I’m in the market for a new pair of rain boots.
The Renegade Craft Fair was this weekend – this very wet and rainy weekend. I wore my pale pink Martha Stewart garden boots (I bought them years ago when Martha still had a mail-order catalog), but I think it’s time for a new pair. They’re pretty dirty by now, but I’ve actually never been all that thrilled with the color. The pink is so pale that they’re almost flesh colored, and a flesh colored rain boot silhouette on the leg isn’t exactly flattering.
Right.
There are a ton of rain boots at Target (all for $25 or less), but they’re all mid-calf height. I want a knee-high pair, most likely in red. Maybe a pair of actual Hunter Wellingtons? They’re available here, here, and here.
Any other suggestions before I splurge on the Wellies?
66 comments
Sharon
I have searched and searched for rain boots for a gift for a friend’s birthday. Finally found a very cute pair of Kate Spade ones that were actually on sale! Great price!!! ($50) The only problem was that she has larger calves and even with the buckle open, they were too tight. But, I would definitely recommend the Kate Spade ones to anyone who doesn’t have this problem. May buy myself a pair at this price.
MW
Hi Nicole,
I vote for quality – go for the wellies! ;) (although according to a more recent post, you already have).
I was just wondering which font it is you used for the “Hunter Wellingtons” and “Target Rain Boots” writing in this post?
KT
I have the Hunters in black and another pair in an eggplant color. They are so comfy! I’m glad you got a pair!
Shannon Cary
Urban Outfitters has a cute pair. I recently posted about rain boots on my blog:
http://sisterly2.blogspot.com/2008/07/caught-in-rain.html
Margie
Hi Nicole,
I’ve gone through about 5 pairs of boots in the last 8 years ago. First, I bought the expensive Tamara Hendriques striped boots which were the first to start the striped Wellie craze.
http://www.tamarahenriques.com/stripes.html
They ripped within a season — and they were expensive!
Then I bought a less expensive pair of red Polo wellies — very cute and lasted longer, but also tore after about 6 months of use. Then three other pairs of Target or no-name brand boots.
What I found was that the shiny boots don’t hold up well. They bend with your foot and this causes tiny tears in the rubber. LEAKS!
So last year, I ponyed up and bought two pairs of the Hunter boots and I love them. So sturdy and I know they’ll last forever. You do have to know that they aren’t shiny — they actually shed rubber with wear so you need to brush them off after use.
But for someone like me who wears Wellies a lot — I’m in NYC and commute to work by train and walking every day so they get a lot of use.
I wish I had seem the Festival boots last year! So cute!
Never teh Bride
The Target boots are comfortable but they do not last. I’ve never had a pair keep for more than a year, and it’s not like I’m wearing my rainboots every day. They’re inexpensive, but you end up buying more pairs.
robyn
Haha, I also noted on my blog how every other girl at Renegade was wearing galoshes. It’s funny how for years and years I’ve searched ridiculously to find a pair of cute but affordable ones, and then bam, this season they’re everywhere.
Katharina
I’ve been waffling back & forth for a while now on this very issue….I’d love to see a post on your final decision! I do love me some red boots, but I can’t tell from the website if the Hunter wellies are a true red, or that fishy, washed-out orangey red. Any thoughts?
katie
have you ever poked around at boden? they have some very cute rain boots in their autumn catalog.
http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/Womens-Shoes-and-Boots/Flat-Boots/AZ095/Womens-Printed-Wellies.html
Olivia
Those rain boots hit at the widest part of the leg, which is extremely unflattering for most women. Order the Hunter Wellingtons a size down from what you normally would…they run large.
Goody
i got some from payless..cute, pink, does the trick but i just got a link to this place in an email..
i love the
http://www.dllrainwear.com/servlet/the-Adult-Rain-Boots/Categories
kate (pm)
I have had my Hunter wellies for many years and love them! I recommend purchasing the flannel boot liners for the really cold weather. I live in NYC and with boot liners, so I get away with using those boots all through the winter. (If l lived in heavy snowfall area and/or in the country, then I would purchase real snow boots.)
Making it Lovely
Corie, the font I used is Studio Swing.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I especially love the zigzags, Jenny. It looks like most of the rain boots are indeed mid-calf though (12″), so I think I’m going to go with the Hunter Festival boots. They have an extra 1/2″ of width in the calf compared to the original style, and they come in red (which the wider legged Huntress boots do not).
Dana
http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7270720/color/754
saw these and thought of your request
panyizsuzsi
I have a pair polka dot patterned, I bought on e-bay. They are fantastic!
SFB
Hunter 100% all the way! I almost look forward to rainy and snowy days since I made the purchase. I bought them from Shopbop.com and got free shipping.
Aminah
I have the knee-length Marc by Marc Jacobs — and while they’re warm and protect your pants, they’re not comfy at all! I’m waiting on these to get here today: link
Christina
http://www.wonderfulwellies.co.uk/ladieswellies.htm
Has some lovely ones, if you click “WHATELEY HIGH CUT” adn scroll down, they some some pink loves brown ones (but a better pink than your old ones)…also make some pretty cool zebra ones too.
They’re British, but who knows better than them about rain, eh?
Good luck :)
Christina
Sue
Re: Wide calf…at one time Hunter offered “Huntress” – whose claim-to-fame was that it provided additional room in the calf. Zappos carried them – not sure for now. Best of luck!
naomi
you can get the hunter “huntress” boots if you are concerned about the narrowness of the knee highs. these have a wider calf but I don’t know if they have all the snazzy colors to choose from
Amy
I love my Chooka Tattoo rain boots, cute and very comfortable.
Caroline
I own the red Hunters and I LOVE THEM. They are truly indestructible, and they are also very flattering because they are so tall. Most regular rain boots only come to mid-calf, which I find to be quite stumpifying on anyone who isn’t six-foot-three. Also, the Hunters have adjustable buckles, so they can be made wider or narrower as needed. And I know you can get them on Zappos, so yay for free shipping and returns…
Paula Roegge
The Target ones are cute, but I say go for the quality and get the Wellies! I love red boots, so you will be styling in these for a long time to come! Plus I def. think taller is better.
erin
does anyone know of a pair of rainboots with a wide calf??
my calves are on the thicker side (which i hate and am self-conscious about) so i usually don’t even bother with trying on boots- but as some from the chicago suburbs i do need them!
p.s. i REALLY wanted to go to renegade- it would have been my first time but just couldn’t because of the weather.
how was it???
Maryanne
Hi, Erin. Hunter has the wider and shorter calf variant. It’s called Huntress. Many women say that it’s actually more comfortable.
Jenny!
uhhh…
http://www.whatapair.com/wp~aspx~iid_CA-ZIGZAG1509~dim1_RUB~dim2_Multi~pw~itemDetail.htm
Jenny!
i bought these yesterday & love them to death
they’re covered in black & white zigzags, you might love them, too
rena
i quite love my hunter rain boots; i purchased them last year at akira here in chicago, and got a size down from what i normally wear…
elizabeth
must.have.the red-soled pair at target. must.
I would never have thought your current pair was pink! They look pale yellow or something. But you are right… they blend right into your legs! Not a good look- even though they’re for mud-slogging.
Sara
Go for the Wellies! I had a pair of the Target ones, and the second time I wore them for splashing in Chicago puddles (our street corner sidewalks seem particularly bad at getting too big to jump over) they cracked. So they are no longer waterproof. If you have to pay $25 everytime it rains, that will add up quickly. You can definitely find the wellies for sale prices places, and they are gooood.
Corie
I say splurge on the Wellies! OR get a few pairs of the Target ones for variety! :)
What font is that, the one you used for Hunter Wellingtons and Target Rain Boots? I LOVE it!
Clementine Cassie
Believe it or not, LL Bean has some pretty adorable ones for fall–but they’re also mid-calf height, I believe:
http://tinyurl.com/59c46d
(I had to tinyurl-it because the LL Bean link was huge!)
amy purple
NEVER MIND – apparently shipping is included in the price!
amy purple
They have a lot of adorable rainboots here, but i’m not sure if they’re knee length…
http://www.plueysmanila.com
The only downfall is it’s not from the USA, so shipping might be a bit much.
Maryanne
Amy Purple, you can buy Plueys here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230432934312
I myself live in Manila so I bought my Argyle Crush Plueys from the Plueys Manila site, and shipping anywhere within Metro Manila is free and takes only a day. Plueys are adorable.
Now I also have navy Hunter wellies, and I love them!
Joy
Flying the United Jack, I have to say go for the Hunters. You will look super duper daaaaahling. Hunters are the high class boots in Britain, favoured by proper country folk who own landrovers, but they are definitely cook for city chic too.
PS I LOVE your blog, I have been re-reading all your all posts and lurking for a while now. It’s beautiful.
Birdie
I have the Tretorn Skerry that I bought last year and they leak already (small rips where boot flexes by the toes). I am really pissed. My only problem with the tall boots is that I have large calves and nothing fits! I honestly wouldn’t spend a lot on rubber boots – I mean, they’re just rubber boots.
Jaime
I say splurge on a pair of Orla Kiely wellies, they’re too cute not to splurge on!!!
http://www.edressme.com/dmsa8e-180.html
theycallmered
I have a pair of wellies from Target. Beware that they do run a bit big. I normally wear a 7.5/8 (more often an 8). I bought size 7’s and am quite happy that I did.
Shannon
I splurged on Wellies and have been happy ever since. I wasted money on some Marc by Marc Jacobs ones and have considered the J Crew ones, but the real Hunter Wellies are actually comfortable, and I know from comfort as a San Franciscan who walks up and down hills every day! You won’t be sorry.
MrsMisener
Go with Hunter (QUALITY). The Target boots will fall apart and are a complete waste of money!
Jessica
I’m jumping on the Hunter Wellington bandwagon. Red, yum.
Making it Lovely
Ooh, just saw these: Hunter Festival Tall Boots.
JB
I got mine at LL Bean a few springs ago when cute rainboots were still a scarcity. They have seasonal patterns now and their fall assortment is very cute! http://tinyurl.com/68vy2y
Valentina
I absolutely love the Hunter Wellington… indeed I *heart* red shoes in general!
Amy
Check out Chooka too!
Jen
Romika had some very cool gumboots available a couple of years ago. I saw them in Germany but also online; they might not have been available in the US though.
amy
hunter all the way! I just blogged about this too recently!!! :)
erin
i love the hunter wellies – esp because they are so tall.
and definitely get the socks for those colder chicago days.
Kim
I have the red polka dot ones from Target and I LOVE them. They have a nice size adjustment strap at the top so you can wear em loose and with plenty of room to tuck in jeans, etc., or nice n tight so they don’t flop around all that much.
Comfy comfy! I say go Target! The midcalf length ain’t all that bad!
H R Scarlett
I’d like to cast my vote for the Hunter Wellies, all the way-
I own 2 pair- a red pair for wandering and a green pair for dirty work.
I say splurge- they are super durable, but also comfortable- I recommend getting either the Hunter wellie socks or the felt inserts for warmth…and definitely something cushiony for the sole.
stephanie
JCrew! They have so many cute ones.
Gina
A friend & I have been agonizing over this same decision. The Target ones are so much cuter (not to mention much cheaper!) but we really want them to come up higher near the knee. Please post what you find!!
arawa
I do not know if they are still available, but I love my Orla Kiely rain boots. The bonus is that they are warmly lined which (also being a Chicagoan) makes them great for the colder rainy weather we can experience here.
Lor
I would love a pair of the Hunters Wellies too! Here in Scotland it rains a lot so I also need to go shopping for some new ones soon. Our local Cath Kidston store does some nice ones.
anh-minh
I am also a fan of Tretorn’s rubber boots.
callie
The target rain boots are much more comfortable being mid calf. I have worn mine out! I also have the others, which make bending the ankle a bit more cramped, notice the target boots flare a bit on top where the knee height do not. or maybe you can find some that do …. but i wear my target ones more because of the difficulting bending my foot in the others going up and down stairs (i live on the 4th floor at the moment & the L stairs) cg
M&Co
I have Le chameau, and I couldn’t be more happy…love the traditional look!
Vivianne
Have you seen those at ASOS? It’s from UK though.
http://www.asos.com/Asos/Asos-Skull-Printed-Wellie-Boot/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=321981&cid=4172&clr=Black&Rf-100=Boots&sh=0
Cayenne
I have been eying the original Hunter Wellington too. Thanks so much for the links to where you can buy them in the US. I have been hesitant to purchase from the UK store in case I got the sizing wrong.
Lee
I love Tretorn’s Skerry Vinter boots.
Making it Lovely
Jen, I’m keeping my current boots for their intended purpose: as garden boots. That way they can get super dirty and I’ll still have my nice shiny-clean new wellies to wear in the rain. :)
Paige
I was JUST wishing for some rain boots this morning in preparation for the fall! I can’t wait to see what sort of suggestions you receive!
jen
Instead of pitching the fleshtoned wellies once new ones are bought, have you considered personalizing/decorating them yourself? Its one of those projects that I consider, and never really follow through on.
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