in mid-March! I love the photos of snow piles that are twice the size of me! 

You kind of learn to love the rain and snow... or at the very least embrace it. But you also learn to live with it. I'm all about fashion and sometimes wear impractical things, but being in a climate that changes on a dime, I've also learned to embrace functional fashion, too. 

While living in Pittsburgh and also being an avid skier, my winter boot collection is large. I actually love the snow. I get sick of it towards winter's end, but those first few months, bring it on! I keep a pair of winter boots at my parent's house, a pair in the trunk of my car, a pair in my ski bag, and a pair by my door. Yeah, I'm also one of those people who always has an umbrella in my bag, even when it's sunny. #AlwaysPrepared

I was sent these Kamik Sienna boots from Zappos to try out and it's safe to say I love them. Kamik was a brand I was unfamiliar with until recently, but I love that the brand is over 100 years old and is still family owned. Not to mention, it's great that the brand is available on Zappos because you get fast, free shipping and they also have 365-day returns! 

Besides the stylish exterior with the plaid and leather details, the specs are what I really look for in a winter boot. The entire boot is waterproof, the tread on the bottom is designed specifically for walking in snow/slippery conditions and the boot contains Thinsulate (which is a necessity when it comes to walking in the freezing snow). I also prefer a higher shaft (Kamik's Sienna boot is 9") on most boots because post-skiing, I need the extra coverage to traipse through the slopes/snowy parking lots. I also love the look of a higher shaft because they can easily be worn with leggings or skinny jeans like you see in the photos above. 

My sister, Callie, and I took these photos on a walk through the woods with Mac. For a 14-year-old, he is pretty spry! He was pulling us every which way and having the time of his life! It was freezing outside. I wore one of my heaviest sweaters thinking that it would keep me warm enough, but nope! The Kamik Sienna boots were perfect for walking through the mud and leaves. They kept my feet warm and dry and the dirt off of my pants (which was good because we were going to lunch afterward!). 

When it comes to styling winter boots, I typically try to keep it simple. Winter boots are casual, so my biggest tip is to not try and overly dress them up. In the photos above, I chose a neutral oversized chunky sweater, plaid scarf, and dark wash skinny jeans. It's a clean, put-together look, but still casual and makes sense for being outdoors! What do you wear when dressing for the outdoors?