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Dunlop wellies

Joe the plumber

By Joe the plumber
in General Boating

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Joe the plumber Community Regular

Joe the plumber

Posted
Posted

Sick of the mud from the towpath, my wife and I have splashed out on a pair of these each:

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/dunlop-safety-footwear-purofort-c762933-safety-wellington-boots-green-size-9/67494

 

They're expensive, but they're absolutely lovely. Warm, dry, grippy soles and very comfortable. I just wish we'd bought some ages ago.

Much, much cheaper wellies are of course available, but these are the best we've ever tried.

 

If you are going to buy a pair, take note of the reviews regarding sizing as I'm a size 9 and my wife 4, and we ended up with sizes 8 and 3

respectively. And you can still get some decent socks inside them.

 

I hope this is of interest.

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mrsmelly Veteran II

mrsmellyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

We still have a pair of ladies dunlop boots at my mums. Many peeps have worn them over the years and we all as kids used them. My mum remembers running down to the shop to buy them quickly when they first got some stock in 1946 as they had been unavailable during the war. I doubt a pair made today will last that long though, and still supple with no cracks.

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David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

Posted
Posted (edited)

Forty years ago I was looking to buy some wellies, and came to the conclusion that if farmers spend most of their life in wellies, I should find out what brand they favoured, and it was almost universally Argyll, so that is what I got. I still have the pair I bought at Bakewell Cattle Market, something like forty years ago .

Edited by David Schweizer
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Mac of Cygnet Veteran II

Mac of CygnetDonate to Canal World

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Forty years ago I was looking to buy some wellies, and came to the conclusion that if farmers spend most of their life in wellies, I should find out what brand they favoured, and it was almost universally Argyll, so that is what I got. I still have the pair I bought at Bakewell Cattle Market, something like forty years ago .

 

Forty years ago they were probably still made in the UK. I gave up on Argylls about 10 years ago after going through 5 pairs in as many years and the price going up to nearly £50 after they were taken over by Hunter and made in China. I spend most of my time in wellies especially in winter and have walked literally thousands of miles over rough country in them, not being able to wear boots because of foot problems.

 

Looking around for a wide-fitting alternative, I found Woodland wellies. I still have the pair I bought 10 years ago and use every day for working in and another pair for walking the hills. And they're cheaper than Argylls, which these days really just sell on their name.

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
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Now - if you want real comfort, longevity, good grip and 100% waterproofness the "Le Chameau" are the ones.

Manufactured from Natural Rubber & Neoprene lined, they are 'warm' as well as comfortable with a bit of 'give' as you walk.

Warm & comfortable down to -25oC

 

Not cheap, ranging from £125 to £350 (depending on model) but you get what you pay for,

 

 

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Sea Dog Veteran II

Sea DogDonate to Canal World

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Obviously there are many wellies to choose from with much to commend them, but the ones the OP is so pleased with are rated SRC for slip resistance. That might be worth noting as many wellies have very little grip on those surfaces such as steel, brickwork and lock gates which we encounter daily and in all weathers.

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Alan Saunders Rising Star

Alan Saunders

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My mum bought me a pair of Dunlop wellies in ~1963. One size larger than my shoe size but usually worn with 'sea-boot socks' they kept my feet warm on long treks along muddy river and canal paths and sitting for many hours of coarse fishing in winter. Subsequently used for gardening and DIY building works, severely down-at-heel, one of them developed a small leak after forty years!

 

I find most 'safety shoes', with their hard toe-caps, make my feet sweat; I prefer a lighter boot or shoe.

 

Around 1985 I bought my, then, wife a pair of Aigle (French) boots. Even though they were a size too small for me I tried them on and found them the most comfortable 'Wellingtons' ever. Unlike the standard 'Wellie' they were soft and supple, they hugged my calf and flexed as I walked - like the 'carpet slipper of wellies'. I doubt I would want to stomp around in wet concrete in them but they are far more comfortable for a long walk than the 'standard wellie' - at a price ~£60-80!

 

I have some cheepo (£12) wellies for water and mud wading but usually manage most muddy footpaths, towpaths and snow with a decent pair of walking boots - trousers tucked into socks to avoid caked mud on the trouser cuffs.

 

When possible, I splash through every available puddle and on returning to the boat, scrape the worst of the mud off on adjacent long grass. The 'wellies' I can usually get clean by leaning on the moored boat and 'swishing' them 'to-and fro' through the shallow water. Don't leave them on the outside deck if there is a chance of rain!

 

BTW, do not leave proper rubber (smells of rubber, like tyres) boots in the sun or daylight as UV light degrades rubber. Maybe that's the cause of the many reported failures of 'Hunters' cracking and failing.

 

HTH, Alan

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rustydiver Proficient

rustydiver

Posted
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in the 80's i bought myself a pair off hunters think i paid £22 for them at a local farm shop.

Still got them now and still going strong, mind you last year one off the buckles fell off and i did think about sending them back laugh.png

I was looking to buy another spare pair to leave on the boat and found out they are no longer made in scotland so i didn't bother.

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Alan Saunders Rising Star

Alan Saunders

Posted
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Obviously there are many wellies to choose from with much to commend them, but the ones the OP is so pleased with are rated SRC for slip resistance. That might be worth noting as many wellies have very little grip on those surfaces such as steel, brickwork and lock gates which we encounter daily and in all weathers.

Too true! My 'Hi-Tec' waterproof trainers are very slippy on coarse, wet concrete.

 

There are soles that grip ice well but I cannot track them down.

 

Alan

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Allan(nb Albert) Veteran

Allan(nb Albert)

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Posted

I actually won a welly wanging competition in my youth. I've no idea what brand of wellies they were though.

 

Still in love with my new Dunlops....

In my (almost) youth, I arranged a sports day between the Dunlop Group and International Computers Limited. The events were golf, darts, clay pigeon shooting and welly wanging. You would not believe how competitive the welly wanging was ...

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Drayke Rising Star

Drayke

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In my (almost) youth, I arranged a sports day between the Dunlop Group and International Computers Limited. The events were golf, darts, clay pigeon shooting and welly wanging. You would not believe how competitive the welly wanging was ...

Good job you did not miss spell welly.

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