I made a resolution last year to only buy shoes from now on that really fit and are good for my feet.

I live in southern CA and am heading to the east coast and then Europe over the winter holidays.  A bit of snow and rain, and certainly cold are in the forecast.  I know I'll be doing some light hiking but didn't want to bring along my usual hikers.  I didn't want to spend a ton of money on boots, all of the "nice" brands were just out of my budget.  Then I found these at TJ Maxx for just $50, in brown (insane!  they were orig $180).

These shoes are just what I was looking for- the leather cuts cold, the soles have good traction, they're comfortable with a nice toebox and cushion sole, they are SUPER warm because of the lining, AND they are fashionable enough that I can wear these in LA when I get back.  Amazing deal and hoping to have these for many, many years.