below: navy
below: merlot
my old coworker martha first inspired me to get these boots about two years ago and i have to say they are THE BEST purchase EVER. honestly, it pained me to shell out the lootcakes to get them -- but i wear them so much i think it's the best $115 i've ever spent. i wear them with jeans, dresses/skirts and tights and sometimes even with shorts. they were perfect in NYC where winter meant permanent slushy mud puddles at every corner, and now they're perfect for walking our dog on the hike and bike trails around the lake.
it's rare to find the originals on sale unless there's a site- or store-wide coupon so my recommendation is to either 1) bite the bullet and just do it or 2) be really diligent about watching saks, bloomies, piperlime, etc. for discount codes. sometimes gilt has them on sale, too. my only caveat is there's a high chance they'll be sold out of your size/color/style during a sale.
ps. i recommend ordering way smaller than you think, especially if you have narrow feet like me. i wear a 7.5 or 8 normally and my hunters are a size 6. hunter's official reco is to order a size down.
pps. the other option is to get the kids version. they're a little bit lower on the calf and of course you have to have small feet. i've never tried them on so can't give fit guidance there...but they're only $60 rather than $115 so might be worth a shot.
pps. i also wish i had the fleece insert socks, now available for pre-order at saks for $30. and even with thick socks the rubber definitely causes a little (ahem a lot of) foot sweat...
