Le Chameau Vierzon Vibram: the best dog walking wellies ever?

I am forever on a quest to find the ultimate dog walking boot; So when Le Chameau sent me a pair of their Vierzon Vibram rubber boots I put them through some rigorous testing.

Just opening the box and unveiling these boots is a pleasant experience in itself, they look and smell amazing; perhaps I have a latent rubber fetish! They are beautifully packaged, but I couldn’t wait to get them wet and muddy. I wear them with a pair of long woollen boot socks and the fit with these is snug, but not tight, and you feel ready for a good walk. The also look the part, worn with a pair of denim jeans and a wax jacket. The bad weather is your friend when you’re wearing these.

Since the beginning of December, it has been extremely wet and boggy where I usually walk, so I’ve temporarily retired the LCX lace-ups and worn these exclusively since. I’ve worn them for 12 hour stretches and walked over 15 miles in them on one occasion, and I’ve found them to be comfortable, stable and a really excellent country walking boot. I’ve found that when worn with a woollen sock, inner wetness from sweat is kept to a minimum and isn’t really noticeable, which for a rubber boot is impressive. I haven’t really used the expandable gusset as the calf fit for me seems ideal at full size.

So far in the 10 weeks of wear I’ve covered 450 miles in these and fully expect to get another 450 at least. At first the difference in feel from the LCX was noticeable, but these rubber boots fit like a glove and are eminently capable. I have recommended them to several friends and will continue to do so. My 4 year old son loves the fact that they match his Petite Aventure Le Chameau boots. For comfort, dryness, support, wading depth, excellent grip from the Vibram sole, ease of putting on and taking off and style and panache, I don’t think there’s a rubber boot on the market to beat these.

My Favourite Boot Socks

I've tried several makes, lengths and types of socks to wear in my boots and wellies.
I wear them for warmth, for cushioning and for a snug fit in the boot. I've had some highly technical ones which have to be worn on a particular foot and I've been disappointed, particularly with durability. Some expensive socks, went thin and then wore through at the heel after only a few wears and a couple of washes.

Last month, Webury sent me two pairs of their Countryman Long Wool Boot Socks to try (https://www.webury.com/products/the-countryman-long-wool-boot-sock) . Just holding them in your hands, you get an impression of how thick and squishy they are, and how comfortable they will be - they are 70% wool, 30% nylon.
They go on with ease and for my size (10) they are a perfect fit and the sock goes right up to the knee, so with a pair of hunting trousers on or even jeans, your feet and legs are cushioned and kept toasty-warm. In wear they give me a really snug fit in a pair of size 10.5 Le Chameau Verzion, keep me warm and comfortable even for a full 12 hours' of wear on a film shoot. Surprisingly, these socks don't get as sweaty in a rubber boot as others do, I think that is down to the high wool content, in fact after a full day's wear they are virtually bone dry.

I machine wash them on a wool cycle and they've neither lost their shape, or thickness and I'm really pleased with them. I'd recommend these boot socks to anyone.

The Ultimate Year Round Dog Walking Boot?

When you walk around 70 miles a week with your dog in the English countryside you need hardwearing and waterproof boots. I've tried and worn out wellies from £7 to £150, hiking boots of leather, Goretex and other textiles, hiking type trainers and Dr Martens. These all have their pros and cons, and are useable in their own way, but I've always liked my rubber wellington boot, especially in the winter.

Then Le Chameau introduced the Chameau-Lite LCX lace up boot, and two years ago they sent me a pair to try. They were a game changer for me.

The Chameau-Lite has a tough leather upper available in two heights - 10 and 12 inch and a Michelin designed sole which proved to not only have excellent grip but amazing longevity too (over 1200 miles in one pair with plenty of life left in them.

The LCX lining is designed to be both waterproof and breathable - a claim I've heard many a time for different textiles, but is usually unsubstantiated. However, the LCX lining works. I've waded through icy streams in the winter, and completed 22 mile hikes on a hot summer's day and on no occasion did I get a damp sock, not through sweat or water ingress. I've never known a boot achieve that before, wellies don't let water in, but on a hot day they can get a wee bit sweaty! It's an impressive feat for a watertight leather boot to be able to let moisture out.

Not only are these boots waterproof beyond any expectations, they're extremely light, sturdy, supportive, and highly wearable. I used to wear trainers to drive and then change into my boots before setting out on a walk, but I live in these! Their lightweight characteristic means you really don't feel like you're wearing a boot and 12 hours of continuous wear is common for me.

Usually I tuck my jeans or hunting/walking trousers into them, and there's plenty of room in the ankle section to allow for this, but they also look great with your jeans over the top, it just depends how deep you're likely to be paddling! In the 12" high boots, you've got quite some depth to play with too, virtually as much as with a rubber wellington.

The Chameau-Lites didn't need any breaking in, they're comfortable from the word go. As a UK size 10 foot normally, I've found the 9.5 to be an excellent fit with ordinary socks and 10.5 perfect if you like wearing a thicker sock in addition to your usual ones. I've never had a blister and find the fit to be perfect for me.

Left is a picture of the tread pattern, I've found it doesn't clog and gives great grip on practically any surface and it gives you a sure footed confidence on even the most slippery terrain. And if your on-lead dog sees a squirrel you can dig your heels in and not get dragged through a hedge!

If you're serious about your walking and I think 2500-3000 miles walked a year classes as serious, then it's worth investing in some serious footwear that is not only stylish and confortable but which looks after your feet and lets you get the best out of your hobby. Walking with dogs is my hobby and the price of a proper pair of boots like these still makes it one of the cheapest leisure activities there is. When you're confident that you won't have wet socks or indeed be desparate to to take the boots off at the end of a long day's walking with your hound, they're worth every penny.

To ensure the best life out of them and also to maintain the suppleness of the leather uppers and the waterproofing, I treated them about every four weeks with Granger's G Wax, after cleaning them in warm water.

I still like a pair of wellies every now and then, but for me now, these are the ultimate walking boot, whether it's a walk in the woods, across fields or up Snowdon (see photo below) these boots will not let you down! For more information and to buy click here.

The Best Wellies and Boots for Walking the Dog.

I've been a keen walker since being a young boy, and walking my dogs for a few years now, a terrier first and I now have a black Labrador, and as she's grown and her need for exercise has increased so has the demand on my feet and knees. Below are some constructive reviews on the boots and wellies I've tried over the years. Apart from one notable exception, I've not come across a bad boot yet, but boots that are good with in the range of the demands you put on them.

Dunlop Rapido - around £8 a pair online.

I bought these after an old pair of steel toe capped Dunlops gave up the ghost and I was on a tight budget at the time having just started a family. At seven quid when I bought them, these looked like a bargain, and they were. My terrier got a 20 minute off lead walk around the local fields before work, one at lunch time and then another longer road walk in the evening. These wellies were comfy, kept my feet dry from wet grass and puddles and lasted nearly 12 months before I could feel every last pebble through the worn soles! There is plenty of room in these boots for big calf muscles, and they're easy to slip on and off without the need for a boot jack. For walking about a mile to a mile and half a day on soft terrain, they're pretty unbeatable if I'm honest. On hot days your feet will get a little sweaty though!

After my Rapidos were consigned to the dustbin, I had a look around as I now had the black lab and we were starting to walk a little further. At a half price sale offer of £14.99 I got myself a pair of...

Karrimor Men's Wellingtons - RRP £39.99

These boots looked great when they arrived, however they were incredibly tight around the calf muscles and the right boot split down the rear seam after three mornings. It might have been my calves being to big for them, but mine aren't that large, so this is an exceptionally small boot. I returned them, got a refund and went out and got a pair of...

Asda Men'sWellies  - £12.50

These are the wellington boot of choice of David Cameron if the press are to be believed! They look pretty similar to the Dunlop Rapidos and they are, if you don't want to wear thick socks with them, I'd be inclined to try a size smaller than usual. By this stage my Labrador was walking 3 miles with me each morning, and the same or often more in the evening, and with these wellies I was starting to feel it in the knees, the pounding on mixed terrain of gravel paths, tow paths and packed soil woodland routes was taking its toll. I honestly thought I was going to have ease back on the walking but instead decided to do some research into what was available wellie wise for the serious dog walker! My research and a chat with a friend who worked at an equine supplies store led me to invest in a pair of...

Le Chameau Country Vibram (Jersey) - around £90 - £100

I'd decided it was time to commit to a pair of decent wellies and I'll admit, I liked the cachet and the idea of owning a pair of Le Chameaus - often called the Rolls Royce of wellies. These boots have a Vibram sole, a sole often found on the best walking boots and renowned for technical specification and durability. I took a pair of my thick socks with me and although a size 10, it was the size 10.5 that fitted me best. I paid £95 but had to drive to get them so £100 online is a decent deal.
These boots are Jersey lined rather than the warmer neoprene, but I wore them in the depths of January and my feet were never cold. The level of grip you get from the Vibram soles is great on mud, snow, clay, in fact anything I threw at them. Over the next 6 months I walked around 1200 miles in these boots in absolute comfort, and I would recommend these to any one who does even a moderate amount of country walking. Stylish too, they look the part as well as doing the job. Oh, you'll probably need to invest in a boot jack too, to ge these off easily, and you can pick these up for around a fiver on eBay.

My appetite for the Le Chameau brand whetted, my next pair to try were the...

Condor LCX Zip - around £290
These are pretty much the ultimate welly! Leather and suede, hand made, ultra comfortable fluffy lining which will keep your feet warm up to -20 degrees! Amazingly they don't sweat in warm weather either.These boots have quite a lot of ankle support too, especially for a wellington, and have proved great for tramping through fields, forests, streams, even up mountains. The Michelin sole has great grip and is made of quite a tough compound, after 500 miles, they are showing very little wear. Being made of leather they need a little care, and keeping clean to maximise their lifespan. Designed for someone who lives, works and plays in a wet, muddy country environment, the LCX Zip delivers. Quick and easy to put on, thanks to the zip, and so comofrtable you can wear them all day and your feet don't feel tired, or sweaty! They're pricey, but for the serious dog walker, who values their feet and knees, they're definitely worth it.

Barbour Bede - £64.95

Proper, standard, green wellies from Barbour. They are comfortable, in my case once I'd worn them in a little and best worn with some thick socks. They have a good, traditional wellington boot tread on them which gives great grip in mud and on wet grass. They've also got a clever rubber "spur" on the heels which makes getting them off without a boot jack possible. There's bags of room in these boots and they do have an adjustment strap on them so that you can get the best fit. I've done 3 mile walks in these comfortably, but wouldn't want walk in them all day. Perfect for the casual walker who does a couple of miles normally and may be a bigger walk at weekends. As you'd expect from Barbour, they are brilliant quality.

To summarise, it's a case of horses for courses, and of budget! The Dunlop and Barbour are perfect for the shorter walks, but for anyone doing more than 2 miles at stint (3 in the Barbour) you're going to want the Le Chameau Country Vibram. For those of you who, like me, will do 6 miles on a low walking day and 16 on a weekend, you may find that the Condor LCX Zip are an extremly worthwhile investment. Walking my dog is my main hobby, and spending a little extra to be comfortable, warm, dry and provide the best possible cushioning for my feet and knees is cash well spent in my opinion. I can only comment on the boots I've tried and worn extensively. I'm currently putting a pair of Condor LCX lace-ups through their paces... more on these in another blog post.