Wellies / rain boots advice

thehungrytroglobite

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
Hi all,

Wondering if anyone has advice for good rain boots or wellies. Walking boots are rubbish for when I want to easily slip some shoes on to go to the shop, and have to walk through a shin-deep lake to get there. Since I live in the Dales full time now and the rain never seems to stop, I figure it's worth investing in a good pair.
I'm looking for shoes that are:
- Comfortable and fit my feet well (ie. don't have lots of gaps and give me blisters)
- FULLY waterproof
- Good grip / traction for wet grass, muddy paths, wet limestone, etc.

I've heard fubuki's are great for a comfort + warmth perspective, but most people I know use them in polar regions in the snow, so I'm not sure how good they are on wet grass / mud. A lot of wellies I find very uncomfortable so something with a bit more padding on the inside would be great.

I will NOT be taking these caving, they are explicitly for outside Dales use!
 
I

Ian Ball

Well-known member
Use insoles for added comfort, no welly is water proof without a gator or similar., get the waders on.

I am a very big fan of the Etche wellies.
 
JasonC

JasonC

Well-known member
I have Etche wellies and they're good, the only downside is that they're a bit of a sod getting on and off, being unlined. A good boot-jack makes all the difference though.
 
ZombieCake

ZombieCake

Well-known member
Barbour wellies are very good, well made, and padded, at least the 'Tempest' ones are. Not cheap, but you can tell the difference between them and the cheap £10-£20 ones. Not for cave use though.
 
JAshley73

JAshley73

Member
Do you all have Lagrange brand boots in the UK? I just went through a round of rain boot shopping, and was really pleased with the Lagrange boots. Pricey, but much nicer feeling than cheap rain boots, and honestly not bad looking either.
 
AlexR

AlexR

Active member
A good insole turns wellies into perfectly serviceable walking boots.
I use a pair of Dunlop Acifort, all my dog walking since around October has been in them, regularly in the 10km region with an average of ca. 40km per week. Only thing I don't like is the sweaty feeling, but that is intrinsic to wellies. Wish I could tell you what the insoles are, but I've walked the brand marking off them and don't remember where I got them. Probably means it's time for a new pair.
Grip: perfectly fine, biggest problem is the ground; once you're effectively walking up a mud slope only spikes will give you actual traction. Lately some forest walks have been right sloppy, see picture attached.
IMG_5695.jpeg


Got a pair of Etche wellies for caving but would not use them for non-caving, I find getting them on and off too annoying.

For more than 10km or so in the winter & wet conditions thin neoprene socks in trainers are a better option for me.

Every now and then I find myself tempted by the neoprene-incorporating wellies for £££, but can never bring myself to fork our for them.
 
thehungrytroglobite

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
AlexR said:
A good insole turns wellies into perfectly serviceable walking boots.
I use a pair of Dunlop Acifort, all my dog walking since around October has been in them, regularly in the 10km region with an average of ca. 40km per week. Only thing I don't like is the sweaty feeling, but that is intrinsic to wellies. Wish I could tell you what the insoles are, but I've walked the brand marking off them and don't remember where I got them. Probably means it's time for a new pair.
Grip: perfectly fine, biggest problem is the ground; once you're effectively walking up a mud slope only spikes will give you actual traction. Lately some forest walks have been right sloppy, see picture attached.
View attachment 18219

Got a pair of Etche wellies for caving but would not use them for non-caving, I find getting them on and off too annoying.

For more than 10km or so in the winter & wet conditions thin neoprene socks in trainers are a better option for me.

Every now and then I find myself tempted by the neoprene-incorporating wellies for £££, but can never bring myself to fork our for them.
Click to expand...
what are neoprene incorporating wellies?
 
JAshley73

JAshley73

Member
thehungrytroglobite said:
what is the benefit of them? surely the neoprene absorbs water rather than keeping it out?
Click to expand...
I believe comfort. They fit tighter around the calves, and don't "flop" around like full-rubber boots would.



thehungrytroglobite said:
side note: I like your chicken
Click to expand...
Thanks, that's "Rose." She's our rescue. A little too timid for her own good, but sweet enough, and her eggs taste delicious. :ROFLMAO:
 
JoshW

JoshW

Well-known member
Isn’t neoprene waterproof? Hence how you can get dry suits and semi dry wetsuits made of them.

It’s the seals that let the water in. So with taped/waterproofed seams those boots would have combined comfort and waterproofing.
 
thehungrytroglobite

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
JoshW said:
Isn’t neoprene waterproof? Hence how you can get dry suits and semi dry wetsuits made of them.

It’s the seals that let the water in. So with taped/waterproofed seams those boots would have combined comfort and waterproofing.
Click to expand...
hmm then why do my wet socks / wetsuit absorb water so well?
 
F

Fulk

Well-known member
what is the benefit of them? surely the neoprene absorbs water rather than keeping it out?
Click to expand...

Well, I assume that these boots are lined with neoprene on the inside, with an external waterproof rubber outer – so the neoprene never gets the chance to absorb water unless you walk through water that comes over the top of them.
 
JoshW

JoshW

Well-known member
thehungrytroglobite said:
hmm then why do my wet socks / wetsuit absorb water so well?
Click to expand...
I’ve never quite worked out the answer to why wetsuits take so long to dry if they’re made of a waterproof material. Always assumed it was down to a lining type issue.

I feel like someone on this forum will be able to provide more info than I can..
 
S

sn

Member
JoshW said:
I’ve never quite worked out the answer to why wetsuits take so long to dry if they’re made of a waterproof material. Always assumed it was down to a lining type issue.

I feel like someone on this forum will be able to provide more info than I can..
Click to expand...
I thought the idea of a wetsuit is that it traps a thin layer of water next to the skin which is warmed by the body, but as it's not being constantly flushed out and replaced (unless your suit is too loose), there is a warming effect. Not sure of the point of neoprene wellies!
 
D

dougle89

Member
AlexR said:
A good insole turns wellies into perfectly serviceable walking boots.
I use a pair of Dunlop Acifort, all my dog walking since around October has been in them, regularly in the 10km region with an average of ca. 40km per week. Only thing I don't like is the sweaty feeling, but that is intrinsic to wellies. Wish I could tell you what the insoles are, but I've walked the brand marking off them and don't remember where I got them. Probably means it's time for a new pair.
Grip: perfectly fine, biggest problem is the ground; once you're effectively walking up a mud slope only spikes will give you actual traction. Lately some forest walks have been right sloppy, see picture attached.
View attachment 18219

Got a pair of Etche wellies for caving but would not use them for non-caving, I find getting them on and off too annoying.

For more than 10km or so in the winter & wet conditions thin neoprene socks in trainers are a better option for me.

Every now and then I find myself tempted by the neoprene-incorporating wellies for £££, but can never bring myself to fork our for them.
Click to expand...
I bought a pair of neoprene welly liners off amazon for £10 for in my actiforts. They're comfy for walking and srt and most of all my feet are toasty when worn with a pair of merino socks underneath and the boots are flooded.

Bison NEW NEOPRENE WATERPROOF... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0060J8ME6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
 
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