By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
January 7, 2017
I love boots. Besides providing warmth and traction, they also cover up a multitude of sins, such as cankles, unflattering pants and general slovenliness. And not that I’m into cosplay — because I’m not (not that there’s anything wrong with it) — but when I wear boots, I feel spritely. Like an elf.
Not the Will Ferrell kind of elf, but the Legolas/Galadriel kind. Anyone else? No? Just me? Alrighty then… Moving on.
I have a pair of Columbia snow boots that I wear when I take the kiddo out sledding (or pretty much anytime I’m required to wear a snowsuit). They are very warm, but they are also incredibly heavy. So, for everyday walking or running errands, I opt for less hefty boots.
During my two visits to Australia — both times during their summer — I almost bought a pair of Uggs, but didn’t because it was just too stinking hot and I didn’t want to use up that much of my carryon space on boots. I’ve regretted that decision, to be honest!
Anyhow, I’ve been wearing a pair of red, suede Lands’ End boots for the past couple years. I got them for a great price and never fail to receive compliments on the color and style. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with them, but I just wanted a new pair of boots. You know how that goes, right?
I bought these suede North Face Anna Purna boots at DICK’s Sporting Goods, saw them on sale a couple days later at North Face and asked Dick’s if they could match the price. They wouldn’t — but since the boots were unworn with the tags still on them and I had the receipt, I was able to return them and make the purchase at North Face. (Honestly, I had never imagined that North Face would sell their products cheaper at their own stores.)
In their ads, North Face touts the boots as: “For winter protection without compromising style, this sleek and streamlined waterproof suede boot features warm PrimaLoft® insulation and TNF Winter Grip®.”
I’ve worn these Anna Purnas every day during this Arctic winter and they have served me well. The rubber toes are indeed waterproof and have prevented the melting snow from reaching my toes. And the soles grip the slipperiest sidewalk well.
The one flaw is the side zipper. While they make it easy to put the boots on, the zipper doesn’t come down far enough to make taking them off a breeze. I have to tug at them a bit to get them off.
I don’t have the longest legs in the world and boots sometimes make me look stumpy. These don’t do much to lengthen the line of your legs, per se, but they don’t shorten them either.
All in all, I’m very happy with this purchase. Aesthetically, the only way I could like these boots more is if they came in a deep shade of cherry red.
NOTE: As I do with all my leather shoes/boots, I treated these with a leather guard to help prevent water/salt stains.
CHECK THIS OUT: North Face. $175 retail. I got mine from northface.com on sale for $121.99 (plus tax). I see that as of today, they are full price again.
