How to Survive A Toronto Winter with Cougar Boots

This blog post sponsored by Cougar Boots. All opinions and experiences are my own.

When you live in Toronto, you need a good shoe. Toronto is a pedestrian city that gets all four seasons, and we get them hard. We get sweltering heat, torrential rain, crunchy leaves, wind that hurts your face, and heaps of snow that sometimes piles up to your eyeballs. Oh, and every once in a while, we get coated in sheets of ice so we start skating to work instead of walking. Honestly, sometimes the stereotype of Canadians dog-sledding to work is not far off with the weather we get. Toronto basically ends up looking like Winterfell or The Wall when Winter comes. We The North, after all. 

Listen, I know it’s a bit early to be talking Winter, but with Climate Change and all, you never know when Winter Is Coming. Best to be prepared. 

Despite all the flack Toronto gets about traffic, quite a lot of us walk to work, including myself. 

So in Toronto and in Winter especially, I really need a good boot. Basically I want snow tires for boots. That’s my standard. 

What A Typical Torontonian Looks for in a Winter Boot

I’m pretty easy to please. I’m looking for warmies, dry feet, and I don’t want to fall down. You’d be surprised how important not falling down (hello, ice) is to me. Walks to work get cold AF and icy AF. I’ve definitely skated and shuffled my entire way to work before. Ugh. 

When it gets cold in Toronto, it really is miserable, but we deal and we adapt. It’s part of being a good Canadian. And I’m looking for good gear to match.

When Cougar Boots reached out, I was so stoked to work with them because I LOVE me a good boot and I’ve grown up trudging to school and tobogganing in Cougars since I was a kid. They’re a born and bred Canadian company that has been making boots for the everyday Canadian for the last 70 years (since 1948!). Safe to say, Cougar knows what’s up when it comes to what Canadians need in any season, and they’re still based in Canada to this day just outside of Toronto. 

The DYLAN Boot

I’ve been testing out the DYLAN in Pewter. It’s a mid-height boot (with a cute BUT STABLE little heel) made of leather and suede. I’ve gotta say, it’s always a bonus when a practical shoe is stylish too. These babies are fuzzy and lined with shearling on the inside, so no cold ankles or tootsies over here (I can’t STAND cold feet). The shearling lining is also moisture wicking, so my feet stay warm and cozy but don’t get too sweaty. Although I never want to see these temperatures, they’re built to withstand temps of up to -24 Celcius (that’s -11 Farinheit for all of my American friends! i.e. it’s cold). And FYI in case you’ve been burned by leaky boots or stains in the past: ALL Cougar shoes guaranteed waterproof (even my Dylan’s which are made with pre-treated leather and suede - so no extra stinky leather protection spray required!).  

Winter Is Coming

My Cougars really check all my boxes when it comes to buying LESS but buying BETTER. They are comfy AF (honestly it feels like wearing slippers with the shearling lining), they get the job done, and I have yet to slip and fall down. They’re durable, warm and I don’t feel like I’m walking around in a chunky worker’s boot that feels like a brick on my feet. I can still feel stylish when it’s especially tough to do so buried under layers of warmies in the Winter. And they’re built to last. 

Winter Is Coming. So what do you look for in a good Winter boot? Let me know in the comments! xx

PS - I’m wearing a size 7 here, which is true to size. Take your usual size.