I have somewhat wide feet (sometimes I require a wide width running shoe; sometimes not), and this fact alone drastically reduces my options when it comes to
winter boots. I also have had multiple foot surgeries, which makes it difficult to find comfortable shoes/
sandals/
boots. I envy women who can wear any shoe they come across. This winter, my 15-year-old snow
sneakers finally bit the dust, and it has taken quite a lot of work to find
snow boots that are both functional and comfortable. When I tried on the Cumberland IIs at a local store, I knew I had found something special. The cushioning and support are better than many other
brands of snowboots; the width is appropriate for my feet and also will allow for heavier
socks; they are easy to get on and off; they feel quite lightweight. I did find that the ankle felt a little loose, even when I fully tightened the laces. Ideally, a snow boot would cradle my heel in the same way a
running shoe does. However, I have tried on enough
boots this winter to know that I probably can't have everything that I want in a boot -- at least, not if I want to have
boots to wear this winter! Overall, I appreciate that the
Sorel brand runs true to size. Other
brands (pricey ones) that I tried on ran so small (length) and narrow that it was almost laughable.
