I quite like wellies, and bought a cheap pair of Dunlops at Sports Direct a few months ago. They seem to be holding up well, but I saw a pair that cost over £100, and am wondering what the difference is.

Anyone on here wear extremely expensive wellies? What is the difference?

Weight, warmth, flexibility.
Got some pretty lightweight Dunlop at home and some cheap, cold steelies at work. Next work wellies will be the Dunlop ones that have the thick sole. Wear them too much for crap boots.

Muckboots etc are easily over £90 a pair. Sounds like crazy money but they look comfy and insulating with the neoprene uppers.

My cheapo ones give me really sore feet if I walk in them for more than 15min so I’d be interested in first hand experience of the more expensive ones. Need something reliable for winter dog walking duties.

What about durability of the rubber? Do cheap ones split more easily?

There has only ever been one decent wellie worth owning, and I have owned more than most since I typically spend 90% of my working days wearing the damn things. Unfortunately they are no longer made other than in a safety version which is cold and uncomfortable compared to the original.

Best wellie ever… the Dunlop Suretread

These were legendary boots with fantastic all day comfort, warm, hard wearing and great grip. Why they stopped production I will never know. Current wellies are OK but I have already worn a hole in one of them and they don’t have half the grip of the suretreads.

Toggi are bloody good – nice light pair for summer/autumn and a neoprene lined pair for winter – both under £50 via Amazon

Having just spent the day in my new Muckboots, beating and driving Pheasants and Partidges to their fate, I can honestly say the boots are well worth the £85 I paid for them.

Warm, flexible, stout and very comfy. IME, cheap wellies are none of the above.

cost over £100, and am wondering what the difference is.

The label.
And the fashion victims who are silly enough to pay £100 for WELLIES (and then convince themselves they are getting something better for the money).

The label.
And the fashion victims who are silly enough to pay £100 for WELLIES (and then convince themselves they are getting something better for the money).

What should someone pay for wellies? I walk 8-12 miles a day in mine 7 days a week. They cost about £80, but have lasted two years so far. I doubt the green ones with the frogs eyes on the front for £10 would have lasted so long or my feet wouldn’t have lasted that long in them.

Agreed, buy a pair of cheap wellies for doing the garden or occasional jumping in puddles, but I see a decent pair of wellies just like a decent pair of any kind of boots.

I work in construction in the Highlands. Dunlop Purofort all the way.

Agreed, buy a pair of cheap wellies for doing the garden or occasional jumping in puddles, but I see a decent pair of wellies just like a decent pair of any kind of boots.

Agreed.

Dez, I’m assuming that you ride a £99 special in £2.99 plimsolls. 😉

Dunlops, wear them all day at work. Can’t grumble. 😀

Got a pair of Grubs the other day and they are great, had some Seelands before that, 14 months and they sprung a leak.

Best wellies I ever had were NCB (National Coal Board) ones. Steel toe caps & steel under the foot arch & ribs up the front. Rode motorbike trials for years in them well before Gaerne & Scott leather ones came out.
The best thing about them were….I got them for freeeee!

EDIT, they were probably Dunlops but not sure.

esselgruntfuttock… those were the same Dunlop ones I am referring to above, but the safety ones (which you can still get).

Waderider, I am now also using the Purofort ones, but as I said above the grip on muddy welsh hillsides is sometimes lacking and the material is so soft it tends to tear or puncture very easily.

I have tried the neoprene ones (muckboots) but find them too hot for day to day use and far to bulky and tall. They also have poor tread

Trials wellies 😆 brilliant things, two pairs of socks and could ride all day in them.

DezB – Member
cost over £100, and am wondering what the difference is.
The label.
And the fashion victims who are silly enough to pay £100 for WELLIES (and then convince themselves they are getting something better for the money).

🙄
I guess every item of footwear you own cost £5 from a local market stall?
Sure you can pay £150-200 for really fancy boots, but £85 for Muckboots excessive? I don’t think so, in fact I reckon they’re the best value boots I’ve ever owned! I can easily do an eight, nine or ten mile walk in mine, they’re warm and very comfy, especially with the neoprene booties I bought to wear inside, meaning I only need a pair of thin socks on.
Fabulous boots, and huge thanks to whoever it was first recommended them a couple of years or so ago.
I bought mine from Uttings, a really good outdoor goods supplier.
Looking at Uttings page, the range of Muckboots has really dropped down although they’ve got the Chore boots, with steeliness and a steel shank, but they do have Grub boots, which are very similar:
http://www.uttings.co.uk/p115742-grubs-eskline-8-5-wellington-boots-unisex-green-gesk-grn/#.VEwJRoikqK0
I really love my Tays, I hope they last a good few years.
Right, Muckboots have their own UK site, these are probably the nearest to Tays:
http://www.muckbootco.co.uk/product/Mens-Wetland-premium-field-boot-WET-998K/MENS

and then convince themselves they are getting something better for the money

Oh, hit a nerve with a few eh? 😆 MUGS!

It’s almost as if HE is still with us. Should we start a debate about marketing of helmets? That would really set HIM off……

Voldemort?

No. I speak of a good person. Sadly missed, especially from threads about Scotchish rugby! 🙂

I’m not arguing 🙂

I wanted something nice and comfortable for dog walking, and after a lot of research ended up looking at Toggi Columbus Leather Country boots. £95 new, but I found a twice worn pair on ebay for £50. Leather, goretex, warm, comfortable. Love them to bits.

Yes you are! Now, did you pay for the full session, or just a five minute argument?

I’ve got a pair of aigle parkours (sp?) that were given to me as a thank you from a paying guest for spotting them the best drive on one of my mates shoots, previously I used to happily wear my karrimor cheapy branded wellies but I must admit the aigles are just head and shoulders so much nicer to spend all day inside. I guess it’s like everything else, including cycling gear….. There’s nowt wrong with dhb gear from wiggle…….till you try Rapha or castelli.

In the spirit of full disclosure;
Le Chameau Vierzonord. Worn for days shooting, walking, following on foot, car washing, gardening, whatever.

I wanted something nice and comfortable for dog walking, and after a lot of research ended up looking at Toggi Columbus Leather Country boots. £95 new, but I found a twice worn pair on ebay for £50. Leather, goretex, warm, comfortable. Love them to bits.

And that has what to do with a thread about wellies? 😕

Everything, Dez, because waterproof boots, of a similar style to what you think of as wellies, are also made of leather; oddly enough, just like the boots the Duke of Wellington would have worn, because they didn’t have Vulcanised rubber or plastic or neoprene in the 19th Century.
And this may come as a bit of a shock, but quality is very rarely cheap. If you’re daft enough to walk ten miles or so across country in foul conditions wearing a pair of wellies costing £10 or so, you deserve the blisters you’re almost certain to get.
I have pair of regular type wellies bought for a tenner or so from a builders merchants; great in the garden, or a building site, but out walking? Good God no! They were horribly uncomfortable and left me almost unable to walk back to the car after a couple of miles.
I’m not a mug, as you like to think, I like a bargain as much as anyone, but I’m prepared to pay a reasonable price to avoid ending up weeping in pain.

Just realised I’ve had my Hunters since I was 16 – still going strong after 28 Years – not a bad investment….

Muck Boots Derwents here – big fan

Only problem is if you wear them for long periods (like 5 hours plus) they can get sweaty, but that’s because they’re 100% waterproof and not breathable.

But for 99.5% of uses they’re truly excellent. They warm and comfy

Got mine from fleabay a month or so ago (search wyre Valley muckboots) for around £42 delivered. Nicely fully neoprene lined and comfy for 3-4 mile dog walks. Only complaint is that thy seem VERY wide fitting and I have to wear a couple of pairs of thick socks.

I’m a Muckboots Mug 🙂 and very happy to be!

I spent 10 years buying cheap wellies two or three times a year, convinced that I wouldn’t spend more than £20 on wellies.

Then in a moment of madness I ordered a pair of Muckboots – they are amazing, warm, comfy, totally waterproof and heading into their third Scottish winter.