The Crazy Winter Boot Chase - AGAIN

Last January, my youngest son went winter camping with his school.  It was a fun idea.  Be a real Canadian and all that rot.  The reality was, I couldn't do what I had been doing and send him up into the Canadian bush in January in the lined "rain" boots he had been wearing.

Mission, Find winter boots in January in Canada.  Bonne Chance.

Did I mention my son is part Neanderthal and has feet like Fred Flinstone that are thick and square.

Went everywhere I could think.  I bought a couple of pairs from Crappy Tire.  Didn't fit.  Out of sheer despiration, I bought these from Lands End in black.  He loved them.  Score....or so I thought.

He wore these from the end of January last year until mid March.  Then two days this week.  So all told, about 8 weeks.

The gum bits on the bottom that looked like this when they were new

now look like this

The gum rubber part is flaking off and has worn a ridiculous amount.  Yup that is a hole worn right through his boots he wore for 8 weeks.

Lands End has a good return policy and I can return these BUT its going to cost me $9 in shipping to send them back.  I also paid over $22 in duty and taxes which they won't refund me.  The thing that really annoys me is they still fit him fine.  Grrr.  Three kids and we have never worn out a pair of boots - EVER.  They have always been grown out of before they wear out.  So I bother spending the $9 to send them back?  That is the question.

I've spent this evening trying to find boots that are Made in Canada on-line in his size which of course, knowing me, lead me down google's memory lane.

If you grew up in Toronto in the 70's you had limited choices which included these (brown like these for boys, white like I had for girls)

These - how retro cool

or if you were REALLY lucky these