At 64, I was losing a fight with my walking-boot laces every dark winter morning while the spaniel spun in circles. This is a letter about the warm slip-on boots that ended it
Six things these cosy, fleece-lined boots get right that cold wellies and lace-up walking boots never did, from a Shrewsbury woman with a dog who doesn't care what the weather is doing.
Nancy Brooks · 64 · Shrewsbury · 5 min read
I'm 64, and every morning at seven, rain or shine, frost or fog, our spaniel Biscuit needs walking along the river. From October to March that means doing it in the dark, in the wet, and in the cold. For years I had two choices by the back door. The wellies, which are cold as a fridge, heavy as bricks and leave my socks damp by the end of the Quarry. Or the walking boots Geoff bought me, which are warm enough but have about forty metres of laces, and at seven in the morning, with cold fingers and a spaniel spinning in circles and whining at the door, I could not do them up. Most mornings I'd give up halfway and tuck the laces in. So this is not a review. It's a woman who now gets out of the door in about ten seconds, telling you what she puts on her feet.
The boots I'm writing about are the Sianna from Mavira London, a small British boutique that dresses women our age. They're quilted black ankle boots with a soft, fleecy lining and a fluffy grey cuff, and they simply slip on. My sister Jean, who walks her own dog in all weathers in Ludlow, sent them to me with one line: "No laces, Nance. Your fingers will thank me." When Mavira London later asked if they could share my letter, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
Here's what I worked out, sitting on the back step one dark October morning with a lace in each hand and a dog licking my ear. I didn't need a better boot for climbing mountains. I needed a boot for ten minutes of real life: out of the door fast, warm all the way, dry feet, and not slipping on wet leaves. Every boot I owned did one or two of those. None of them did all four.
I didn't need a boot for climbing mountains. I needed one for seven o'clock on a dark October morning.
The Sianna is the first boot I've owned that does all four, and having worn them every morning since the clocks went back, along the Severn, round the Quarry and once, memorably, through a puddle Biscuit chose on purpose, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
Slip-on, so I'm out of the door in seconds
This is the whole reason I bought them. There are no laces, no zips and no buckles. You put your foot in, give a little push, and you're done. There's a small loop at the back to help if you need it. At seven in the morning, with cold hands and an impatient spaniel, that's worth more to me than anything else on this list.
Coat on, boots on, lead on, out. I timed it out of curiosity: under a minute. Biscuit looked almost disappointed there was no time to whine.
A fleecy lining that's warm the moment you step in
Inside, they're lined with soft fleece, with that fluffy faux-fur cuff at the top, and they're warm the minute your foot goes in. Not slowly-warming-up warm, like my wellies used to manage by the time I was home again. Proper, cosy, slipper-warm, from the back door to the river and back again.
Minus two on the car thermometer. Frost on the grass in the Quarry. Warm toes the whole way round, which in thirty years of dog walking has never once happened.
A waterproof outer for wet grass and puddles
The outer is a quilted, waterproof fabric, which I tested more thoroughly than I meant to on a morning when Biscuit decided the deepest puddle in the park was the only way home. Wet grass, drizzle and that puddle, and my socks came home dry. Afterwards I just wiped them down with a damp cloth and they looked as good as new.
Biscuit and the puddle. Biscuit lost. I didn't. Dry socks, a wet spaniel and a bath I hadn't planned on giving him.
A thick, grippy sole for wet leaves and frosty paths
The sole is thick rubber with a deep grip pattern, and you can feel it gripping on the slippery stuff: wet leaves on the river path, the slope down to the water and the frosty bit by the bandstand. I won't pretend any boot makes a frosty path safe, and I still go carefully, but I've felt far steadier in these than I ever did in my wellies. There's a cushioned insole too, so they're comfortable for an hour's walk.
The river path is a carpet of wet leaves at this time of year. Walked the whole length without once doing that little skid-and-grab I've been doing every autumn for a decade.
Room for thick socks, and smart enough for town
Mavira say they're true to size with room for thicker socks, and suitable for wider feet, and I found that to be right: my thick walking socks fit with no squeeze. And because they're a neat, quilted black with that soft grey cuff, they don't look like gardening boots. I've worn them into town for the Saturday market with jeans and a long coat and felt perfectly presentable.
Bumped into a woman from my old school at the cheese stall. She said, "Ooh, those look warm." I said, "They are. Like slippers." She wrote down the name on the back of her shopping list.
Six colours, and an honest word on sizing
They come in black, which is mine, plus green, red, blue, dark red and beige. I'll be honest, because I promised I would: the sizes are US sizes, from 5 to 11, with no UK sizes and no size 6 at the moment. There's a chart in the description with your foot length in inches, and it says that if you're between two sizes, go for the larger. US sizes usually run about two above UK, so I'm a UK 5 and I ordered a US 7, but please measure your foot and match it to the chart rather than taking my word for it. If you're unsure, ask Mavira London's team before you order. They're happy to help.
The wellies have been moved to the shed. The walking boots have gone to Geoff, who likes laces. Jean has ordered the red pair, for "Christmas walks". She means Boxing Day pub walks.
These, against wellies and walking boots
Most of us have been making do by the back door for years. Here's the difference, laid out plainly.
Cold as a fridge until you're home again
Forty metres of laces and cold fingers
Damp socks by the end of the park
Skidding on wet leaves
A spaniel whining at the door
Fleecy and warm the moment you step in
Slip-on, out of the door in seconds
A waterproof quilted outer
A thick, grippy rubber sole
Out before Biscuit can complain
About the price
The Sianna boots are £48.95 at the moment. The website says they're usually £162. I won't pretend I know what a pair of winter boots ought to cost, but I can tell you I've spent more than that on boots I couldn't do up in the dark.
You can pay securely with PayPal or a card, whichever you prefer.
Delivery was free and tracked across the UK, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if they aren't right. For boots, where you can't try them on first, that's what got me to press the button.
to tie
to choose
delivery
If you're 55, or 64, or 70, and you're fighting with laces or cold wellies by the back door every dark morning this winter, these are the boots I'd hand you myself, while your size is still there. Step in. Push. Out of the door.
Nancy
Sianna · Quilted Slip-On Winter Boots
Secure checkout with PayPal or card
- Slip-on design, no laces or zips
- Soft fleece lining with a faux-fur cuff
- Quilted, waterproof outer, wipe clean
- Thick anti-slip rubber sole with a deep grip pattern
- Cushioned insole, room for thicker socks
- 6 colours · US sizes 5 to 11, with a foot-length chart
- FREE tracked UK delivery & 30-day money-back guarantee
Winter stock moves quickly, so check your size while it's there.
About the writer. Nancy Brooks is 64 and lives in Shrewsbury with her husband Geoff, a spaniel called Biscuit, and a sister, Jean, who never lets her get away with anything. She taught at a primary school for thirty-one years and is now, in her own words, "saying yes to things," including frosty walks.
This page is an advertisement for Mavira London. Individual experiences may vary. Please take care on icy and slippery surfaces in any footwear. Mavira London · Free tracked UK delivery · 30-day money-back guarantee.