what did i just buy?

I am now the proud owner of the ugliest shoes ever. Okay, maybe not ugliest, but they are not cute. I had to purchase a pair of hiking boots, as tomorrow my friends and I are hiking Cotopaxi, the second highest peak here in Ecuador. Because of the high altitude on Cotopaxi, we will spend part of the time climbing glaciers, for which hiking boots are pretty necessary. This fact along with my hope/plan to do more hiking and even possibly summit Cotopaxi next year led me to the purchase that I made today. I know hiking boots are not supposed to be cute, but keep in mind that I'm the girl who thrives on cute shoes, and wears heels at least three days a week. Example of my shoe obsession: I brought five pairs of black shoes with me to Ecuador. I think shoes are a big part of an outfit, and darn it, these boots just do not match my hiking pants.