I feel your pain-- I'm looking for a new pair of winter boots right now also. My old ones are 8 yrs old (I think), water-resistant work boots with some insulation but no steel toes, and now they leak. I'm just glad my feet are big enough for men's boots (barely)-- they're so much more likely to be practical than most of the women's models... they're a bit ugly, but so what, if my feet are warm and dry...