I don't worry about special shoes right now, wear my moccasins every day; if it's wet wear my rubber slip on boots (can't remember the name for them), if it's really slippery and cold, put on my camping boots. Later, I'll dig out my shot moccasins with the hole in the toe. Those are my everyday, normal gardening shoes in nice weather. This winter I have been constantly changing, won't have to so much in the nicer weather. I bought several nice throw rugs for high traffic areas, a lot of good that has done - not, but they get crooked after walking on them a few times, washable which I like. The most critical area, I have 3, and the cat just loves to mess them up; try to straighten them every day. My carpeting is shot and dirty anyway, so I don't worry about it right now. Coming in from the back, there's vinyl flooring, then two steps, then more vinyl flooring in back hall and on into the kitchen, so that's easy to sweep and mop. Coming in from the front, by the time I get up 5 steps, the cement slab porch, wipe my feet on the thick jute mat, and enter the vinyl tiled foyer, then large, heavy cotton throw rug on the carpet by there, most of the dirt is gone. Sometimes I do have to take a paring knife and scrape the bottoms and sides of my shoes into the kitchen wastebasket. What I want most are some comfortable golf shoes. Those would help some aerating the lawn, and especially useful on my terraces which I now have to crawl up on my hands and knees to plant and weed one side so not much weeding gets done there. If I had golf shoes, I think I could walk up my terraces again without worrying about slipping and falling.

My sister got some boots to use in the garden at a sporting goods store. They were in the fishing department, but they were mid-calf and not insulated.

YES DON! That is EXACTLY what I need and want... I already have the dragons! I just need the Tyrion... I guess my Tyrion Lannister kitty will have to do for now, though? Mountain man, he is a lot less creepy than some of them out there, I agree... I am calling him my showboy gnome because this is Branson, Missouri and he does have a sparkling red hat!

Yes muck boots are comfortable but watch out. After wearing them every off work minute for a couple of years I developed severe foot problems. They felt so much better than my steel shank barn boots (GI Joes or farm store), like walking around in slippers. I never had foot problems before. Garden clogs at least have support. I now have to wear expensive well constructed work boots with orthotics.....grrrr. I am an avid hiker and extremely physically active....always before I had hiked, gardened, worked on the farm in sturdy shoes...muck books were like going barefoot (which the physical therapist says would actually have been better). jwww