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