Purpose
Essentially, these are snow boots. I bought them to wear in the typically nasty Virginia snow, but go figure it only snowed one more time this winter after I bought them. I can honestly say that I have worn my thigh-high, latex, platform boots more this year than my snow boots. Considering what little amount of use I got out of these adorable boots over the winter months, I fully intend on using this summer to go hiking by the river since they are waterproof. They completely served their purpose for helping me keep my balance and keep from falling in the snow, but I have not yet given them a try as hiking boots.
Appearance
I saw these boots in an issue of Health magazine almost a year ago and have been completely obsessed with them ever since. I am a completely girly-girl and as soon as I saw the pink and white pair of these boots I knew I had to have them. The black rubber on the toe looks a little funny with my favorite jeans, but not so bad that it ruins the look of the whole shoe. I was surprised to see them available in my area so they immediately took the pole position on my Christmas wish list. I did not get them for Christmas, so I just kept on wishing for them till my mom finally insisted that I have these adorable not-so-little snow boots when they went on sale soon after.
Experience
When I first tried these shoes on I tried the size 6 and they fit like a glove. I have never owned any Columbia products before this so I was not all that sure what to go by to determine the right size. I usually wear either a size 6.5 in Adidas or a 6.5 in women’s Etnies, but I wore half a size smaller in the Columbia‘s. I found that there was a lot of support for the ankles which took me some getting used to. After a few days I got used to the stiff ankle support and was completely comfortable in my Bugabootoos. As I mentioned, it only snowed one (maybe even two) times after I bought these shoes so I did not get the most experience in the snow with them. I found that they did completely serve their purpose in the snow in helping me keep my balance and grip on the ground, but driving was a little awkward as I could not feel the pedals with my boots on. I have not yet gotten a chance to wear these boots to go hiking, but hopefully they will work just as well for me when it comes to hiking near the river as they did in the snow.
Availability and Price
The Bugabootoo has recently been replaced by the Bugabootres. I find the Bugabootres to be quite a bit less aesthetically pleasing and also much more expensive since they just came out (retail price is $104.95). I found it almost impossible to find the Bugabootoo in any local stores, but when I did manage to find them, they were only $89.99, but quickly went on sale to $48.88. They are still available on quite a few different websites, but I have not seen any online for as cheap as $48.88. I have the Swiss/Blush (white, pink, and black) pair, but they are also available in Light Grey/Desert Fire, Blush/Light Grey, and Stone.
Features
-Waterproof nubuck leather upper
-Seam-sealed construction
-Gusseted tongue
-200g Thermolite insulation rated at -25 degrees Fahrenheit
-Heat reflection frost plug insole
-Injection-molded rubber shell with snowshoe binding
-Die-cut EVA midsole
-Non-marking Omni-Grip Rubber
Verdict
Even though I have not gotten very much use out of these shoes yet, I still love them. I would not buy them to wear on an every day basis because they are not really all that comfortable if you just plan on standing around in them. These shoes are best for keeping your feet warm and dry in the snow and when you are hiking in areas where you may need to cut through creeks or streams. I love these shoes, they are great for use in the snow, very cute, and well worth the money. They are very sturdy shoes to have paid less than $50 for and I do not see them getting worn out any time soon.
