I bought a pair of clodhoppers about 28 years ago. These are the real deal: steel toed work boots replete with Vibram soles and those funny little, yet highly obligatory, fringes adorning the toes—never did figure out what the fringes are for. At the time I bought them I needed both work boots and winter boots. I didn’t have enough money for two pairs. The work boots won out.

enjoy dry feet all year!

Because my aspirations were knocked slightly askew, I didn’t end up doing as much metal working as I would have liked. Also, in Vancouver it rains seemingly without end, yet the weather is so mild you can get away with wearing sneakers for 99% of the year. Consequently the boots have suffered little abuse—they’re older than my children and still going strong. As it turned out I only wear them when it snows, and when it snows it means it’s going to warm up producing miniature Lake Superiors at the curbs of each intersection. Crossing an intersection becomes an aquatic event. This is where Sno‑Seal comes in. A liberal coating of the sticky stuff pretty much guarantees dry feet.

Being a consummate procrastinator, I’ve suffered soggy wool socks and frigid tootsies several times this winter. The gritty slush-soup penetrates the seams where the uppers join the soles. Yuck. You can’t waterproof boots when they’re wet, and when you wear them every day, they don’t get the chance to dry out. No problem. A heat gun will not only remove paint from the side of your house, it will dry your boots—if you’re really careful. Have a fire extinguisher handy. But wait, there’s more! You can also use it to tame those unruly frayed laces with a bit o’ heat shrink tubing. Now you’re cookin’.

If you’re extremely proud of your waterproofing prowess, let the world know: give your boots the rubber ducky seal of approval. I got mine in Fan Tan Alley, Chinatown, Victoria, BC (a buck for a duck).

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