How to avoid wearing boots all winter

Skater brand Vans and outdoor performance wear giant The North Face have collaborated on the seemingly impossible: a 100 per cent waterproof, breathable, super-warm, stylish sneaker called the Vault that performs as well as the toughest winter boot. Techy materials—like water-repellent leather and a tacky waffled rubber sole that remains soft well below freezing temperatures for optimal grip on icy surfaces—keep out the slush piles and frozen puddles. From $150. Gravitypope, 1010 Queen St. W., 647-748-5155.

The Winter Hater's Guide to Loving Winter

Food & Drink

How to get a taste of the tropics without leaving Toronto

Secret no. 1 to making the most of the city this chilly season

City News

Where to trade in your snow tires for a team of huskies

Secret no. 2 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Style

How to dress as cozy as Drake in “Hotline Bling”

Secret no. 3 to making the most of the city this chilly season

City News

How to bike through the winter in comfort and style

Secret no. 4 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Style

Where to soak up the seaside in a suburban salt cave

Secret no. 5 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Food & Drink

How to warm up with winter beers

Secret no. 7 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Food & Drink

Where to take a wintery weekend road trip

Secret no. 8 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Food & Drink

Where to thaw out with the city’s best seafood soups

Secret no. 9 to making the most of the city this chilly season

City News

Where to ice fish in style

Secret no. 10 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Style

How to keep your kids crazy-warm, thanks to a full-frontal parka

Secret no. 11 to making the most of the city this chilly season

City News

How to surf Lake Ontario when the weather’s sub-zero

Secret no. 12 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Shopping

How to start a fire the old-fashioned way

Secret no. 13 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Food & Drink

Where to hunker down for hotpot

Secret no. 14 to making the most of the city this chilly season

Style

Where to get a DIY yurt that’ll put snow caves to shame

Secret no. 15 to making the most of the city this chilly season