Especially in these brisk winter months, the focus is almost always on building an outfit from the ground up, or at least, an outfit to take on the elements. Blustery snow drifts, slick city streets and frigid mornings on upstate getaways call for one thing, and one thing only — a pair of the best winter boots, like the kind my friends at Bespoke Post sell.

Or at the very least, you should certainly have your heart set on boots with enough traction and performance to get you from point A to point B when the situation calls for it, and that’s where we step off the trail and into today’s post in earnest.

And when you really get down to it, those boots had better be waterproof, traction-ready and tough as heck — the good news is, the Forsake Cascade Peak Mid Boots are all of that and then some. Oh, and since this is a Sunday at The Style Guide, they also happen to be on sale — just in the nick of time, right?

While the performance-focused Forsake Cascade Peak Mid Boots aren’t as insulated as a pair of shearling boots or even some faux-fur or shearling L.L. Bean Boots, they’re a worthy option if there’s not a foot of snow on the ground, especially if your winter pursuits call for sporting adventures and casually rugged style.

They boast the modern appeal of sneakers and the functionality of hiking boots, and it doesn’t hurt that the Forsake Cascade Peak Mid Boots are 40 percent off right now at Bespoke Post — good news indeed for your wallet after the holiday rush, right?

They’re also as functionally minded as it gets, from the taped seams on the leather and heathered textile upper to the durable MultiGrip rubber outsole and compression EVA midsole — talk about comfort and traction to the max, my friends.

For good measure, recycled PET laces and linings add a sustainable touch, and it doesn’t hurt that these boots still boast a rather streamlined profile compared to other hiking boots on the market. Plus, come springtime, the Forsake Cascade Peak Mid Boots will be more than ready to take on that first lovely trail hike when the snow melts — at 40 percent off right now, that doesn’t sound like a bad way to plan for the present or the future, right?