Outfitted: Shoulder-season shoes

There’s a certain point in late winter when your gear closet starts arguing with itself. One day it feels like spring break; the next day your driveway is refrozen, and your “light jacket” confidence gets humbled before 9 a.m. This is the footwear season of mixed signals: dry pavement, slushy curbs, muddy trailheads, surprise snow and that recurring fantasy that you can finally retire your winter boots (you can’t). So instead of pretending winter is over (it’s not), I rounded up a recent footwear mix that makes sense for this in-between stretch: a lineup built for life between seasons — road miles, recovery days, quick errands, trail detours and the last stubborn stretch of winter.

1. Baffin Chloe

The Baffin Chloe is the reminder that “spring” in a mountain town is often just winter with better lighting. Baffin describes it as a fashion-forward, function-first winter boot for everyday wear and recommends it for moderate to high activity, which is exactly the kind of category that matters when you’re walking through slush, standing outside or doing the daily freeze-thaw dance. The Chloe has long been known for bringing serious cold-weather insulation into a more wearable silhouette, and the brand highlights its women-specific fit and proprietary boot tech. In practical terms, this is the pair that still earns space by the door for icy mornings, spring snowstorms and all the messy shoulder-season errands when sneakers are an optimistic mistake. $234, Baffin.com.

2. Diadora Nucleo 2

The Diadora Nucleo 2 feels like a strong daily-driver option for runners easing back into consistent mileage as roads clear and schedules get busier. Diadora positions it as a comfort-and-stability running shoe and calls out its ANIMA midsole, which increases responsiveness while reducing weight, with the product page also listing a 5 millimeters drop and a lightweight build for the women’s model. That combination puts it in a nice shoulder-season lane: smooth enough for dry neighborhood runs and treadmill catch-up days, but still supportive for those weeks when your legs are transitioning from skiing to actual running again. It reads less like a “race day” specialist and more like the dependable pair you grab when the weather is decent enough to go and you don’t want to overthink it. Available in women’s and men’s sizes and colors. $170, Diadora.com.

3. Stio Colter Mountain Slip

The Stio Colter Mountain Slip is very much in the “mountain-town luxury item that becomes suspiciously essential” category. Stio describes it as lightly insulated with a plush fleece lining, cushy footbed and weather-resistant quilted upper, which is basically a recipe for making your feet happy during the least glamorous part of the year. This is the shoe for quick transitions — garage to car, cabin to town, coffee run to afternoon walk — when you want warmth and comfort but don’t need a full boot situation. The styling also fits that spring-with-snowbanks vibe: cozy enough to feel seasonal, refined enough to pass for an actual outfit choice. Available in women’s and men’s sizes and colors. $89, Stio.com.

4. Kizik Madrid Eco Knit

The Kizik Madrid Eco Knit is one of those deceptively practical shoes that ends up getting more mileage than your “serious” pairs, especially during shoulder season when daily life means constant in-and-out movement. Kizik highlights the Madrid’s HandsFree Labs technology, breathable four-way stretch knit upper and eco-minded construction using material made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, along with lightweight traction from a ground-contact EVA outsole. It’s easy to see the appeal here for office days, airport runs, grocery laps and all the weirdly busy transition-season errands when you’re dressing in layers and moving quickly. The hands-free entry is also one of those features you don’t fully appreciate until you’re balancing bags, coffee or a puffy jacket while trying not to fall over in your hallway. Available in women’s and men’s sizes and colors. $99, Kizik.com.

5. HOKA Transport Hike GTX

HOKA’s Transport Hike GTX is one of the more compelling “town to trail” shoes in the current crop because it doesn’t pretend those are separate things. HOKA describes it as a versatile chukka designed to transition seamlessly from town to trail, with an internal GORE-TEX bootie, water-resistant finish and trail-ready traction features including a Vibram Megagrip outsole. That spec mix makes sense for the season when a day can include wet sidewalks, a dog walk, a coffee stop and an impulsive hike up Smuggler before dinner. It’s functional without looking overly technical, which is a surprisingly important trait when you’re trying to get through mud season without carrying a second pair of shoes everywhere like a small-footed pack mule. Available in women’s and men’s sizes and colors. $190, Hoka.com.

6. Nike Pegasus Trail 5

The Nike Pegasus Trail 5 continues to be a solid option for people who want one shoe that can handle mixed surfaces without feeling clunky on pavement. Nike positions it as a dual-threat trail runner built to cross the divide between dirt and road, with a ReactX foam midsole for responsive cushioning. That makes it a particularly smart fit for the not-quite-summer trail window, when singletrack can still be patchy and your route often includes some combination of road, path and dirt. It’s the sort of shoe that supports spontaneous movement — run from the house, cut onto a trail, adjust if conditions are sloppy —— without forcing you into a full trail-shoe commitment for terrain that may or may not cooperate. $155, Nike.com.

7. Roll Recovery Solace Slide

Recovery footwear has gotten dramatically better in recent years, and the Roll Recovery Solace Slide is a good example of a brand treating post-activity comfort like actual design instead of an afterthought. Roll Recovery describes the Solace line as premium recovery footwear with a suede upper and engineered support, and the slide emphasizes adjustable straps and a fit that allows the foot to move naturally. That makes it especially useful in this late-winter/early-spring stretch, when people are often stacking ski days, restarting running mileage, walking more as conditions improve or traveling for spring trips. In other words: your feet are doing a lot, often in mixed footwear, and having a recovery slide that feels structured instead of floppy can be a real upgrade over the standard squish-and-pray approach. Available in women’s and men’s sizes and colors. $110, RollRecovery.com.

Meg Simon is an Aspen-based freelance writer, graphic designer and founder of Simon Finch Creative. She can be reached at meg@simonfinchcreative.com.

Meg Simon is an Aspen-based freelance writer, graphic designer, and founder of Simon Finch Creative. She can be reached at meg@simonfinchcreative.com.