Rubber boots, or most commonly known as wellington boots, are all the rage right now. There are those who hate them because they say they're inaesthetic and rather suitable for country side (but then again, so are UGG boots). But there are also those who appreciate them for delivering comfort and for their practicability, managing somehow to still be fashionable and modern.
Hunter is one of the most famous companies that produces these wonder boots. You can see them on every celebrities' feet, they benefit of royal support and they have a tremenduos tradition behind them. Let's explore that!
The Hunter boots company was founded by an American antrepreneur named Henry Lee Norris in 1856 when he moved to Scotland, looking for a place to start his rubber boots factory. After a rather difficult beginning (only 4 people worked for him initially) they reached a balance point in 1875 when the factory had 600 employees.
But real success came with the unfortunate First World War, when the factory was asked by the army to produce rubber boots who were suitable for protecting soldiers in the muddy trenches. Just so you get an idea, about 1,5 million boots were produced at that time for the army. The Second World War expanded the companies production and 80% of it was war supplies: tents, seat belts, gas masks ecc.
Some of the most famous Hunter boots, that are still popular today, were launched in 1955: the original Green Wellington Original and the Royal Hunter.
In 1977 the company became an authorised supplier of the Royal Court. Hunter was offered a royal contract by the Edinburgh Duke and in 1986 the Queen herself offered royal guarantee for the products Hunter produced. This is when the company reached the tip of the iceberg and became ultra-popular.
Ever since then, the company has strived to offer not only really reliable products staying true to the quality that made them famous to begin with, but also fashionable footwear. And to master fashion too, they teamed up with Jimmy Choo in 2009 who designed for them a croc-print fashionable boot.
Hunter boots are no longer just rubber boots. Their efforts have paid off and it's no suprise now that we can see them on catwalks, used by fashion designers to deliver the message of their collection. We have witnessed this here in Romania too, at the Avanpremiere Gala when Bianca Popp used them for her collection.
The prices are really accessible and you can find them on most of the online shops. I have made a selection just so you know where to find your favourite Hunter boot and what are the prices.
Net-a-porter has included some Hunter boots in their Sales. They are all gorgeous and the prices are appealing, but you have to be lucky enough to find your size. My picks:
Festival Short Wellington boots at 95 EUR
Original Lace Wellington boots at 52 EUR
Asos has a wide selection of Hunter boots that you can see here. My picks:
Hunter Original Gloss Wellington Boots at 83.33 EUR
Hunter Original Wellington Boot at 79.48 EUR
You could also buy these boots on the company's website where you can find ALL the beautiful variations and designs. However, I wouldn't recommend it unless you can't find the one you want on any other online store. This is because the shipping taxes are huge - for Romania they add £48.00 to your bill. But these tourquoise gloss boots are absolutely adorable, my ultimate favourites!
I have recently came across a Romanian online seller who has a decent selection. You can find them here. My picks:
Regent Savoy at 590.00 lei
Original Tall Metallic at 360.00 lei
Limited Edition Festival Short at 640.00 lei
Regent at 435.00 lei
Hampstead Tall at 590.00 lei
They also sell (just like all the other online shops) the fun socks you can use to brighten up your wellies or in winter time, for keeping your feet warm and fashionable at the same time.
Do you like wellington rubber boots and Hunter in particular? Which one is your favourite?
photo source: net-a-porter.com, asos.com, hunter-boot.com, wellies.ro
