Where to get decent wellies?

[Huge]

https://www.lbcboots.com/webshop/full-length-boots/farmer-hoof-proof/

These. Revolutionary. Not cheap. Very comfortable. Wear duration surprisingly well. - no shank so don't jump on sharp things (eg garden fork) but otherwise fine for standing on rocks/edges etc. the hoofproof linked above has the equivalent of a toe cap and you can kick rocks quite happily.

Really makes a massive difference being so much lighter than any other wellie. Every time you lift your foot you feel it! I've had a pair for 2 years - caving perhaps 1/month.

"The introduction of vibrant colours provides a delightfully cheerful and upbeat alternative to the conventional wellington boot, bringing a sense of joy, spontaneity, and adventure into our customers' daily routines. These boots are versatile enough to complement any outfit"

I'm sold!

 

[Huge]

Looks like there's a few stockists near me. I'll phone around and see what they've got available.

 

[caving_fox]

These do sound good - however they seem to have somd kind of fabric liner

How thick is the liner material? What is the material? Im concerned it would become very damp and skanky after wearing for multiple days in a row...

Not thick. Like a coarse wool. drains well. Would be damp after multiple days. But not necessarily skanky. It is a separate linear and optional. You would probably want a smaller boot if you weren't going to use it.

I should get commission!

 

[Cantclimbtom]

.... I have noticed the softer soled wellies have caused problems in bruising and tenderness on longer trips..

For me, adding gel insoles fixes that

 

[nobrotson]

Not thick. Like a coarse wool. drains well. Would be damp after multiple days. But not necessarily skanky. It is a separate linear and optional. You would probably want a smaller boot if you weren't going to use it

So you can remove the liner? Does this mean you'd have to cut into it? Or it can be taken on and off?

 

[caving_fox]

So you can remove the liner? Does this mean you'd have to cut into it? Or it can be taken on and off?

It's like a big sock. Completely removable.

 

[Huge]

For me, adding gel insoles fixes that

Only a partial improvement for me.

 

[pwhole]

I always wear a pair of football shinpads down my wellies too, being a fairly rough caver. They've saved my legs from injury several times for less than a tenner.

 

[TheBitterEnd]

These https://www.screwfix.com/p/hunter-balmoral-adjustable-size-9-dark-olive-non-safety-wellies/530xw
are reduced price and vegan apparently

however it says "Sole Not Liquid-Resistant" which seems to undermine the point of a welly

 

[Fulk]

I think that you missed the most important point, Chris – i.e. the price, a cool £200 (as near as dammit)!!!!!

 

[Cantclimbtom]

These https://www.screwfix.com/p/hunter-balmoral-adjustable-size-9-dark-olive-non-safety-wellies/530xw
are reduced price and vegan apparently

however it says "Sole Not Liquid-Resistant" which seems to undermine the point of a welly

Look at the heel, they're for horse riding

Fulk: I think that you missed the most important point, Chris – i.e. the price, a cool £200 (as near as dammit)!!!!!

Bargain!

 

[AlexR]

Quick warning about EVA wellies:
The are super light and very comfortable BUT
I’ve gone off them a bit after a pretty new pair got sliced on a not overly sharp rock and I had to MacGyver the below for the full day march out of the cave.
As I learned a tear in EVA wellies will propagate quite easily!

Also, they tend to be a single piece of moulded EVA and unfortunately that makes the sole a little more slippery than other wellies.

Wellies made out of polyurethane are the best of both worlds being comfortable, hard wearing and reasonably light. I’m sure you saw the downside coming - they’re fairly expensive.

I don’t think paying extra for comfort is really worth it for UK caving as you just don’t do enough walking, it’s totally worth it for “lots of walking” continental caves and/ or if you have a dog I end up wearing wellies for at least 3 months of the year.

 

[BigDyl]

Dunlop pricemaster. Cheap and cheerful.

 

[Pitlamp]

The other day I noticed a pair of wellies for sale for £6 in the window of the former Penyghent Cafe at Horton. They look like size 8 or 9 Actiforts. Probably used but likely to be OK for caving.

 

[Pitlamp]

Sorry; meant to post this pic with the above note.

 

[alastairgott]

Screwfix size 9 wellies. Lots of choice. Two outlets within 5 miles of me, YMMV. Toolstation are probably much the same.

The cheapest screwfix steel toe cap wellies should be treated with caution. I go for the cheapest plain wellies from screwfix - but one up if I’m going for steelies.

I found the rubber on the cheapest steelies perish, and therefore lasted less time than the standard.

 

[Tritim230]

I got feed up with the toe-cap breaking through and eventually parting from my Dunlop Acifort. A few months ago I invested in Stanley Ottawa Safety Wellington from Toolstation - not cheap and the heel has a protrusion (presumably for helping you get the boot off) which can be a little irritating for getting stuck in tight rifts. The liner is useless so I replaced with Yakka - again not cheap. That said, they are lasting much better than the Dunlop and are extremely comfortable. I wouldn't wear anything else other than safety boots for the caving we do - hard and long - and the investment is small compared with the oversuits we get through. On the subject of which, my Warmbac Digger is wearing well. A few more trips needed before I can judge whether it out performs the Landjoff Cordura Extreme.

 

[darren]

I have been in conversation with Dunlop about wellies. The Dunlop Acifort yellow strip wellies are indeed discontinued. They made some suggestions about alternatives

I inquired if the same rubber compound was used on any other of their welly soles. Didn't get an answer.

The final answer from Dunlop was

Thank you for contacting us at Dunlop Boots UK and thank you for your patience!

They do not have the same outsole.
The ‘old’ Heavy Duty had an SRA rated outsole – the Jobguard has an SRC rated outsole.

Oh well worth a try.

 

[ChrisB]

The ‘old’ Heavy Duty had an SRA rated outsole – the Jobguard has an SRC rated outsole.

That seems a positive change: to be rated SRC they have to meet SRA and SRB.

 

[andrewmcleod]

Although apparently to reach SRA/SRB (reaching both = SRC), boots tend to have a larger contact area (since the tests are about slippery surfaces like stainless steel covered in glycol) and therefore often fewer/less deep cleats, so may actually be worse on loose material (like gravel/mud)...