Photo Attributed to CharlieStyr
This is the start of a new column called “Anglophile Gear” where I will focus on one particularly British item that every true Anglophile should have.
This week, it’s the Wellington Boot. Also called Wellies, the Wellington Boot is the standard for countryside footwear. If you’re preparing to go for a ramble in the British Countryside, you MUST have a pair of Wellies on. They’re simply amazing, you can muck around in the mud and water and not get wet at all.
What is the Wellington Boot?
To American eyes, Wellies look like galoshes. But these simply aren’t just galoshes. They’re so much more than that. The Wellington Boot defines the British Countryside.
Essentially, the Wellington Boot is a boot made completely of rubber that goes almost up to your knees. They are completely waterproof and comfortable for extended wear. They are also durable and long lasting.
If you get a good pair of Hunter Wellies, they will last you quite a few years.
History of the Wellington Boot
Note the Distinctive Boot
The Wellington Boot gets it name from the Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of. He’s most famous for defeating Napoleon on the battlefields of France, notably at Waterloo. He was a pretty stylish guy and was frustrated at how the new pants style would not fit into the regular Hessian Style boot that officers wore.
So, when he got back to London, he enlisted a bootmaker to customize the boot so that the pants could easily fit into them. And thus the venerable Wellie was born.
It wasn’t popular at first and the Duke was actually kind of made fun of for his strange boots. But eventually they became popular and when rubber vulcanization was invented, they began to make the boot out of rubber leading to the development of the boot we’re familiar with today.
Rubber Wellington Style boots became commonplace during World War I, as they were well suited for trench warfare. They were waterproof and comfortable for soldiers. When soldiers returned home, they liked their boots so much that they continued using them.
Nowadays, children, adults and the elderly can be seen exploring the British countryside in Wellington Boots. They keep the mud and water out and you can easily tuck your pants in them, just the way the Duke of Wellington envisioned.
Famous Manufacturer of Wellington Boots
© Hunter Boots – Used With Permission
Ironically, this most British Icon has been manufactured by a company that was started by an American. Henry Lee Morris did a reverse immigration from America and moved to Scotland to find a home for his new rubber footwear factory.
Hunter Boots has been making the iconic Wellington Boot for over 150 years. Their most famous boot, the Green Wellington was released in 1955 and has become the standard British countryside boot.
Hunter Boots are still largely made by hand in their factory in Scotland, a tradition that is dying in many other industries.
I got my first pair of Hunter Wellies on my last trip to England. It was a wonderful experience traipsing through the Dorsetshire countryside in my new green wellies. I’ve had them ever since and I make a point to wear them in the winter (which can be fierce here in Chicago), despite the fact they make me look a little goofy.
Where to Buy Wellies and Wellington Boots
If you’re ever in England, the Wellington Boot is ubiquitous. But in my opnion, there is only one Wellington Boot and that’s the one made by Hunter Boot.
You can find cheaper boots in most major retailers in Britain, but they’re are not of the same quality. They’re made in China out of cheap materials and aren’t made to last. My wife bought one of these cheap pairs a year ago and they are already falling apart. Hunter Boots are still largely made by hand in their factory in Scotland.
Most shoe stores and other major retailers in the UK stock Hunter Boots, so be sure to pick them up on your next trip. I got mine at a small shoe store in Shaftesbury, England (Parfit’s Shoes if you’re curious). UK shoppers can also buy directly from the Hunter Boots Website.
Wayward American Anglophiles can find Hunter Boots in most upscale retailers. But the best place to get them is Amazon.com
Click here to buy authentic Hunter Wellington Boots on Amazon.com.
Wellington Boot Videos
A bunch of sexy girls dancing around in Wellies in the English countryside. Guess you could call it Wellie Porn.
Woman walking around in the mud. Shows off the waterproof features of the boots, which is what they are known for.
Wellington Boot Links
Click here to buy authentic Hunter Wellington Boots on Amazon.com.
Hunter Boots Facebook Club – Become a fan today!
Wikipedia Entry on Wellington Boots
My Wellies
I Love My Hunter Wellies! I wish I got a chance to wear them more. They’ll get to see England again soon.
About jonathan
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dreams of traveling to the UK whenever we want a reality.
now thats a family with good taste hunters all round even the kids!!
Wellington boots have been around for quiet sometime. Not the most attractive but it is still a very, very useful boot.
Fun Post! I didn’t know that Hunter was the brand to have for Wellies. I have a pair of knock-off wellies, they are striped, that I love. I look forward to the next Anglophile Gear post!
Sadly, all Hunter wellies are now made on the cheap in China and Serbia. The selling prices remain as high!
You’re right – they’re cheap far eastern rubbish now. My first hunters lasted 11 years. I bought a pair last February and they’re already cracking. I wouldn’t have bought them if I’d known they were foreign rubbish. I’ve had a big row with Hunter over them but of course they don’t care any more for their customers than they did for the British workers they put out of jobs when they outsourced to save money. Yes, they’re still charging a premium but it’s not a premium product. I have heard that Barbour are still properly British but have yet to check it out. I am actually thinking of contacting Trading Standards because nowhere on it’s packaging or product do Hunter indicate that their product is no longer British. I feel as though I was conned.
Virtually all Hunter wellies now come out of China. The quality is piss-poor, as is the durability. Even the models such as Balmoral which are meant to be more substantial are shockingly bad – my friend found a split in the foot of her Balmorals after only 7 months’ use, so they are being returned to the retailer with a formal complaint.
Half the problem is that the rubber formulation used in the Chinese factory appears to be different to the one that was used in the old Scottish plant. The Chinese rubber contains a fair amount of clay, which is used as a filler. Whilst this makes the rubber a bit more rigid, it also makes it more brittle and therefore prone to cracking. That’s why Scottish-made Hunters flex and flop about but last years, whereas Chinese-made Hunters are self-supporting but last only weeks. Hunter of course stay very tight-lipped about the exact formulation, but it shouldn’t take long for some enterprising chemist to analyse some samples.
The fact is that Hunter lost so much money up to the time it went into administration in 2006, that the new consortium which took it over had to do something to get rid of the debts. Selling off a lot of the other product lines such as drysuits to other companies, and stopping production of traditional lines like fishing waders, did save some money.
Of much more interest was the move of the residual production line to China, with the loss of 48 jobs in Scotland. This allowed Hunter to protect its bottom line, whilst spending very little on the costs of production. A premium price is still charged for what is now a sadly-denuded product, e.g. RRP has risen by £5 in the space of one year, from £55 to £60 a pair for the ordinary Hunters.
Whilst UK customers are slowly waking up to the fact that the current production quality is crap, the same cannot be said of Hunter’s expansion into Europe and – more importantly – the US market. Hunter have therefore become a global designer label. This commercial success also means that they are starting to disappear up their own arse – witness the recently-introduced Welly Pouch for carrying keys and coins: costs only a couple of quid to make, but RRP in the shops is £30!!
By releasing new colours every so often, and linking up with designers such as Jimmy Choo for limited editions, Hunter stays ahead of the game, as the American customers go crazy over things like this.
What we really need is for UK customers to be more forceful in claiming consumer rights (yes, that means suing, and flooding the Edinburgh head office with prematurely worn-out Hunters) and for American customers – famously litigious – to realise that they are in fact being conned.
Oh, and if you want strong, long-lasting wellies, I’d recommend you buy Le Chameau. Made in France….properly.
It’s a real shame. I’m glad the pair I bought a couple years ago were some of the last to be made in Scotland. They are quite fashionable here – women love them and wear them everyday, but I would liken it to buying a Land Rover to drive around town – do you REALLY want to take it off road? It find it ironic that the French now make the better Welly. Wellington is certainly spinning in his grave.
I actually made a point of buying up as many of the Scottish-made Hunters in my size as I could afford, as I knew the Chinese ones were never going to last.
The French have not made the same mistakes – they have kept their production lines and workforces. Yes, they are expensive, but the quality shines through. Here’s a short video showing how the French make theirs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s3DJkFukHI
So the lesson clearly is: if you want long-lasting, properly-made wellies, buy French. Nothing else comes close.
Rain boots are extremely common nowadays in regions where drizzles are common. These types of shoes are basically made from a material which is pretty comfortable and also waterproof. On the other hand, one also has the option to purchase varieties such as boots worn during hiking as well as walking through snow. Cowboy boots are also pretty popular and are worn by particular individuals to reflect a certain type of fashion image.
Very interested to read about others experiences I had no idea that Hunters were so poor and when my wifes pair cracked after just over a year I emailed hunters expecting them to tell me that they were fakes or offering to examine them. They couldnt have cared less and kept repeating that ‘if they were less than a year old I could take them back to the shop where I bought them’ I am disgusted and intend to spend a great deal of time telling anyone who will listen just how poor these boots are. If you want to use them for a week at a rock festival then they are fine but if you want to use them for an hour or two a couple of days a week then do not buy these cheaply made rubbish boots, they will crack and leak in a very short time.
Le Chameau is a good French brand, as well as Aigle. Barbour, sadly, is made in Serbia. I can’t believe there is not ONE good brand that is made in the UK.
I can’t believe that Hunter care so little for their customers. I have always used Hunter and up until a year ago had never had any problems. I bought a new last year as my previous boots (that I had for many years) finally died. Less than a year later my new boots started splitting. I sent them back only to be told there was nothing they could do. I persisted and finally I was offered another pair at half price. So…. a year on (my new boots were sent on the 26th Jan 2011) the replacement boots have started to perrish. Again, I speak to Hunter and aagin they are not really interested. “Are you sure these boots are the right boots for the activity you are doing?” I am advised. Considering I am only walking my dog twice a day before and after work, so I am not walking for hours, I think they should be suitable!! I am wrong as really I should be buying The Balmoral Boots…… I give up, another customer lost by Hunter, but then as several people have stated on various websites are they bothered, I think not!