Welly Love: Why Hunter Boots Are The Most Versatile Boots

Have you ever heard the phrase “Good Maritime Weather,” and wondered what it meant? If you have, I am here to tell you. Maritime weather is the kind that gives you whiplash as you try to follow the low pressure system across your driveway in the morning—that’s how fast this shit changes. In the run of a week here in Halifax, we can have everything from +10 and sunny to 30 mm of rain, and then nose-dive to -25 with the wind chill and 20cm of snow on the ground during the winter months. Fun, right? *Sigh*

Finding jackets and boots that can get me through a Maritime winter and its MANY ups and downs, slush, and salt is important, but it’s also damn near impossible.

Two years ago for Christmas, my parents bought me a pair of Hunter boots in Original Black Gloss. I’m a big fan of wellies, and this pair was no exception. A bit more grown up than my old yellow and navy polka dot pair, I’ve gotten Mom and Dad’s money’s worth out of these rubber boots—one hundred times over. For one thing, the black gloss pair goes with everything. I don’t feel goofy wearing them with my pencil skirt for the commute to work, and with my fleece welly socks inside, my toes stay warm and dry in the winter slush and snow. They’re cute with jeans, I can wear leg warmers when I’ve got leggings or panty hose on, and they’re actually super comfortable. I’ve even worn them with a onesie pajama set. In public. True story (this is why I'm single).

Plus, I can out-splash Finley and that is probably the most important thing ever, really.

The boots come in a gazillion colours and also in some dressier styles (can you say WEDGE-HEEL WELLIES, OMG!), plus you can wrap your head around the $140-ish price tag when you consider this: you can wear them every day of the year if you want to. They’re literally an all-season boot! Wear your wellies in spring with a striped dress and trench, pair ‘em with tights and a sweater dress for winter, and, of course, jeans and a sweater in the fall! I wear my boots with everything. How many items are in my closet that I can say that about? Pretty well none—except underwear . . . and I don’t keep them in my closet.

If Hunter boots are a little steep for your liking (the $160 price tag is why I don’t own every colour I’m drooling over), there are loads of inexpensive wellies out there, and you can swap welly socks for the three-for-$10 leg warmers at stores like Ardene! Perfect!

Wear wellies with every outfit you own, with whatever you would wear any other pair of boots with, and keep your toesies warm and dry while looking adorable. Now go splash in some puddles, you fabulous thing, you.