As much as manufacturers try to seduce us with their shiny wares, the products we feature on these pages need to be pretty special before we are prepared to commit finger to keyboard and type some nice words of recommendation.
Props then to the folks at Muck Boot, who – with an impeccable sense of timing – managed to wang us a pair of wellies just in time to test out during the recent ‘Beast from the East’ trilogy.* Snow is a relatively uncommon winter occurrence down here in the mild, mild West of England** so when the white stuff hit Bath (six inches and rising), it caused apocalyptic scenes of panic and social dis-order.
Thirsty HQ was hit particularly hard. Tesco had cancelled their home delivery service due to the treacherous conditions so an expedition to the local CO-OP was required to go and wrestle a pensioner for a pint of milk. Muck Boots’ offering proved to be the perfect shoe for such an arduous task. They had sent us a pair of Arctic Excursions, an insulated boot designed for action in extremely low temperatures (down to -40C it said on the label) and they did indeed keep my toes warm and dry during that gruelling 1.3 km snow-bound trek.
Styled in the fashion of the Chelsea boot, my sawn-off wellies gave my legs freer movement than what a traditional knee high boot would afford. They proved to be ideal for running away from the CO-OP full pelt, clutching the last pint of milk from the shelves – the shouts of angry pensioners drowned out by the crunching of snow and my own manic laughter.
To purchase a pair, go here
BONUS WELLY TIP
Box-fresh boots don’t grip so good on slippery surfaces and you might find yourself doing a ‘Bambi on ice’ on your wellies inagural outdoor excursion. To prevent such an ignominy, find a rough surface such as a patio or patch of gravel and perform an Ali shuffle for a minute or so. This will scuff off the factory sheen and provide the necessary purchase required for stepping out onto perilous wintery ground.
* I enjoyed 1 and 2, but I thought the third instalment was a little underwhelming.
** Default weather setting – drizzle.