Research-Hunter Wellies and Comparisons with Irregular Choice

Wellington boots first appeared in 1817, as 19th century men's fashion underwent a change. They needed a suitable outdoor boot that would would go under trousers and were originally designed by Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington,'s shoemaker (hence the name wellington boot). Firstly made of leather, entrepreneurs in America began experimenting with using rubber as an alternative. One man, Henry Lee Morris, came over to Scotland and the Hunter shoe brand was born.
Since its small beginnings in 1856 in Edinburgh, Hunter has now become iconic yet also modern and stylish. Once based in Heathhall Dumfries (in September 2008 it relocated back to Edinburgh) it has supplied our army with boots during both World Wars and in the winter of 1955 they created their most famous boot: the original Green wellington, copied by designers globally. The green welly is the ultimate symbol of the British countryside. Even the Royal Family have given Hunter a warrant and they are the official welly suppliers to HM the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.

Original Hunter Green Welly £62.00

While the obvious function of Hunter wellies is practical, as they keep your feet dry while walking on damp or muddy ground, the function of a more fashion-orienteered brand such as Irregular Choice is to make a statement and look good. Both brands are now iconic in their field, but Hunter dates back to literally 200 years while Irregular Choice was only launched in 1999. The materials used to make these shoes are also very different-wellies were traditionally made from calfskin leather, but now tend to be made from rubber or a synthetic alternative but modern fashion shoes are made from ordinary leather and sometimes embellished with ribbons, feathers, jewels, beads and laces.

Black Hunter wellies made from Neoprene.



Irregular Choice 'Rasperberry Ripple' heels made with fabric and ruffles.





Wellies need to look the way they do; while they can be seen as a fashion statement, wellies are generally worn by people working in the countryside who need practical, comfortable shoes that are easy to clean and offer protection against the elements. The sole and very low heel are designed to be comfortable also, as well as helping feet to grip the uneven surface of country roads, grass and hills. While you can get wellies designed to look pretty and colourful, traditional wellies are generally plain colours such as green and black, as they are more about practicality and function rather than fashion.

On the other hand, Irregular Choice and other high street and designer brands are designed to keep up with current trends (at the same time being individual) and looking good; comfort is not always the idea. While there are shoes like wedges, which claim to be more comfortable, high heels with tight straps and pointy toes are generally much more painful to wear than wellies! Furthermore, companies like Hunter that produce wellies stick to the same shape and styles, whereas top-end famous designers are renowned for pushing boundaries with shoe design. For example, Antonio Berardi designed some thigh-high leather heel-less boots famously worn by Victoria Beckham...

....as well as the 'Armadillo'boots worn by Lady Gaga in her 'Bad Romance' video. They were designed by Alexander McQueen and had a style similar to ballet pointe shoes, witha blocky end going straight down and encrusted with sparkle.

Theses shoes may have had a mixed reaction, but the whole point of them was to look unique, to be different and experimental, rather than be used for work and comfort in the countryside.