Winter in London and Paris

I was on the RS London tour mid-December 2019. I was very happy with my waterproof leather Dansko booties and my waterproof Eddie Bauer boots. I just returned from the RS Rome tour with new Dansko booties and the same Eddie Bauer boots. They were great! BTW, winter has always been my favorite time to visit Paris and now Rome and London are on that list.

I was in Paris last January with Sorel Chelsea boots. I had another pair of shoes along, but I wore the Sorels every day for eight days. They were great in the rain and cold.

Thank you. I’m going to look them up now!!

You will want waterproof shoes/boots for London that time of year.

I've not been to London, however, I've been in Paris in January. Since that trip, I have been gifted Allbirds Mizzle shoes. Amazing! Not only are they water resistant, they are very warm. We do a lot of walking when we travel and I'd much prefer wearing lightweight, running shoes than boots. While they say, "water resistant", I've never been in rain and had my feet get wet. I use them a lot when I visit my son in Seattle. My only complaint is that they are too warm for summer use.

I used these boots from remonte for a trip to London and Paris last November.

They have great support. It rained almost every day during our visit and I was always very comfortable.
https://remonte.us/collections/boots/products/d0770?variant=46533767561502

Your existing boots sound perfect. I wore unlined leather boots and my lightweight waterproof Patagonia puffy coat the whole week we were in London over Christmas. Gloves and a ski hat too.
A highlight for us was attending the Christmas Eve service at Westminster Abbey but we had gotten our tickets in October so I doubt any are available. We had tea at Fortnum and Mason on Christmas Eve, very elegant! We ate dinner on Christmas Eve at The Ivy in Covent Garden which was excellent. Make your dinner reservations ahead of your trip, like now! Many places close during the holidays so book now to secure those few places that are open.
London was extra charming over Christmas!

Expect some rain in London.
It may be a little; it might be a lot; cannot predict.
If your boots have a smooth, slick sole, they might slip on the wet pavement.
Otherwise, they sound perfect.

Take one pair of shoes with a non-slip sole.
A rain boot with a rubber tread might be ideal to take along.
Be sure the leather boots with sherpa lining are comfortable for long walks and pounding the pavement.
I would not be as concerned with protecting your feet from the cold as I'd be concerned about slipping and falling in London.
For dry days, a good walking shoe is needed.
It's fine to wear New Balance, Nike, etc. shoes.

My husband and I were in London and Paris last December, earlier in the month. I wore Ecco Soft 7 boots that were waterproof and lined (wonderful). I wore them every day. We took down coats and baselayers for underneath our clothes. We had freezing weather almost every day, in the 20’s and 30’s F, even snowed in London. Some sort of Arctic blast came down. These were below normal temps and we were prepared before leaving and we took appropriate clothing. However weather can change quickly so be prepared. Have the best time! Sounds like a lovely trip.

I very much appreciate all the great information. I am on the hunt! I've never traveled carryon only for a winter trip but I am up for the challenge!

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve gone to London and Paris over the holidays several times and never worried about waterproof shoes. And never needed them. I do take two pairs if one gets wet and stuff them with newspaper (I can dry soaking wet tennis shoes with newspaper in about 24 hours. Just change the papers a lot).

I would make sure your shoes are slip resistant. I almost took a comfortable waterproof pair of walking boots and I was so glad I didn’t as they had lost a lot of their slip resistance. We were in London and Paris last Christmas and I wore a pair of https://www.cariuma.com/products/oca-therma-high-all-black-suede-boot-women
my daughter in law talked me into. Where they were not perfect (hard to get on) they had support, could walk miles in them but most importantly handled slippery sidewalks and ice patches like a champ. A fall can derail a vacation in seconds.

Anita, since you’ve obviously come and gone to London for Christmas, I’d love to hear how it went. How was the weather, and did your boot/shoe choice work out?
Thanks

Our first trips to London and Paris were in winter, February. Nonslip soles are key, IME. We had snow on that trip, so I was glad I had a pair of boots.

You mention tour boots are ancient, so keep this in mind. Sometimes old shoes will decide to lose their sole at the most inopportune times. We were camping a year or so ago and I took a beloved pair of low hikers. The shoes looked in perfect condition, but were old enough that the soles on both came off. It was rather funny, only because thank goodness I had brought a pair of sandals along! So now I am weary of taking older shoes on trips with me.

The other thing to consider with older shoes is a lot of time the arches are worn down or the padding is worn down. You might want to consider at least putting in a different insole if they’re very old. I know a lot of people who thought they had comfortable shoes because they wear them around their hometown and they’re great and then when you’re putting 20,000 steps on your feet day after day after day, those shoes weren’t quite as comfortable and part of that was because they were broken down