Thank the Polar Vortex for This Shortage

You can find anything you could possibly want in New York City. Rare cuisines, mannequins with pubic hair, designer clothing, love. But there is one thing that you cannot get in NYC right now — snow boots.

Blame it on the polar vortex. Retailers across the great isle of Manhattan are running very low on sturdy, cold-weather shoes. Brian Rosener, manager of the Eastern Mountain Sports store at Broadway and 76th Street, told the New York Times, "We are completely short, completely out of stock at this point. This is the most thorough sell-through I've ever seen." Rosener has been with the store on and off for 15 years.

Other stores across the city, those known for winter footwear and otherwise, are completely tapped out of snow shoe options. North Face on Broadway and 73rd, Macy's Herald Square, and Payless ShoeSource on 231st St. in the Bronx all reported being entirely out of winter-proof footwear.

We have the endless snowstorms to thank for the shortage, since unprepared New Yorkers have been faced with more slush and snow this season than the city has seen in years. Still, people are "used to getting whatever they want in the city," said Charl Smit, an Eastern Mountain Sports sales associate, and are not always the most understanding.

My pity goes out to retail employees across the boroughs, who have probably been faced with loads of angry customers. As we buckle down to prepare for Winter Storm Pax, it may be time for New Yorkers to hit the web and have those snow boots overnighted. If you can't find a pair of snow boots, you may just want to stay inside. You don't want to end up like these guys.

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