I have always had an issue with shoes and boots. I love them and there are so many cute boots and shoes out there that one would think that I would be able to find exactly what I needed for farm/garden work easily. Not so! The problem you see is my feet! They are flat and wide on the bottom but I have that high arch on the top that jams me up every time I try to get boots to wear. I also have calves that are to die for - they are just huge! It comes from being a long and triple jumper as well as gymnast in high school. I had found a wonderful pair of rain boots - black with pink polka dots and not too tall that they had to be rolled down to accommodate my giant calves - many years ago and this year they finally just wore out! I will upcycle them soon - look for that in an upcoming blog. So the race was on to find some boots that would fit toot sweet! I also like something that is easily slip on - I never go out the door with nothing in my hands it seems, and I dont need to have to put every thing down so I can wrestle with a boot and then try to gather it up to go out.
And then there is the fisherman in the family! Who also needed new boots since last summer due to another growth spurt! I know you cant tell but both of these guys are wearing rain boots of some type! Reed is the guy on the right in this photo and that is a King Salmon that weighs about 25 pounds give or take. Colton Conner is on the left and he is the owner of Drifterz Paradise Fishing Charters where Reed was lucky enough to be hired and is in training to be a fishing guide. He has got his guide license with the State and he is waiting on his Maritime Credentials to arrive. He took the two day (16 hour) class and passed with flying colors. (check them out on facebook also here). Such a great thing! But I digress! Of Course!
Alaska is home to a couple of other fishermen (women actually), the Salmon Sisters - if you havent heard of them - its a great story - they have helped to design some XtraTuf boots for the Alaskan way of life.
Above photo is the Salmon Sisters boots that I first saw when I was looking for boots. I LOVE those octopus boots but the Salmon ones are cool too and so stylin'! But alas finding ones that will fit my weird feet is a challenge! But Reed had chosen a pair of XtraTuf deck boots and XtraTuf ships free to Alaska so I thought "what the heck - Ill try a mens boot and see how it does for me." I have worn mens tennis shoes often as they are wider and make a better fit for me. So we ordered up our sizes!
Mama got these blue ones!! They are Wicked Sweet and they fit great. They easily slip on and they are comfortable and best of all they are waterproof!
They are a total fashion statement I know and I'm pretty sure there were some ladies in the Lowe's store checking out my boots over this last weekend and a few dudes too for that matter - so jealous!
Isn't it amazing how the right equipment can make such a difference in our lives - right down to our cool blue boots! Im pretty sure at this point that I have more "foot selfies" than I do actual "selfies" but no matter. I have been wearing these for about two weeks now and im pretty sure they will go great with a skirt I have so I can wear them to work!
I hope you have some fun outdoor gear that makes your farm face smile at least once during your hard working day! Happy Spring!
