If you’re looking for shoes to wear during New York winters, you’re in the right place. Here are 15 of the best.
I’ve lived in New York City for the better part of a decade now. As a born-and-bred Angelino, prior to moving here I was under the impression that all cities with seasons have the same winters. That whether it’s Boston, London, Aspen, or New York, it’s going to be freezing cold with a lot of snow.
So footwear-wise, all I’d need are a pair of snow boots, right?
Absolutely not. See, I actually got to the city from LA via Boston, which has the kind of winters I expected. New York, on the other hand, is far more nuanced.
It’s not freezing cold all the time, sometimes it’s unseasonably warm, sometimes it’s wet and gross, and other times we get trapped in a polar vortex for a week. It also doesn’t snow that much, but occasionally we’ll get pounded for a day or two.
Here are the best shoes to wear in this unpredictable part of the world.
Quick Take
Here are our recommendations from the list:
A versatile and stylish boot that combines the durability of a work boot with the aesthetics of a fashion boot. It's Goodyear-welted for water resistance, comfortable for all-day wear, and considered a great value for its quality.
This Shoe combines skater style with winter boot functionality, featuring hidden gum-toned lugs for effective traction. It offers insulation, durability, and a convenient clicky wheel for tightening, making it ideal for cold conditions.
This is a stylish and functional choice, ideal for city professionals, offering a blend of fashion and practicality with a handmade, Goodyear-welted design, making it suitable for both office and winter weather.
Read on for more info and the complete list…
15 Best Men’s Shoes for New York Winters
This edit represents a wide range of looks and price tags. It also represents different lifestyles. After all, New York as a whole is a lot more than just the city.
Thursday Boots President
Thursday Boots was founded to bridge the gap between clunky work boots and good-looking but delicate fashion boots. Their President is quintessential to this philosophy, and makes an effective everyday shoe in unpredictable weather.
It’s a modern take on the service boot, which gives it a classic and essential menswear vibe. You can wear it with jeans, or even dress trousers depending on the dress code. Also, I absolutely love its well-oiled full-grain leather.
It’s fully Goodyear-welted all around, providing excellent water resistance as well as a long life, and its cork midsole and EVA footbed makes stomping around concrete floors far less uncomfortable.
I consider the President an affordable “good” boot. It’s more expensive than budget-buys, but you get a lot for the price.
You can choose between a version that has speed hooks (if you need them, or if you just want a more rugged look), or without them (if you want a sleeker look).
Allbirds Wool Runner-up Mizzle Plus
The Runner-up Mizzle Plus takes the laid-back, California aesthetic and function that Allbirds wool
It’s as if they took their classic wool sneaker, combined it with a duck boot, but then also slicked out the design to appease the fashion crowd.
The reinforced wool upper is slapped with a mud guard overlay, upping its water resistance as well as its cold protection. Instead of coming out looking like a short, Frankensteined Wellie though, they gave it a smooth, uninterrupted silhouette despite the hiker-like lacing.
It’s stylish yet protective, and comes in three expressive yet neutral and adaptable colorways. This sneaker seems tailor-made for a Manhattanite, but is perfect for anyone living in unpredictable, often mild, yet occasionally intense winters.
RM Williams Gardener
The RM Williams Gardener is a great shoe for anyone who likes function and fashion, but an especially effective choice for city folk who might work in a visually-focused industry.
I moved to New York as an art world professional (commercial, not creative). So, I learned a lot about having to balance looking a certain way in the galleries and dealing with the winters here.
They’re like office-appropriate work boots. I know how much Manhattanites love an artisanal accessory, so I’ll mention that this Goodyear-welted Chelsea boot is handmade using 65 steps.
More importantly, it features a thick rubber outsole that’s moderately lugged. It’s certainly lugged well enough for wet days and even mild snow days.
It’s chic enough for the fashion crowd, functional enough for the practicalists, and perfectly balances brawn and delicateness.
Xtratuf Men’s 15-Inch Insulated Legacy Boot
XTRATUF is an Alaskan state treasure. And when it comes to weather-focused boots, I have an innate trust in Alaskans. The XTRATUF Legacy Boot is the brand’s tentpole model, and is fully endorsed by The Last Frontier’s fishermen for comfort and security.
Nicknamed the Alaskan sneaker, I would deign to call his boot truly failure-resistant.
The foam insulation is designed to protect from temperatures down to -10 degrees Fahrenheit. But, instead of overheating the interior, the open-cell foam footbed gives you a breathable cushioning.
It’s 15 inches high, which is all the water protection most New Yorkers need. However, from personal experience, I can tell you that the interior airs out really fast. So even if you manage to get your boot flooded (like my basement did), you won’t have to wait too long until you can use it again.
Salomon Quest 4 GTX Hiking Boots
I don’t need to convince people out in the Upstate New York countryside that they likely need a good hiking boot. Nor do I have to convince city folk who love to get out of their urban surroundings to experience nature on the weekends.
Still, the Salomon Quest 4 GTX Hiking Boot is a useful piece of footwear to have for both of those sets, as well as you strictly urban folk.
In New York City, sometimes the fastest way to travel a few blocks on a winter day is on foot — and you’ll need a waterproof boot that can handle uneven terrain to do that.
Unlike so many true hiking boots, this guy is as flexible as trail runners, but they’re a lot higher, which keeps the city dirt and debris at bay. And it’s definitely a beefy shoe, but it’s not as clunky-looking as a true survivalist shoe.
Grant Stone Traveler
Sometimes, even on the worst winter days, you can’t avoid needing to wear a dress shoe. The Grant Stone Traveler is the first of a few that can withstand most New York winter days.
First off, this is a handsome shoe. The flat silhouette allows it to go with any non-gym dress codes. I’ve even worn my bourbon Traveler with dark navy socks and navy tuxedo (though always check how strictly formal your event is before trying this. Even within the formal category, there’s often a small spectrum these days).
It’s a classic penny loafer, but without a beefroll, and with the saddle dipping past the collar. It grounds a suit combination and adds elegance to a casual one.
Even more, it’s made with a special repello suede that’s been processed to up its richness, providing vivid color, and up its water resistance. I’ve literally seen people online break this shoe in using a high-pressure hose.
And, of course, it’s fully Goodyear welted.
Thursday Scout
The Scout is Thursday Boots’ resident chukka. And like the President, Thursday combines hardwearing function with timeless style here.
Do you prefer a sleeker boot that still straddles the rugged and formal spectrum, but leans more into the latter than a service boot does? The Scout is your guy.
The full-grain leather exterior, fully-lined glove leather interior, and shock-absorbing, antimicrobial insole provide strength and comfort. You fellow New Yorkers know that we walk a lot. Meanwhile, its graceful silhouette and two-toned outsole with a stacked heel, bring a sense of dapperness to the look.
Here’s a secret about that outsole though. It features a studded, rubber bottom. This levels up its function factor, making this shoe easy to walk in different kinds of topography, including slippery and wet kinds.
Here’s an in-depth Scout chukka review from The Modest Man’s Senior Editor.
Velasca Urtulan
The Velasca Urtulan is handcrafted in Italy, and is a derby shoe for men who are scared of derbies.
Its silhouette is quite flat with the open-laced eyestays providing not much more topography than you’d find on an oxford.
Moreover, the rest of the upper is fully minimalist, giving it a more formal and adaptable look than a bulkier derby has. Naturally, the suede is a light and lush calfskin leather.
Furthermore, it’s equipped with a rubber Vibram outsole that doesn’t look like a function-forward outsole. This means you can wear this shoe with a full suit since its hybrid status is fully hidden.
This outsole is strong and resilient, with an excellent yet subtle tread pattern. Even in the city, you’d be surprised at how often you might accidentally step in mud during the winters.
I also give Velasca several extra credit points for their wide option of sizing. They go all the way down to a men’s size 5.
Allen Edmonds Park Avenue Shell Cordovan
The Allen Edmonds Park Avenue is a classic oxford shoe. It’s definitely a year-rounder rather than a winter-specific shoe. However, the shell cordovan version, if you can invest in it, is the best year-rounder. Cordovan is a stronger leather that can withstand temperamental weather.
While most leathers are bovine, shell cordovan is a special equine leather. This means it’s derived from horses instead of cows. It’s taken from the horse’s rump, which, as you can imagine, is extremely fibrous.
Therefore, the Park Avenue Shell Cordovan is incredibly durable. In fact, it’s naturally water-resistant and naturally resistant to stretching. This means the upper ripples instead of creases. The benefit here is that the leather is less likely to crack, giving it a longer life than most other full-grain leathers.
Visually, shell cordovan is incredibly rich. Even the darkest, starkest colors look vivid instead of murky.
Cariuma OCA Therma Highs
The Cariuma OCA Therma High has as much winter functionality as it does cool factor, which is a lot.
It flaunts a classic, multi-terrain high-top design. But, the suede construction and the shearling lining that peaks up over the top gives it a touch of luxuriousness that doesn’t take away from the casual sneaker look.
By the way, that suede is fully vegan, yet is still plush-looking and is treated for water repellency. The fuzzy shearling interior is also vegan, keeps you warm and cozy on the coldest days, and feels like clouds around your ankles and feet.
Another pragmatic quality is the natural rubber sole, which is stitched to the upper instead of cemented. This makes the OCA Therma High an effective everyday shoe since it won’t fall apart as quickly as most
LL Bean Snow Sneaker 5
The Snow Sneaker from LL Bean, a Northeastern staple brand, looks like a handsome, everyday trainer.
It’s actually almost GAT-like in that the suede overlay is the prominent visual feature, giving it the classic multi-sectioned look.
You can get this shoe as a two-tone or a monochrome, though all versions have the subtle two-tone outsole which gives the shoe an understated pop of color.
So yes, you can style this shoe as you would any good-looking athletic shoe. What you don’t see though, is the fact it’s winterized.
The exterior has a moisture-wicking membrane that keeps water out. The interior is fully insulated with polyester and wool, fortifying the strength of the shoe while protecting your feet from cold weather.
Plus, the suede on the upper is stain-proof, which is essential on a wet or snowy day. You never know what might leak, splash, or smudge onto your foot from the city streets.
Blundstone 1900 Boot
If the RM Williams Gardener is too pricey for you, this Blundstone 1900 Boot serves up the same Chelsea-style form and function. Its silhouette is a bit simpler and less swervy, giving it a bit of a workwear touch, visually.
Don’t get me wrong. You can still wear this boot with a suit. Still, it offers something a little more relaxed-looking than the sharper, sleeker Chelseas. So budget aside, this boot might be more your style if you prefer a more laid-back aesthetic.
The outsole is grippy and durable, and the leather is strong but not overly thick. This means you can wear this shoe with thick wool socks on the coldest February days.
Vans Sk8-Hi BOA MTE-2 Shoe
If you love skater style, even in the winter, the Sk8-Hi BOA MTE-2 Shoe has the look of a Vans SK8-Hi high-top, but is secretly a winter boot.
The only visual cue that gives its functionality away is the fact you can see the gum-toned lugs peeking out from under the otherwise athletic-looking white outsole. And boy are these lugs effective.
They’re as deep as a rugged hiking boot’s tread, keeping you still and steady on wet and snowy ground.
And remember when I mentioned the occasional polar vortexes we get in New York? Well, those lugs can keep you secure on icy pavement too. And the interior? Fully lined with polyester and merino wool. That’s the perfect combination of insulation, durability, and sweat-wicking functionality.
You can easily tighten the shoe with a clicky wheel, which is also pretty fun to use. And, the pull tabs on the front and back allow you to set the tightness, then pull this shoe and and off like a Chelsea.
Beckett Simonon Water Repellent Suede Dean
This Dean variant is Beckett Simonon’s suede version of their classic oxford shoe. It flaunts a beautiful, slim, and timeless silhouette, as well as loads of versatility.
What makes it special is that the buttery soft leather used to make the upper is actually water-repellant, making this shoe an excellent choice for winter days and generally wet days. Even in the snow, you can’t exactly wear gigantic boots with your suit if you’re at a wedding or a professional event.
Also, Beckett Simonon sources this leather from an Italian tannery that’s Gold-Rated by the Leather Working Group. This means they’ve been assessed and certified for their eco-conscious practices.
Berluti Ultima Leather and Wool Boot
It wouldn’t be a New-York-centric round-up if I didn’t include at least one option in the fashion-with-a-capital-F realm. If you didn’t know, Berluti is a high-end French leather maker that focuses on menswear.
The Leather and Wool Ultima has the sleekest, most sports-car-like curves I’ve ever seen on a boot. The tip is a three-dimensional square, but tapered enough that it perfectly balances brawn with chicness, for a look I can only describe as strapping.
The lugs are thick but not aggressive, and the lacing area is a series of strong and exquisitely-placed layers. The wool lining makes this shoe look like the boot equivalent of a luxurious chinchilla-lined coat.
There’s no doubt that this shoe is high-end luxury, but it’ll definitely level up casual and formal outfits in a unique yet wearable way.
FAQs
If you have more questions about winter footwear in New York, check out these quick answers to some common inquiries:
What shoes do you wear in New York in winter
Choose shoes that can accommodate rain, snow, ice, and cold. Make sure your
What boots are good for walking in New York City winter?
You want boots that are warm and slip-proof, but also comfortable to walk in if you live in the city. Choose shoes with insoles that return energy or accommodate your foot contours. Otherwise, look into adding outside insoles to your shoes.
What do you wear in New York in winter?
You want shoes that are grippy, insulated, and weather-proof. Similarly, you want clothes that can accommodate both moderate cold and extreme cold, as well as rain and snow.
Dress in layers if you’ll be out all day, and make sure you have a peacoat, a raincoat, an umbrella, gloves, and scarves, on top of your everyday essentials.
Boots For Winter in the Big Apple
Whether you’re in New York City, or elsewhere in this big, beautiful state, New York winters are a beast of their own.
They aren’t always Siberian, in which case heavy snow boots are all you’ll need in your closet. And they aren’t always so moderate that any pair of shoes will do as long as you have insulated socks.
Ultimately, you want a good boot, a good dress shoe, and a good sneaker that can handle the variety a New York winter often faces us with.
Questions? Comments? Leave them below!
Ask Me Anything