Winter Necessity or Just Another Fashion Statement?

If you've lived in Winnipeg for at least one winter, you know how cold it is. We have to bundle up like eskimos just to go to school or work. -40 is no joke. No we don't ride polar bears to school but it would be nice to have one for those mornings when our cars don't start (which does happen).

I'm not one who likes to buy all the expensive brand name clothes or shoes. I value the money I work for and try and save it for bigger things (school, travelling, etc). Yes I do own a few pairs of Lulu Lemon pants (but did not pay more than $50 for any of them) and yes I have an iPhone (but many of us do) but my pet peeve is brand name shoe shopping.

If you found a pair of shoes for $200 somewhere and found almost identical ones somewhere else for $50, why on earth would you buy the more expensive ones? I guess this is just how some people like to shop which is totally fine. I am a person who likes to find a good sale anytime I go shopping and can't justify spending more than I should. There are so many shoe stores in Winnipeg that have less expensive shoes that still look super hot.

This brings my attention to the 'winter necessity' many girls think they need, and that is UGG boots. For anyone who doesn't know, UGGs are boots mainly worn by women that not only look stylish but keep your feet very warm during those bitter cold winter days. There are many different knock off style of UGGS that look exactly the same, just without the logo and the $280 price tag.

I will admit at one point I did own a pair of UGGs. This is because I worked at a shoe store and got an incredible discount that made them super cheap. I wouldn't ever buy another pair, simply because they're too much money and they lasted less than two winters. Now for a pair of boots that price they should last longer especially when you take good care of them (which I did). 

This year I tried something different. Since I'm at the age where I need to start saving for bigger things (school, car, moving out, etc) I went to look for a cheaper but still nice pair of boots. I came across a pair at Sears and they were a little different than the normal UGG style but hey, who wants to be like everyone right? I tried them on and was sold on the spot. They were just as comfy, warm, and stylish as a pair of UGGs, except the price tag on them was $49.97. Boom. After the discount they had that weekend I paid $35 and some change. So basically, even if they do only last one winter, I could still buy a pair of boots for this price for eight years before I even match the price of UGG boots.

So before you go buying $280 UGGs, I recommend shopping around. There are many stores in Winnipeg that have winter boots such as Sears, The Bay, Costco, Payless and Winners that will save you more money and still have some style. I have nothing against buying UGGs at all, I just would rather spend my hard earned money on a night out with friends. You may be cool and trending with UGGs but keep in mind, everyone else has the same or similar boots. So try and be different, and buy a cute outfit to go with your boots instead!