Lolita In Snow: Winter Boots & Socks

Recently I discussed the topic of buying a winter coat - which coat you'll need and why, and how to choose something that works well for you. Now that the lines have filled out for the season, I'd like to talk about your next important winter accessory: lolita boots.

Lolita boots are typically only seen in winter months - adorable as they are, it's hard to feel enthusiastic about sporting a pair in 90 degree Fahrenheit spring weather. Most lolita boots are tall, to the knee, and made of man-made materials (though some can be made in leather for additional cost). Some models an also be found in ankle-boot style and mid-shin style, though this is rarer. The lace all the way up and can be decorated with bows, faux fur, pom-poms, cut-out 'lace', you name it. The look is supposed to inspire a 'lolita from the North Pole/at Christmastime' feel, and assume you will be peering into Victorian December window displays or wheeling through a field of life-size candy canes.

Lolita boots are much less practical than lolita coats. A lolita coat is usually moderately warm; and that can be helped with the matter of layers. The lolita boot is, after all, a lolita shoe designed for more a winter style, and therefore has all the necessary issues of a lolita shoe (which aren't really the best footwear on the planet). So if you would like to go tromp through the snow and cut down your own Christmas tree in them, it ain't happening - you'll probably kill yourself or get a chilblain or somesuch mishap. I've worn even Mudd brand granny boots for winters that wouldn't have stood up to such treatment. If you really need to do something intrepid, be smart and opt for real, snow-trekking boots.

The good things about boots are that they do have an extra layer against the cold, for one; for another, they stop your socks (mostly) from getting wet due to snow or rain. If, however, you're a puddle jumper and your winter mostly entails rain, I'd get a pair of cute rain boots instead. If you'd like to clatter around town and on the occasional dusting of snow through the woods, then you've come to the right place.


Brand and offbrand styles are available when it comes to buying lolita winter boots. I have yet to buy brand boots, but according to testimonials, brand and non-brand shoes are usually of similar quality and are sometimes even made in the same factory. I'm assuming that you're reading this article with the interest of perhaps never having bought lolita boots before or that you are most interested in bang for your buck, so I will be focusing mostly on the offbrand selection of boots in this article.

My favorite recommendation would be Qutieland. I've used their service before and liked it; they're very helpful and professional. So far they have a range of winter boots, such as these:



The pink pair is by Secret Shop, the prime dealer for offbrand lolita shoes (makers of replicas, most famously Angelic Pretty's Tea Party shoes).


You may have noticed a difference in the styles of the boots. A boot designed for a sweet lolita is usually heavier, rounded, and with more ornamentation - like additional bows, hearts on the shoe strings, and removable fur cuffs. I personally remove any 'removable' thing on footwear, as it typically means I am going to lose it as soon as I take a step outside my front door. Sweet styles are usually 'rounder' by having a rounder toe and a heavier, clunkier heel, also usually with round edges instead of square. A large base on a lolita shoe, as I may have mentioned previously, makes the wearer look more dollish and childlike. These are the kinds of shoes you'll often see replicated for ball-jointed dolls like the Super Dollfie or the Pullip.

The gothic or classic boots (they tend to be lumped together, unless you'd like to get punkier, at which point my knowledge fades) are more angular and historically inspired than the sweet boots. They're a thinner design which hugs the leg more closely and is with a more delicate heel (more of a low heel than a tall or smooth platform). These are my personal preference since they fit a wider range of styles, in my opinion. However, a platform may be more comfortable for excessive walking, as there is no added force on the ball of the foot from heels.


Lolita boots don't just come in the standard colors of ordinary shoes - like most items in the lolita fashion world, they come in a dizzying array of pink, white, black, brown, red and sometimes baby blue. As you can see in the example photo, one pair of boots comes in a beautiful, pale pink; the other is a rich espresso color. Before you just slap down your cash for the cutest boots you can spot (I know, I know, they look like bubblegum!) consider:

• Does your area experience slush, snow, or mud?
• How often do you trek through the elements, versus hiking a mostly cement city street?
• Do you have time to clean them or would you prefer a wear-and-go style?

The point is that your boots are going to be taking the brunt of the weather this year, and that means that pale colors like white, pink, or soft blue are going to rack up some serious mess. If you are a sweet lolita who deals solely in these colors, you might need to suck it up and clean them as soon as you get home, or when you arrive at work - muddy boots don't fit that clean-and-pretty dollish look! If they can be fit into your wardrobe, however, brown or black boots won't show every scuff or splash. This is a personal preference and time issue, but it is something to consider.

Labels: guide, shopping, winter

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 12:01 PM