How to dress for business meetings in Montreal in January?

Question

I'm from France and I will be there end of January.
I suppose I have to bring some hot clothes (winter coats, hats, gloves..) but my main concern is about shoes: do you people in Canada keep your winter boots during day at the office or meetings (I would feel a bit strange keeping them with a tie & suit) What are your habits?

Answer 1

I wear overshoes. They may not be very fashionable when you are actually wearing them, but the alternatives are-1. Get salt and slush on your shoes and pant cuffs 2. Wear boots with your suit and thus be conspicuously unfashionable 3. Keep indoor shoes at your office or on your person and change when you get there. Montreal has a lot of interconnected pedways and tunnels, so you might actually be able to get to where you are going without going outside.

http://www.shoebuy.com/overshoes.htm

Answer 2

Businessmen in Canada will either wear boots in winter and bring their shoes in a nylon bag so they can wear those in the office, or they will wear their shoes outside, but cover them with rubber overshoes. (attached is a link to an example).

If you are a suit, dress shirt, and tie fellow, then you will usually wear a trenchcoat to protect against salty overspray from cars driving by as you walk from a taxi or on a sidewalk.

For women, they usually have leather boots, fur or fleece lined, and they will bring regular shoes with a low heel to wear in the office.

The women's jackets are often long with fur or fleece lining.

Answer 3

Keep your inside shoes in your brief case and change into them once you are at the office. You will absolutely need a good pair of boots for the outside since it will be cold with a lot of snow.

Answer 4

In the US, many people wear boots to the office and bring their dress shoes with them and change into them there, nobody wears boots with their suits here, at least not that I've seen

Answer 5

Most men wear shoe covers or they bring their shoes in a bag and change once at work.
We don't keep our boots on all day.
Some live downtown and can have the luxury of walking around the downtown tunnels in shoes and never go outside.

Answer 6

Stay indoors from November to April. Live in Westmount Square or the high-rise at Longueil metro and work pretty much anywhere between Westmount and Berri. You won't have to go outside at all.

Answer 7

Bring spare good shoes in a bag.