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Poll of the Week: Professional rainboots?

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professional rainboots 2As we are coming up the two year anniversary of this blog, we've been going through old posts and realizing which ones we should revisit in the light of new readers (and, awww, remembering the days when it took us 3 hours to figure out how to insert image URLs). So here's today's question — are rainboots an acceptable item to wear to the office? Or is there too much of a whiff of, oh, little-girl-jumping-in-puddles?

For our $.02, we love (LOVE) our Hunter boots and consider them an essential for trekking through NYC. (Hunter – Hunter Original (Green), available at Zappos for $115). When it rains, the subway stop near the office has a massive puddle that everyone else must jump around — we can just plow right through it. The same thing happens with many curbs in the city — gushing water greets you. We're also fans of the Shuella boot, for those days we were totally unaware it was going to rain. Perhaps our answer would be different if we lived in a city where cars were more the norm… which is why we're going to take two polls: one for NYCers (or please vote in this poll if MOST people in your city either a) walk or b) take the subway or other public transportation to work), and one for everyone else.
are-rainboots-appropriate-for-the-office
Readers, any other tips on surviving inclement weather? And, can anyone recommend a good umbrella that folds up for your purse?

119 Comments

  1. So interesting that you posted this, as I was recently thinking that otherwise professionally and fashionably dressed women look so ridiculous in rainboots (I zip through NY Penn Station everyday, unfortunately). I think they’re ok for commuting but I seriously hope women are not leaving them on in the office. It’s raining today and I just wore a pair of platform wedges I don’t particularly care for to protect my pants from the wet ground. Shrug.

    1. wait, seriously? of COURSE you take them off, yes? how uncomfortable to slosh around the office all day in waders . . .

  2. As long as you take them off and put on normal shoes when you get to your desk I see no problem with it. Like wearing snow boots when it snows, there is nothing inherently unprofessional about being dressed appropriately for the outdoors when you arrive/depart work.

  3. I like my Totes Senz Mini umbrella (yes, just looked it up) — On sale for $30 on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/29jfp8z

    Mostly b/c it’s a little oddly shaped so it doesn’t flip, and folds up very small.

    Rainboots are fine to get to work… just change into your real shoes when you get there! (they make sense too — who wants to spend as much as we do on shoes only to have them ruined in puddles??)

  4. Yes to rain boots, but also yes on changing when you get into the office. I usually just wear sneakers in and then change.

    Remember the Totes/Isotoner discrimination suit? I am trying not to buy any more products from them because of it.

      1. i own these, they’re fantastic and i get compliments on them all of the time.

    2. I have Kamik boots and love them. They’re very comfortable and lightweight, but are still very stylish. They come in a variety of colors, patterns, and styles.

        1. I tried Kamik boots. They’re adorable but narrow through the calves. That’s what I get for running/playing soccer…

    3. I have a narrow foot, so I had a hard time finding rain boots in which my foot did not flop up and down as I walked. I find that the Coach rain boots are narrow enough for me.

        1. Just to note that I’m in Chicago. I change into other shoes once I arrive at the office, but I will put the boots back on to trek to court, get there a few minutes early, then change again before I step up before the judge. I will usually just put the boots under the bench where I’m sitting, or to the side of my seat – no big deal.

    5. I have Lands End ones that I love. They are neoprene-lined and so they don’t make my feet sweaty like plain rubber ones do.

    6. I bought target rain boots and wore them all of 3 times on my 10 minute walking commute before they split at the seam, becoming waterproof no more. Thus, I would definitely not recommend target because of the quality issue. Two of my friends had this happen as well.

      I looooove Tretorn! The glossy Vinter boot is really cute, comfortable, and very good quality

  6. I live in DC. It’s okay to wear them outside but please please please change your shoes at your desk. Same goes for snow boots, flip flops, etc. Nothing screams unprofessional than wearing rain boots in the office when clearly it’s not raining inside!

  7. Hunter boots are amazing, esp in NYC – all the sewers get backed up when it rains, and there’s water everywhere. I’ve been trying to convince my husband to buy some rain boots, and I tease him about looking like a demented bug when he tries to tip-toe through puddles. Like the ladies above, they’re not OK for actually walking around the office, but I think they’re fine for coming and going.

  8. Of course it’s fine to wear your rain or snow boots into the office. I treat them like my coat/rain jacket. Take them off when you get to the office and put on your real shoes.

    Of course, for weekends, I LOVE wearing my rain boots to tromp around town.

  9. Might vary locationally – I wear them in D.C. (where I live now), but I don’t ever remember seeing professional or non-professional women wearing them in Oregon (where I’m from). Perhaps because if we made that kind of concession to the weather we’d wear them 9 months out of the year?

    1. I had friends when I lived in the UK who did where them that much – I tend not to, but I have a lot of ankle/knee boots that are waterproof enough if you’re not actually swimming in puddles.

      I can’t imagine wearing wellies around the office, but to and from is fine. Obviously trickier if you’re going from site to site, but a large plastic bag (not advertising anything iffy) usually does the trick.

      1. On that topic, I am always suprised to see women carrying their lunches/shoes/etc in used Victorias’ Secret bags. Seriously? To work?

        1. I’ve seen this too! It reminds me of 6th/7th grade when we would save our Abercrombie bags to bring sleepover stuff to each others’ houses.

          1. Hah!! Just bought back memories of painfully awkward junior high sleepovers (with casual “oh I just grabbed the first thing” A&F bag) :)

        2. It’s not just VS, but I am always a bit put off by it. I understand a random take along, but these bags are obviously worn out sometimes and it just looks odd.

          That said, I am all for recycling.
          The place I get lunch by work gives you perfect little brown paper bags with comfy handles & nothing written anywhere — I keep a little pile in my office for when I need to take stuff home and don’t have a tote handy.

        3. I don’t think that’s so bad. I don’t do it, but it’s not like VS is a porn shop — it’s a clothing store and it also sells undergarments which we all must wear. And if it’s ok to wear rainboots to work, isn’t it ok to also use a bag from an undergarment store just to carry your lunch or whatever, if you take off the boots and store the bag when you get in the office?

          1. Just about the last thing I would ever want to carry into work is a VS bag. Hello, every man I work with, stop for a moment and imagine my fancy underwear. Hello, every woman I work with, I am broadcasting to every man here that I am wearing fancy underwear. Mortifying.

          3. The VS bag is so flashy too. Everyone immediately knows what it is is, and it not just that we all must wear underwear, you are saying, I wear sexaay underwear. But besides that, underwear in general is not appropriate for the work place. Just because we all wear it, doesn’t mean you should broadcast it.

          1. People actually collect these paper shopping bags and buy and sell them – just the bags – on ebay. I find this latter bit incredibly strange.

        5. I just wanted to say that the word “sexaay” must hereafter be used whenever referencing Victoria’s Secret on Corporette. Thanks, CFM. :)

          3. I remember that nyt article! Just to be clear, I have no issues bringing in a Barney’s bag or whatever. Repurposing bags is not a problem in my mind. It is in particular the sexaay VS or other lingerie store bags that are just wrong. I am ok with never broaching the subject of underwear at work, in any way.

    2. I’m at a large firm in Seattle, and they’re definitely pretty common among younger professional women here (particularly the Hunters).

  11. What about walking back and forth to court? In my city we have a daily afternoon thunderstorm in the summer, and downtown floods badly. Is it appropriate to wear rain boots to walk to court, and change when you get there? I feel like this situation requires me to be out in public in my rain boots much more than walking from the parking garage to my office.

    1. I would say yes as long as you change in the bathroom rather than in the courtroom. Elevator’s fine too if no one is in there with you and you know you won’t get surprised by someone getting on.

    2. I’m in FL and a lot of women in my city just wear flip flops, crocs, or other small waterproof shoes to court and then switch out when they get there. The reality is that most court-appropriate shoes will not survive regular treks through 4-6″ of water, so it would be silly to ding you for wanting to avoid having to buy new shoes on a weekly basis.

      1. But what do they then do about soaking-wet feet going into nice shoes? Do they bring a towel along? I often dash to the grocery store in the rain in my beloved flops, but my feet are then soaked.

  12. I walk about 20 minutes to and from work and I really regret it when I don’t wear my Hunter boots (the exact ones pictured) for the trek when the rain gets really heavy because otherwise I will show up soaking wet! I agree with the prior commenter that commuter shoes (be they wellies, snow boots, sneakers or even flip flops) are akin to a coat – you wear it on your way in, change for the day and put them back on for your exit at the end of the day. Personally, I do not think I could handle working somewhere that made an issue of what I wore for the elevator ride in in the morning.

  13. I love rain boots! Have some fabulous ones that I bought in Lugo, Spain (think Seattle, in Espana!) I also have some pretty fab Pucci ones in shades of beige and grey that I have worn in the office with a khaki knee skirt and chocolate brown cashmere turtleneck. I care more about being dry and warm, and am not ruining my shoes because someone thinks rainboots are unprofessional.

    1. are those comfortable? can you tuck in your work pants?
      I like Naturalizer in general, so may have to check those out.

      1. Super comfortable. You can tuck your pants in – the tops are wide enough, and they only go to mid-calf so any wrinkling is minimized.

  15. I agree that rain boots are fine for the walk to and from work, but what do you do with them once you get to your office? I don’t have enough drawer space to hide them, but I don’t really want them sitting out for everyone to see. I’ve thought about getting a very conservative pair (dark color, no pattern, so they might blend into my carpet and filing cabinets), and I might still do it, but any thoughts are helpful!

    1. Do you have space under your desk? I think I have about 3 pairs of shoes there right now, but our desks are large and L-shaped with a front that comes all the way down.

    2. How about putting them in a bag (tote or otherwise). Or another thing I do with my extra shoes in the office is put them in a banker’s box – nobody ever suspects that it’s filled with shoes rather than files.

      1. Or, behind your door if you have your own office? That way, as soon as someone comes in, the door is opened (assuming it was ever shut), hiding the boots.

        Although, really, I don’t think anyone would care if they are neatly in a corner.

    3. I used to not have enough space under my desk, and I’d put them in a tote bag and stand them up near the wall behind my desk. However, I don’t think it’s a big deal for people to see your rain boots, any more than it’s a big deal to see your umbrella.

  16. I live in a very rainy place (Oregon) and don’t really notice/see them that often. I walk and take public transit to work, and I can see them being somewhat useful in the fall when all the leaves are sitting in wet, rotting piles on the sidewalk. Otherwise, they’re kind of like umbrellas – handy for some things but just one more thing to carry around/lose.

    1. It was a while ago when I lived in Oregon, but I seem to remember women having shoes (not boots) that were appropriate for the rain – more like waterproof hiking shoes and boots. I also remember a lot more gortex and fewer umbrellas. It just seems like people in Oregon are more willing to dress for the rain when really necessary, but also resigned to getting wet in light rain.

    2. I also live in Oregon and I’ve noticed (in Portland anyway) that rain boots seem to be catching on, almost like a shoe fad. Especially among younger women and teenagers. I think that because we get so much rain most of our streets are built for it and there isn’t a lot of standing water or puddles and those that are present are easy to navigate around.

      That being said, since I just moved to a place where I can walk to work, I am totally buying rain boots as soon as I find I pair I like. I hate it when my shoes get wet, which they do when I don’t use an umbrella (and no one uses umbrellas in Oregon).

      1. I think I may look for a pair of rain boots for next fall as well. I have seen some girls around in the Hunter boots with a wedge (so cute), but only on the bus or out and about, never at the office. Unfortunately, Hunter doesn’t make boots in my shoe size, so I’m also on the hunt. Until then, I’ll keep dutifully waterproofing my shoes and keep on rocking the goretex parka. I feel like a sea mammal in that thing but I don’t think I can ever trade it for an umbrella.

  17. Related question! If you wear boots of some sort to the office, do you carry your dress shoes, or keep a stash at the office?

    1. Both; I have a stash of shoes under my desk. But also, if I know the shoes I want to wear are at home, I bring them along in my purse (aka the bottomless pit).

    2. Same here, both.

      I read somewhere recently (maybe here??) a tip to buy a small shoe rack for under the desk – one of these days I am going to get my act together enough to do that. So much neater than the current 5 pairs of shoes strewn in the corner (under the desk). At my prior firm, the desks didn’t have the front panel, though, so shoes stayed in a big drawer. Can’t keep work/important papers in a drawer as I will immediately forget they are in there – have to have visible stacks – so it put the drawers to good use!

      1. Under my desk, I keep a few shallow plastic storage bins from Target for my stash of shoes, just so they’re neat and less likely to fall into the path of a vacuum. While it’s great to bring pairs from home, too, I like having a few pairs of black, plus brown and beige, so that I don’t feel obligated to bring shoes if there’s no space in my bag :)

    3. Carry them in (I carry my purse and a black DVF carry-all each day that holds files, my lunch, and spare shoes if needed) … I tried leaving a pair in the office but, well, I’m kind of a shoe fiend… And when I want to wear X pair out at night it’s annoying to have them in the office — and when I get to work in the morning, I don’t want to be frustrated by having shoes that don’t match my outfit waiting.

      1. I have a shoe rack behind my door. Because I walk to work, most of my work pumps are at work. I probably have ten pairs on the rack. I take some good-natured ribbing for it but I don’t find have to carry shoes back and forth and my nice shoes don’t get ruined by being thrown into a drawer.

  18. Here is Chicago I see all the women wearing rainboots…it’s how I know it’s going to rain that day!

    While I wouldn’t wear them, I do see lots of rainboots with little hearts and stars and even skulls being paraded around downtown.

  19. I’m thinking of replacing my old pair of red and black plaid JCrew wellies (which are fuzzily-lined, warm and have served me well – especially since I got them on sale for $20 about 3 years ago).

    Love these – seem professional and wouldn’t be embarrased to share the elevator with my boss while wearing:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XZF5WI/ref=s9_simh_gw_p309_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0M7ATA5PK02A0DGZMD44&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

    And if I had more room in my budget I would spring for these (in black):
    http://www.amazon.com/Aquatalia-Marvin-K-Womens-Wasabi/dp/B0014TU0EC/ref=pd_sbs_shoe_1

    Thoughts?

    1. Both are cute, I don’t know anything about the first brand so can’t say yay or nay other than visually (def yay!), aquatalia is incredibly well made though & the gray color is gorgeous.

      One small point — both of these do seem more winter/fall than reg wellies. I don’t know about you, but I have worn mine in summer so that’s something to consider. A roomy wellie is much more weather appropriate, and I wouldn’t be embarrassed to run into anyone in the elevator wearing something simple like this:
      http://www.zappos.com/hunter-original-gloss-short-beige

  20. Agree with pretty much everyone else – I don’t think its a big deal at all, so long as you change once you get to work. Wearing any sort of rain boots (whether they are hunters or pink with flowers) just doesn’t work around the office all day. Its like those annoying people who wear Uggs in the office all winter …. just, no!

    1. Agree — Uggs (not sure if they make other styles, but I’m thinking of the iconic big foot ski boot style) are not office appropriate unless your office is casual…and in a ski resort.

  21. I’d rather look a little silly walking into the office than get the hems of my pants wet (or, in the case of the massive puddles in New York, half my pants leg it seems like). Boots are just practical, especially in New York where you are definitely walking some of the way to work. Change once you get inside. I don’t think anyone is going to judge you for being practical. (I hope) (I am occasionally jealous of those people that live in cities where office buildings have connected parking decks and people drive everywhere. I remember those days before I moved to New York, and it was so nice to not have to consider the weather because you were barely in it).

  22. This actually brings up a related question I was wondering about. For the ladies who wear something different on their commute than what they wear all day – when do you change? I often commute without my jacket on, wearing nothing but a tank and skirt, because it’s hot outside and I take public transport and walk. It’s too hot to put on my jacket outside, plus I’m all sweaty. I wear a pretty skimpy tank as my bottom layer because it’s the only type of shirt I can wear that I won’t sweat all over. I also wear comfortable walking shoes. I usually get to my office, close the door, wipe off the sweat and then put on my jacket and change my shoes. But I’m always worried I’ll run into a partner in the elevator, or something similarly embarrassing. Thoughts?

    1. I commute in my air-conditioner car, so I can’t offer personally-tested advice, but I would probably keep some sort of light-weight, non-skimpy top in my bag to throw on before I walk into the building. You can change out of it when you get to your office, but I’d be concerned that wearing anything “skimpy” into the office is a bad idea, even if it is your commuting layer.

    2. I would get into the office before anyone else, so no advice here – I used to change in the cosi bathroom on the ground floor of my building before going in if I was late, but that was a huge PITA.

      1. I like to wear skirts and dresses, and I commute on a bike, so if anyone sees me wearing tracksuit bottoms or peculiar shoes, they know my usual outfit wasn’t bike appropriate and I must be arriving or leaving. (The helmet’s a giveaway too!)

        I cycle in normal clothes a lot, but some things are impossible (Pencil skirts, floaty skirts or dresses that will flap around, heels without enough grip to stay on the pedals. Plus expensive stockings – if they cost me 15 euros plus a pair, I’m not risking a ladder.)

        However, these alternatives are not skimpy, just fashion backwards. Maybe a lightweight shawl or wrap to throw over? In a pastel-y colour so it doesn’t look odd when it’s warm?

  23. I lived in NYC for 2 years after college and always rocked very brightly colored rainboots when needed on my commute in the fall and winter, but wore flip-flops in the spring and summer – it was just too hot unless I knew it was going to be a deluge during my commute. Last summer I interned in DC, brought my rainboots, and never wore them, despite feeling a little gross and slippery wearing flip-flops in the rain.

    My solution for this summer in DC: http://www.zappos.com/kate-spade-obi. A more stylish and hopefully less blister-prone version of the jelly slippers I had when I was little.

      1. My mom didn’t let me wear them either! “blah blah not sanitary…blah blah blisters” or something to that effect… these are cute shoes!!

          2. I begged and pleaded until I got jellies… then wore them on an all-day zoo trip and ended up vindicating everything my mom had told me about them. Oh well!

          4. Oh, of course not. Though I haven’t told her about the new version I have either….

          5. I still haven’t bought a pair (and I’m 25)… and even though I seriously want a pair (and plan to shop at DSW this weekend for one), I will not be wearing them around my mom! ;-)

  24. This thread was well timed. I needed a push to get something a little bit more office appropriate than my target hot pink polka dot boots. Now is the time. Thanks for the great suggestions, all!

    1. You won’t be wearing your rain gear in the office all day, so I honestly think that you can have a little fun. And really—don’t your hot pink boots brighten your mood on a dark rainy day?

      1. Yes! I have a deep love of perky footwear/rain gear… My favorite umbrella (I like to have one in the house, the car, the office… just in case) is hot pink, and even on gray days it makes me smile. :-)

  26. I have a lovely pair of J Crew wellies that I bought at the outlet a few years ago. They’re pretty low key and I’ve worn them to the office (and changed, dear god). They’re black up to just past the ankle, then they are a black houndstooth material the rest of the way up. Love them!

  27. Here is the dumb question of the day, from the person in the Southwest where it doesn’t rain often enough to ever consider buying a pair of rain boots. If you are wearing a shorter skirt, and wearing rain boots (mind you, I don’t even know if such a thing is sartorially acceptable), don’t you have problems with rainwater getting into the tops of the boots? This is seriously something I have always wondered about. Feel free to mock away.

    1. Not a dumb Q. Mine are tight enough that raindrops couldn’t fall into them. If I stepped into a puddle that came up higher than my boots, then yes, I imagine the water would seep in.

      1. Similar line of questioning…I’m a Californian and know little about this thing you call “summer rain.” Would I find a pair of rain boots useful while I am summering in NYC this summer? Is that season-appropriate there? I only see some people wearing rain boots in the winter here

        1. yes! but find the most lightweight pair possible and nothing with a heavy lining. i’m also considering buying a pair of rubber ballet flats (JCrew sells them) instead, as they will keep me cooler.

          avoid light colored skirts (and pants) with flip-flops in the rain because although it seems like an easy solution the flip-flops will flick dirty water up on the back of your outfit and nyc streets are DIRTY and the “water” will really be more like gross mud).

        2. Be careful – the lighter weight boots are often lacking in the padding on the bottom which makes them uncomfortable to walk in for long distances – you make be better off with a slim pair of sneakers.

        3. You might prefer something like Croc Mary Janes but waterproof shoes of some sort are a good idea. Also, in hot weather, rubber shoes against bare skin can cause awful blisters – you can get neoprene lined rain boots to cut down on this.

        4. Take it from someone who was stuck in a subway in a flood & had to walk out through a foot and a half of dirty subway water to get out, flip flops just don’t always cut it. But if you’re only here for the summer, get a relatively inexpensive pair but that’s still supportive (perhaps on super clearance in California . . . I get the best deals on inappropriate for AZ shoes in Phoenix whenever I go) & put on a pair of sox, always — blisters from rubber are the worst.
          And no, the water never goes in if you are wearing a short skirt with boots — I don’t know why, but it doesn’t.

        5. Here in FL I have a pair of Puma flats that are made of synthetic materials and do fine in the washer. I’m not a huge fan of anything open toe because you can’t always see what’s in puddles.

  28. Like most other commenters, I think it’s perfectly all right to wear rainboots (or other kinds of commuting shoes) to work, and then change. The problem always is interviews, where you really don’t want to arrive clutching a pair of rainboots or snowboots, even in a big tote. I’ve tried a number of approaches, including leaving boots with the receptionist, spending extra time driving somewhere, just so I could have a car to leave boots in, etc. My latest tactic was to wear a pair of flip-flops (the smallest shoes I have), and swap them in the elevator for my heels. The flip-flops and the plastic bag from the heels went into a large black leather handbag purchased to fit (and may I just gloat about this lovely Ann Taylor bag, found for $7 at a thrift store!) and I went to my interview. (And got the job, btw!) But obviously, flip-flops aren’t boots, and this would SO not work in the winter where I live. What do other people do in an interview situation?

    1. My interviews have always been driving commutes (I live in the suburbs of NY and Philadelphia and have no desire to work in either city), so my tactics of stopping in a hotel bathroom to change, the ever so graceful car costume switch, etc, probably don’t help you too much…

      My best suggestion is to bring a large pseudo purse – aka the carryall – in place of your regular purse, so you can switch out your footwear into it (line w/a plastic bag) — and buy the smallest, slimmest, most squish-down-able boots out there!

  29. OK . . . if anyone cares (and I don’t expect anyone to, but it’s late and I’m in love). . .
    These are fabulous — almost enough to make me want to spend $200 on a pair of rain boots. I love that they’re happiness-inducing in the same way that a bright pink pair with hearts might be, but are still staid enough to not make you feel like the odd bird out if you’re wearing them into the office & have to share the elevator with some random higher up/ co worker.

    http://www.zappos.com/see-by-chloe-sb13040-243-niagara

  30. I think rainboots are essential for getting around NY some days, but you want to make sure to bring an office-appropriate pair to change into at the office. No sense in ruining your shoes out in those puddles.

  31. Rain boots, snow boots, flat shoes for walking, are all fine in my part of the world, but I would take them off… They tend to look silly, except when you just wear a comofrtable yet stylish pair of flats of course…

    Nothing looks stranger than a pair of snow boots peeking from under a toga in court (yes, I’m that lucky, I get to cover up my clothes before most juges… And yes, I have used it as a way to be able to not really dress up all the way in the summer to court, no AC around here, really hot courtroom… suits would feel awefull!).

    I don’t see many people using rain boots around here, but perhaps that is because our rain does not usually flood the streets and because people dress for the weather. It’s OK to wear sandals to work in the summer as well, especially when it’s 37°C outside and your office has no AC… So a nice flat when one needs to do a lot of walking will never offend anyone.

    Athough I think I would love to work in corporate america, where business formal is the standard.

    1. Very few workplaces in the US still maintain a business formal dress code. The last survey I read said it was something like 6-7%, and I’m sure that varies dramatically from region to region. I think business casual is far more likely to be the norm, but some workplaces may have more conservative interpretations of business casual than others.

    2. Yicke,
      There are definitely days when I just want to wear something casual to work but for the most part I love wearing a suit to work. It makes getting ready in the morning so much easier. I basically take a minute in the shower to think about which suits I have that aren’t at the cleaners and haven’t been worn that week, and then based on the suit choice, there are a limited number of clean tops/matching shoes. My outfits pretty much pick themselves. I find business casual much tougher.

  32. I have a pair of sleek gray Cole Haan rainboots–they would not even look like rainboots but for the waterproof surface that makes them a bit shinier than normal shoes. One day I arrived at the office and things got hectic quickly, so I forgot to change out of the boots. I was walking down the hallway when a partner in our office said “oh, you’ve got your galoshes on today. Cute.” I quickly raced back to my office to change into normal shoes. That said, I think the boots are fine to wear into the office building because they are muted, but I would recommend changing once you get to the office.

  33. Rare opportunity to get Hunter’s at a discount:
    Shopbop 15% off today & tomorrow: INTHEFAMILY15‏

  36. Wellies are fine (and sometimes necessary) for commuting– but they should be swapped for regular office shoes upon arrival.

  37. Why not just do double duty with a good pair of leather boots?

    I love my Sudini calf-length boots. I live in Houston, where it pours every spring – and my Sudinis have been my go-to footwear from late fall through early spring.

    Perhaps boots aren’t considered conservative – however, it shouldn’t matter if you’re wearing a pantsuit, and there are no skirt hemlines involved. Sure, you’re not wearing pumps – but as long as the shoes are not strappy/stiletto, does it matter?

    1. I should add that if you’re wearing these boots to begin with, you don’t actually need to change into other shoes once at work. And with proper upkeep, a good boot will last you a long time. I’ve found my Sudinis to be nice and warm, definitely waterproof, and very well constructed. They are definitely less fatiguing than pumps – the toebox and heel are very well constructed.

    2. Completely agree. That’s my solution. I have a pair of sturdy black boots, that are more or less waterproof. They’re just wide enough that I can tuck my pants on the commute if need be, and then I untuck once I get to work or court. No need to carry around extra shoes. They work for snow in the winter and in rain year-round.

  39. I have these kate spade rainboots and absolutely adore them:
    http://www.zappos.com/product/7540660/color/1732

    Here in Austin we can have very rainy stretches and I much prefer to wear rainboots from the car to the office instead of possibly ruining my pumps.

    Also, trench coats ladies! We don’t want to see you walking around the office with raindrops on your outfit the first hour of the day. It can get very hot here in Texas but I will still wear a raincoat over my dress or suit. Yes this has prompted me to buy 4 different trenches over time, but it is fun to have a pastel spring trench, a white faille trench for summer, a darker color light trench for fall and a winter trench for the few weeks of winter we have.

    Having proper outwear only looks more professional, not less.

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