Do anglo-saxon women have a special gene that makes their legs & feet immune to freezing weather?

Since this seems such a great site for interactive q&a (just posted my first question here today and it got a great discussion going) let me ask a second question on a totally different (and happier topic).

Last week I was in London throughout the weekend (I’m not from there but was staying at some friends) and as some of you may know there was a huge cold wave spreading all across europe last weekend with snow and freezing temperatures. On Saturday I had a really long walk with my friends to Westminester, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham, Oxford Street and after it snowed for a good part of saturday night, on Sunday morning around 8:30am I went out for a quick run in the fresh snow and freezing weather from Tower Bridge to Tate Modern on Thames’ south bank, then across the foot bridge at Tate towards Saint Paul and then back to Tower Bridge (my friends live nearby). What I’ve seen during my journeys:

1. On Saturday, while walking, I saw at least 3 or 4 girls walking in the freezing weather wearing jeans and nice warm jackets, scarves and gloves and…low cut flats on their bare feet… while their boyfriends were bundled up in thick jackets and winter boots. At least it was dry (didn’t snow yet).

2. On the footbridge near Tate Modern on Sunday morning (is it called Millenium Bridge?) a couple in what looked like clubbing clothes were rushing in the fresh snow which noone started to shovel yet, probably home from a long night of partying. The guy properly dressed, the girl with a REALLY short skirt, boots and, of course, bare legs. At least she did have boots on.

3. Once I got accross the bridge and went towards Saint Paul to take a look at the Occupy London tent city, guess what: another couple, guy properly dressed, girl with jeans and…you guessed…grey flats and bare feet. She was clearly not coming from a party as she was quite casually dressed so they must have left home for an early walk that morning. She was holding her boyfriend’s arm as she walked like on egg shells through the snow trying to not get too much snow on her feet. I couldn’t help but wonder, what was her thinking process (if any) when she left home that morning and saw the snow on the street.

4. Finally, in Liverpool street station later that same day, two girls took the two seats I was heading towards while waiting for my train. As I was watching them with envy (there were no other free seats in the station), one took off her backpack, got a pair of flats out of it, took of her winter boots and socks and put them in the backpack and put the flats on instead. Then her and her friend got up (to my great relief as I took their seat) and headed to the Liverpool street tube station. So is riding the tube such a fancy event that you need to change your shoes for it and cannot just go wearing the boots you wore outside?

I’m half spanish and always freezing in the winter so I cannot help but wonder, do english women feel no cold at all ?