Manitobah Mukluks - The Ultimate in Beauty, Warmth, and Comfort

Winter in Minnesota can be a time of frigid temperatures, blustery winds, and snows. It is commonplace to experience below zero temperatures. In fact, the coldest temperature on record was -60 in Tower, Minnesota on February 2, 1996. This record low is exceeded only by Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Alaska. Consequently, a good pair of winter boots is essential. It is not uncommon to see many Minnesotans donning mukluks.

Worn by artic Aboriginal hunters, mukluks are one of the warmest boots available. Traditionally made out of reindeer skin or seal skin, they are a soft boot with superior warmth. Nowadays, they may be made of different materials, but the construction is similar. If you're looking for a warm and cozy pair of mukluks, Manitobah Mukluks are a great choice.

Featured in Oprah Winfrey's O Magazine and Self Magazine, Manitobah mukluks are not only gorgeous, they are beautiful with their intricate beadwork. Established in 1997, Manitobah Mukluks are made in Winnipeg, Canada. Inspired and manufactured by an Aboriginal-owned company, traditional stye is blended with new materials and production techniques to produce the ultimate in mukluks. When you don these stylish mukluks, passerbys will take a second look. Their outstanding features include:

• Fully-lined genuine sheepskin footbeds with the shaft lining in fleece. Not only are sheepskin fibers resilent and eliiminate friction of the skin, they are breathable and warm since they wick away moisture. Consequently, regardless of the season, it is comfortable.
• With no laces to tie, these easyto-slip-on boots are convenient. Some models also have upper drawstrings adorned with fur pompoms to keep the snow and cold out.
• Adorned with intricate, hand beadwork and luxurious fur. For the environmentalist, they even make some mukluks with faux fur.
• Most of their models are made with flexible but durable, double-stitched crepe soles. However, recently Manitobah partnered with Vibram to develop a high abrasion sole. Even the vibram sole shows attention to detail with the various lines and imprints representing the sky, trees, and fire.

As you can see from the pictures, the thumbprint Amazon links don't do these beautiful mukluks justice. If you seel something you like, click on the thumbprint to view a bigger image.

Although many times when you order a pair of sheepskin boots online, you can get a better deal than buying a pair from your local shoe store, one drawback is that you can't try them on. To get the best fit, it is important to pay attention to the boot's shaft heighth and the diameter of the opening. Even among the same manufacturer these measurements can differ. For instance, while the tall Manitobah mukluk has a shaft heighth of 14 1/2" and a diameter of 16", the  tall Manitobah wrap mukluk has a shaft heighth of 17" and a diameter of 14". Consequently, before you order a pair of boots, measure the shaft heighth and the diameter opening against the measurements of your own leg. To measure your leg for shaft heighth, begin at the arch and measure upwards. To measure for the diameter opening, measure your calf at the widest part. Otherwise, if your calf measurement is wider than the boot's opening, the boot may bunch up, may be harder to slip on, or may not fit well with the jeans tucked in.

When you're looking for winter footware, dry feet equal warm feet. . Sheepskin is excellent for wicking away moisture since it can absorb 30% of its own weight in moisture before your feet feel damp. If you particpate in winter activities or are a diabetic with poor ciruculation, this boot is the ultimate in warmth, comfort, and beauty. Not a run of the mill winter boot, they can be difficult to locate, however, they are availabe at Amazon. With their ever increasing popularity, some styles are in limited supply so it would be wise to order before they run out. Ordering is as easy as clicking the link. Don't spend another winter wearing cold, stiff boots. After you've worn these mukluks, you won't know how you ever survived winter without them.