There are a few items of clothing that are a must for anyone living through a long, cold, Canadian winter: a wind/waterproof jacket, a toque (love that word!), warm mittens or gloves…and warm, waterproof winter boots.
KICKING IT OLD SCHOOL WITH MUKLUKS
How many of you remember those mukluks with faux fur on them from the 1970’s? I sure do. I loved them at the time. One of my best friends had a pair and, darn it, I wanted a pair SO badly. When I think back to those furry boots now, all I can remember is my friend having cold, wet feet when wearing them. The fake fur didn’t hold much warmth, and when that faux fur got soaked in those big puddles of dirty, melting snow…yuck! The weight of those cold, waterlogged boots weighed heavily on her small legs.
Anyone with kids knows how fast they can go through winter boots. Either they grow out of them, or wear them out, often in one season.
Two years ago, we were lucky enough to obtain great quality pair of winter boots for X-Man. Those boots got him through that winter in comfort and warmth. Unfortunately, by the next winter, his little feet had grown out of these great boots. We tried to track another pair down, only to find that the boot company had gone out of business.
That’s when we made the mistake of grabbing one of the first pairs of “nice looking” boots we found on the shelf of a local retailer. The boots looked great, seemed to be warm enough, and heck, they were a great deal!
Sold!
It didn’t take us long to discover that these boots were of poor quality. Not only weren’t the boots terribly warm, they weren’t exactly waterproof either (spring puddles made that clear to us). Then there was the issue with the felt boot lining. The felt was of such poor quality, that over the course of the winter, many of X-Man’s socks were destroyed thanks to rubbing against this felt. The felt boot liners literally disintegrated in front of our eyes, leaving small balls of felt clinging to all of X-Man’s socks.
What. A. Mess.
STONZ – CANADIAN KIDZ FOOTWEAR AT ITS BEST!
This winter, we are breathing a sigh of relief. We recently found another fabulous boot company that produces top quality boots – in baby, toddler and youth sizes. AND….they are Canadian!
Stonz Winter Bootz from STONZ on Vimeo.
Stonz Wear was born from the frustration that west-coast Canadian mom, Lisa Will, felt back in 2003 as she struggled with trying to keep her two young kids’ feet warm. Today, Stonz Wear is an award-winning footwear company with their successful line of Booties, Linerz, Mittz, Rain Bootz, and Winter Bootz, proudly sold at retailers like Nordstrom.com, Zappos.com, ShoeMe.com, and of course, Stonzwear.com.
To understand why I consider Stonz Winter Bootz to be quality winter boots, take a look at this:
WINTER BOOTS: IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER:
Warmth: With frigid Canadian winter temperatures that often hit minus 30 degrees celsius (or below!), Stonz Winter Bootz will keep your kids’ feet toasty in temperatures up to minus 50 degrees celsius!
Conditions: Ice, Wind, Rain & Snow. Let’s face it, from fall until spring, we Canadians face a lot of nasty weather. A quality winter boot needs to stand up to many different winter conditions. Stonz Winter Bootz can handle the nastiest of Canadian seasons. Their waterproof and wind-resistant Bootz will keep out the wet snow, slush, and rain, and keep your kids’ feet the way they should be – dry!
Boot Sole: Boot soles are an often over-looked feature of footwear but, they shouldn’t be. Soles are what help to keep you upright and on your feet. A good tread on a winter boot can mean the difference between making it to your front door, or taking an unexpected ride on your butt all the way to the end of your driveway. Trust me I know this (just ask my family members!). With Stonz Winter Bootz slip resistant XFS sole, kids have a better chance of staying upright on their feet – and only falling down when they choose to.
Weight: Remember how your parents used to make you walk 10 miles to school in minus 30 degree temperature, in a blinding snowstorm? Funny how we all remember stories like that. Whether it was 10 miles, or just a couple of blocks that we had to walk, heavy winter boots made walking through the snow that much harder. Super lightweight Stonz Winter Bootz, designed with kids in mind, solve that problem.
Ease Of Use: Those mukluks I spoke of at the beginning of my post? I was never “lucky” enough to get a pair of those myself, however, I did end up with another version of furry mukluks, ones with laces from top to bottom – with pom poms on the ends of the laces. I don’t need to tell you how impractical those boots were for a young child who had barely learned to tie their own sneaker. We are spoiled today, with boots like Stonz Winter Bootz. With their adjustable drawstring, easy buckle-closure, and Velcro-closure, Stonz Winter Bootz makes it easy for kids to slip into a customized, and comfortable fitting boot.
Durability: Kids are hard on their clothes and footwear. It’s a known fact. This can also be hard on mom and dad’s wallet if their clothing and footwear aren’t durable. Stonz understands kids. Stonz products are durable and machine washable. So the great thing is, if your first child grows out of their Stonz Winter Bootz, the boots may be tough enough to endure Round 2: Stonz Vs Kids.
So now, as we await winter’s return, X-Man has been outfitted in a pair of Stonz Winter Bootz thanks to our friends at Stonz!
The most notable thing about X-Man’s Stonz Winter Bootz is how lightweight they are. X-Man says they are like walking on air. X-Man loves his new boots because they are so light and easy to walk in. We love his new boots because of their quality and durability. Stonz Winter Bootz have made us all happy!
Apparently, Stonz Bootz have made some celebrity parents happy too!
While I cannot yet speak to the warmth of these boots, I am placing my bets on Stonz, and I’m feeling pretty confident about this. The boots’ Radiantex inner liner feels amazing. I can feel the warmth just sticking my hand inside the boot. Not only is the Radiantex inner lining great quality, I don’t foresee any issues like we had last year with the felt lining in the last boots X-Man had. We also love that the liner is moisture-wicking. This helps keep little feet dry. This removable liner also allows us to properly dry out the inside of the boot – when a certain young boy, playing in slushy puddles, allows water to pour inside the boots.
Yes, you heard me right.
Don’t forget. We are talking about a young boy. Young boys do crazy things like that. Things that are beyond the control of the fine folks at Stonz. Even the best technology can’t always keep a young boy’s boot dry.
Stonz Winter Bootz are available in 4 great colours and they are suitable for children up to 14 years of age.
Shhh…don’t tell anyone but…I may just have to get a pair of Stonz Winter Boots for myself. X-Man’s boots ALMOST fit me. One size up and I’d be good to go! Only problem is…they may be a wee bit on the short side for my legs when I’m shoveling in knee-deep snow!
So tell us, Stonz, when are you moving into the adult footwear market? I’m waiting!
Thanks to our friends at Stonz, one lucky Canadian Blog House reader has the chance to win a pair of these fabulous kidz bootz! The winner will be able to select a pair of Stonz Winter Bootz in their choice of size and colour.
Be sure to like Stonz Wear on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all Stonz news and promotions!!
Disclosure: Canadian Blog House was provided with the above product in exchange for this review. All opinions are our own.
