Footwear for school aged kids? Moving from Calif. (Vancouver: home, roofing)

[10ofus]

We will be moving to the Vancouver area this fall, so I know we will experience cooler, wetter weather than we've been used to. The rain where we've been living in California is fairly insignificant. When it does rain, my kids put on rubber boots to slosh around in. However, I can't imagine them wearing rubber boots long term - too uncomfortable and not warm. What is the suggestion for shoes for kids? I know it will be cold/rainy outdoors, but wearing boots indoors (school, church, etc.)? Please fill me in. Thanks!

[bler144]

Vancouver rain tends to be more of a drizzle / light rain. It's the constancy of the grey and precipitation over many days, not the deluge we're noted for.

Though it does seem we get more deluges than we used to, they're still the exception.

Puddles will definitely accumulate in spots, and if your kids are going to be out actively stomping in puddles then sure, they'll want rain boots. But sidewalks generally won't need them. Even for things like winter hiking in the woods standard, water-resistant hiking boots are generally fine unless you plan to ford streams - waterproofing is more important for head/core/legs.

Mesh sneakers [or open-top Mary Janes, etc.] will result in wet feet, but anything that's solid, water-resistant material will be fine say 85% of the time.

[cyberous]

Bler is right, it's typically never a downpour, just drizzle but constantly wet. I'm fairly new to the area as well (almost two years now.) I thought the same thing, must be prepared for rain! LOL

I work from home so rarely wear shoes, but its the PNW so I thought that I must get some rain boots! I read a thread about all the boots and purchased the Kamik boots, well they are still in the closet brand new! The weather is not that bad, coming from CA its nice to see rain and real exciting to see it snow!

Cabelas has an entire section of boots for the wet

Kid's Winter Boots : Cabela's

[10ofus]

Wonderful! Thank you both - just the info I needed

[texasdiver]

5th generation Northwesterner here.

Most kids just wear jeans and sneakers to school year round. The rain is drizzly not big downpours like in the Midwest so you don't generally get that wet and can generally avoid puddles unless your kids are toddlers and seek them out. Get a couple pairs of sneakers so you can rotate out a dry pair if they get wet. That's what most parents do. My kids pretty much wear running shoes and converse all year round except sometimes in the summer when they wear flip flops or Keen sandals.

As for rubber boots. Little kids wear them maybe. Older kids not so much.

[10ofus]

Great - thanks!

[backdrifter]

I have lived in the PNW my whole life and growing up I never wore anything other than tennis shoes or sneakers or other normal footwear. Never owned a pair of rain boots in my life, though I now own and mostly wear dress boots and chukkas. My other half wears sandals and flats year round, but she's a little extreme in that regard (my toes would get too cold). If the kids are just going to and from school and going out to play at recess, then they shouldn't need any special footwear.

[notnamed]

+1 on just regular old shoes. Though I do have a pair of water shoes used for hikes that include a bit of water or hitting the beach.

[Michie1]

I second texasdiver, get a couple pairs of good tennis shoes so they can rotate them, plus they last longer not being worn everyday

[hml1976]

When we first decided to move to the pnw our friends on the east coast gave us a ton of umbrellas and rubber boots as a bit of a joke. We've never really needed either.