the best winter boots for nyc (that happen to be vegan)

Eureka! I have the weekend Chelsea Boot style.

I was on the hunt for the best shoes for my first winter in nyc and I wanted them to be water proof (obvi) but also vegan, and super comfy - because if it wasn’t explicitly clear when nyc was mentioned - they need to take a beating of walking miles on the sidewalk. I didn’t walk bulky or heavy boots that extend half way up my calf, or have a bunch of ties, or faux-fur-lined and make my feet sweat. I scoured the internet, searching with all these key words…..and found nothing. No one was talking about the specific needs of a new yorker, which is dry warm feet, but comfortable walking shoes, not just snow boots. Leave it to the algorithm, I kept getting ads on Instagram about Vessi boots, you know the ones with the shoe stepping in the big puddle? I saw the puddle and thought they were trying to reach the Carrie Bradshaw inside of me. They also happen to be vegan, which is a plus, cause it’s hard to find winter boots without leather on them. Honestly, I have never spent so much on a single pair of shoes, but I went for it.

Now in my second winter in nyc, I can confidently say they are the best shoes I have ever bought, and worth the money. I call them my cloud shoes - they weigh nothing, light as a feather, and it feels like walking on clouds they are so comfortable! I don’t understand the science of it, because it is a knit fabric, but my feet stay dry and warm, even in the flash flooding of nyc. Your stomach drops when you see your foot landing in water that is deeper than it looked, but its too late to not step in it…...every new yorker knows this feeling. But with these, your foot comes out dry!?! It still shocks me every time, and when I was in Salzburg, Austria last week, stupidly braving a blizzard, walking to the top of the fortress in slush, every other part of me soaked, somehow my feet were dry, warm and comfy in my Vessi boots. And they haven’t completely worn down over a year after purchase! If I haven’t convinced you, I don’t know what will. Go shop their shoes and boots, and accessories here.

stuff to buy

We have gathered all our favorite tools, resources, and products that help us live our groovy vegan lives and listed them here for you!

Links to other sites might be affiliate links, but we are honest af and only recommend things we actually use and love.

Consumerism? Capitalism? Are you really promoting products on a site dedicated to reducing eco impact? Yeah, valid point. We hate this crap too, and would love to live off non-stolen land and only have what we need, and be really happy in a nude hippie commune. But we currently live in America, and need money to survive. Giant conglomerates should be doing a better job, all responsibility shouldn’t fall to the consumer. If we are gonna buy stuff, which we are, let’s just try to make eco-conscious decisions as well as we can afford, have access to, and when our mental health allows. Do the best you can, when you can.

The queer, nuerodivergent women chasing financial freedom on the other side of this keyboard thank you for shopping with our links!

Lomi - our at home composter

Wait, you can compost at home? A counter top compost machine? Yeah - like smelly food scraps to dirt in a matter of hours.

We bought the original Lomi back when it was an Indiegogo campaign, and use it all the time, so we truly know the product and can speak from genuine experience.

We love the Lomi cause it gets rid of the food waste that collects mold and flies when sitting in a compost bin. Mostly, it just makes us feel better about ourselves and our impact.

A few things to note:

• You have to actually run the thing. It takes effort to remember to run it often, and not wait till you have a gross moldy mess in your compost bin or leftovers in your fridge. You know what I mean, the part where you bought the expensive thing to make your life easier, but then you’ve got to motivate yourself to actually use it regularly? (not gonna see me buying a peloton)

• It makes sounds and smells. It’s about the equivalent of a dishwasher or laundry dryer, but we like to run ours while we sleep so the grindy noises don’t interrupt whatever we are watching. And if the filters are in need of a changing, it gets to be smelly when running.

Try it yourself! They have 30-day returns and a one year warranty.

Buy your Lomi here.

who gives a crap? we do!

I’m pretty sure it was an Instagram ad years ago that convinced me to try out this toilet paper. It’s eco-friendly and they donate profits to toilet infrastructure across the globe. It’s soft yet doesn’t fall apart. It’s way cheaper, and delivered directly to my door. I was hooked, and all these years later, its still what I use!

For toilet paper, they have a 100% recycled option, and a bamboo option. I usually stick to the recycled paper, its cheaper and still soft. I find I usually only have to order a box about every 6 months, which is way better than constantly buying it from the grocery store and hoping you grabbed 2-ply, grabbing whatever is cheapest at the moment, and lugging the bulky packing around.

They are individually wrapped, and in cute paper! This allows me to store them out of a cabinet, have them easily on hand, even for guests. Everyone loves the fun paper designs and sayings, and they fit perfectly behind the door in my little nyc bathroom. Having them on display allows me to know exactly when I’m running low, then I place an order and they arrive quickly!

I also buy their tissue boxes in bulk, so I know I will have soft tissues on hand all around the house. We love the quality and fun prints on the boxes too.

Try who gives a crap for yourself here. Lots of eco-friendly options that are great quality!