I was born and bred in Southern California (Fight On), and went to law school in North Carolina (Go Duke), but recently moved to NYC for work. Needless to say, I've been dreading my first real winter ever. Fortunately, it's already January and the whitewalkers haven't come through and frozen my delicate ass just yet.
In any event, moving to NYC means rain, puddles, sleet, snow, and a bunch of crap I really don't want to deal with but kinda have to. It also means no car, so now I'm walking far more than I ever have before.
My first concern when I came to this sad realization was, obvi, what's going to happen to all my shoes? I can't be having this butter soft leather turn into beef jerkey. Because that's exactly what rain and snow salt and exposure to anything other than good ol O2 will do to your shoes. Okay, maybe beef jerkey is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get what I'm saying.
So I did a bit of research and came across a brand known as SWIMS. SWIMS was started by a man who grew up in Norway and, while living in NYC, was inspired to create a fashion-forward galosh that could withstand rain, sleet, and snow. Galoshes are rubber contraptions that slip on over your shoes with the end goal of protecting them from the elements. In other words, "shoe condoms," as my friend Ben likes to say.
My buddy and co-worker CK and I decided to stop by the Allen Edmonds next to our office and we both purchased a pair of the SWIMS galoshes. If you're in NYC, most Allen Edmonds carry these, and there are fortunately a ton of Allen Edmonds around the city. If you're not in NYC (or somewhere with an Allen Edmonds), Brooks Brothers online sells them, as does the SWIMS website itself. We were hoping they would go on some kind of holiday sale, but, FYI, the sales reps say because SWIMS is a separate brand, they never put them on sale. I've used them for over a month now, and want to share my thoughts on them after the jump.
If you don't want to read the other nonsense that follows, all I will say is -- While they aren't perfect, I would HIGHLY recommend people who care about the condition of your shoes (which, if you're reading this, is probably you) to pick a pair of these up.
Gotta love the whimsical packaging. In case you were wondering how many days a year it rains in Zurich, the answer is 134.
My review starts with CK excitedly texting me the (rainy) morning after. If I remember correctly it was something along the lines of "Bro, these galoshes tho. I've never stepped in puddles with such confidence." And so I decided to try mine on and take them for a spin. I will say, CK's take was on point. If you're anything like me, and you're wearing an even remotely beloved pair of shoes while walking around the city on a rainy day, you are looking nowhere but the ground. In an attempt to keep my shoes in as pristine a condition as possible, I'm constantly dodging puddles, random rock formations, tourists, and of course Cookie Monster and Elmo (I work in Times Square ::sad face::).
But when I slipped the SWIMS galoshes on, I had nary a care in the world. As you can imagine, these things are supposed to fit like a glove, so take a tad bit of effort to put on. After a couple wears though it's almost second nature. At first, the heel of my shoe would touch the tops of my fingers when I was putting them on, which is kinda gross.
Gross.
But I quickly developed a tactic to prevent that -- when you pull back the heel of the galosh, simultaneously slip your foot deeper into the galosh and your fingers will be saved from whatever subway gunk is on the heel of your shoe.
Not gross.
When I started walking around in them, a massive downpour had just transformed to a respectable drizzle. Because the galoshes don't cover my entire shoe, I most definitely wasn't trying to step in one of those mini-lakes that form around the NYC sidewalks. But if I came across a small-to-normal sized puddle I'd walk right through it without a problem. Another nice thing about these is if you're on a crowded subway, bar, or club you don't have to worry about people stepping on your shoes. This is big especially in the winter when god knows what kind of wintry mix filth can easily be transferred from Rando's shoe to yours. Either way, the main purpose of these is to protect your shoes from the elements, which it does quite well.
When it started raining harder, I found the galoshes to stand up quite well to the combination of wind and rain. It was a bit annoying that droplets would fall on the exposed part of your shoe, but that's completely understandable. These just aren't a perfect solution, but I don't think they're trying to be. You can opt to buy a more heavy duty SWIMS galosh which is essentially a boot-like version of these. But they're more expensive, and, quite frankly, ugly. My boy Christian mentioned I should address the grip of the galosh, so here goes. In short, the grip is excellent. I did my best to slip in these things, but it never happened. The galoshes are definitely built to survive slippery situations (dat alliteration doe).
Design/Color
Speaking of looks, I like the SWIMS galoshes because they are a great combination of form and function. As mentioned, they function quite well, but, for what they are, they look quite good too. I opted for the dark brown, and CK opted for the navy. I'd say both colors are the most versatile of all the options, especially for a business casual environment. And yes, dark brown works even with a black shoe, since the brown is a very dark shade. If it was a lighter shade that would be more of a problem from an aesthetic standpoint (but I still probably wouldn't care, they're galoshes for god sakes...do you really care what color your condoms are?). Navy is also very versatile, and, truth be told, I might have gone with navy if they had my size. At that point, it's personal preference. If you can't get navy or brown, I'd probably go with black in a business casual environment. If I didn't really care where I was working, I'd go with the orange. It's a beautiful color and adds a great pop to your look, especially in contrast with the black or brown shoes you're likely wearing. However, I thought in the workplace, especially in front of a client or more conservative partner, orange might stand out in a negative way.
CK's galoshes in navy
Fit
I went with a Large. The SWIMS sizing guidelines say that a Large is appropriate for a 42-43.5 (EU)/8-9.5(US) foot. I would say that's accurate. I'm generally a 42.5-43.5/9-10.5 size shoe and the M seemed too small. I suggest trying on a couple sizes to be sure. You'll easily know when it's too large since every time you take a step there will probably be noticeable gaps in the middle of the galosh between the galosh and your shoe. You def don't want that. You'll know they're too small if they're too difficult to put on. Make sure you try taking them on and off multiple times so you get used to the process before making this determination. If they fit right, you'll barely even notice they're on.
They also come with separate shoe bags for each overshoe. The button fastening is a great touch because you can keep each shoe together while traveling if you want.
Conclusion
At $95, I think the SWIMS galoshes are a tad overpriced, but I'd still highly recommend buying a pair if you can. FWIW, if they were priced at $80, I'd say it's a no-brainer. These things are especially nice to have since they'll let you wear pretty much any dress shoe you own in inclement weather, including, of course, leather soled shoes (and boots!). Some people have told me that they'd rather skip the galoshes altogether and buy a nice pair of Goodyear-welted boots with rubber soles that would look good with business casual attire. That's all fine and dandy, but I'd still like the option to take the pairs of shoes I already own and make them rain and snow ready. Other naysayers think the process of putting them on and taking them off seems like a hassle. Sure, it adds a couple extra steps to your already-busy day, but I'd argue it takes no more time to slip these bad boys on than to get your feet into most sturdy boots. It really only takes 10-15 seconds to slip them on at home. When I get to the office, it's even easier to take them off. Fine, you have to put them on again when you leave, but whatever forget you.
Bottom line -- They're easy to use, look good, and work well. They probably won't survive a crazy tsunami or snow storm, but they'll get the job done well on your standard issue rainy-day or when the streets are salted post-snowfall. I'm happy with mine, CK's happy with his, and I think you'll be happy with yours too.
They even work well if you have to step through some light snow
UPDATE (3/5/15)
I've recently been informed that the galoshes are NOT recommended for suede shoes as there is a possibility the suede will be damaged by the lining of the galosh. I wasn't aware of this so wanted to mention it here in case you're looking to purchase them to protect suede shoes. I know I pictured suede shoes above so it's definitely a useful tidbit of information. I've been using them with my suede shoes and haven't noticed any damage, but I guess if they say it's not meant for that I should probably stop.
Also, I forgot to discuss the lining of the galosh, which is made of a smooth, velvet-like material. According to SWIMS, the material and construction of the lining is meant to aid in evaporating water particles that may get on your shoe and also has a polishing effect on your shoe. As for the polishing effect, I'm not sure how much I buy into it but I wanted to mention it for the sake of being thorough.