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| You're in uniform now! |
No, not the military kind.
My birthday was filled with boots! Some of you
saw on Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat, the new
Xtrafuf boots that I got the day before my birthday. These boots are so popular in Alaska, that almost everyone owns a pair. It's called the Alaskan Sneaker. We had a guest ask, "why is everyone wearing the same boots?" Because, they, (reportedly), are super non-skid, waterproof, warm, and last forever.
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| My pair, Legacy, 15" Copper Blue. |
I couldn't decide which size I wanted, (sizes run small), so I put a 9 on one foot, and a 10 on the other foot. I decided on the 9, and repackaged the boots. When we got back to the boat, I discovered I still had one 9, and one 10.... oh crap, repackaged the wrong one. So back to
Angerman's I went, to apologize, and get two size 9s. PS, if you want a pair, they ship, and their prices are less than other websites.
Xtratuf is sort of a cult here. They come in various forms, sizes, and types.
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| Earrings |
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| Shot Glass |
And more...... Christmas decorations, keychains, paintings, knitted boots, painted boots, custom fleece liners, and people wear them to all kinds of events. You'll see them in restaurants, town, (of course), fishing, both on and off boats, graduations, and weddings, yes even the
bride will have them on under her beautiful dress.
Sitka Alaska has an annual event called "
Running of the Boots". They advise you to get out your Xtratufs, and gussy them up.
"The Running of the Boots is a short race for fun and not for speed, even though one of the many prize categories is for the fastest boots. Other prize categories include best-dressed boots, zaniest costume, best couple, best kids group and more."
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| Gussied up in Sitka. |
There's even an
Xtrafuf song on youtube, as well as
reviews, and
repair tutorials.
A few years ago, they changed their USA made brand to having them manufactured in China. They had some quality control issues, but after the initial hullabaloo, the problem seems to be fixed.
The other set of boots I received as my late birthday present, are the "gold standard" for cold weather sailing.
Dubarrys are made in Ireland, and are waterproof leather with breathable goretex linings. Our friends at
Morgan's Cloud, (you may need a subscription to read, but if you sail, it's worth every penny to join), John and Phyllis endorse them for their cold weather gear. Incidentally, they were the instructors at the Northern Latitude Sailing Seminar that we attended in Nova Scotia a little over a year ago.
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| Ultima Sailing boots. |
I don't get to wear these because, even though Bill checked out every pair of boots and shoes I own before he ordered, these ended up to be too big for me. I'll need to return them, and request another size. I'll be getting them in black, so that I get the correct size. I'm good with that. I hope they have speedy service, I'm looking forward to trying them out!
I still have my Bogs for ATV riding.
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| Beautiful fall day. |
My Chotas for kayaking.
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| Kayaking with my friend Bob in Prince William Sound. This is one of my favorite photos. |
I'd say I was totally Booted Up!
Not to be confused with booting, or re-booting.
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| I could probably do this to my computer wearing my Xtrafufs! (If I wanted to, and into Davy Jones Locker it would go.) |
How many pair of boots do you own? Do you have a pair of Xtratufs? Let us know here in comments, or on
Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat. We enjoy hearing from you.
Those boots do look pretty terrific and I am dead jealous of your Dubarry's. I have 5 pair of boots: short Frye boots, walking boots by Merrill that have seen me through two years here, and two trips to Scotland (soon to be three), tall blue Ugg rainboots that are awesome and comfortable, regular sailing boots, and a pair of brown leather Uggs with sheepskin lining. These are my 'sailing boots' in cold weather. They don't mark the deck, keep my cold feet warm, and grip the surface when I walk. They'll have to do until I get to Mexico, where I will need no boots at all! Maybe i'll get Dubarry's before we head to Chile.
ReplyDeleteMerrill's are make great foot products, I love that brand. Yes, I bet you'll not be needing anything but sandals in Mexico. Maybe you should pick up some Dubarry's while you are in Europe in May where you can try them on.... just sayin. I sent mine back yesterday, (Pennsylvania), I hope the turn around is quick!
DeleteWow you do have a lot of boots :-) I love the different linings that the Xtratuf boots come with. Very cute. It's too warm where we're at for boots, but if we do sail in colder climates I've got my eye on Dubarry's.
ReplyDeleteI understand not wanting boots in your area, the weather is way to warm for that. I hope my Dubarrys come back quickly, I asked them to use USPS priority, not UPS, it's quicker.
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