Rain boots

A few years ago, fed up with the British weather ruining yet another pair of shoes, I thought, ‘Kerching! I know! What the world needs now is not love sweet love, it’s fashionable rain boots.’ Then, as now, Hunters were big, and like everybody else I have a pair. But for all their Kate-at-Glastonbury connotations, Hunters make real girls look as if they’re about to muck out, which can feel a bit odd if you’re not in a Somerset field, but wandering round Boots or House of Fraser or somewhere.

Anyway, since then a trillion companies have had the rainboot idea – companies with, like, business savvy and some idea of how to produce shoes – and now there’s a massive choice. I bought this Vivienne Westwood/Melissa pair a couple of winters ago, and since it rains an average of every three days in this country (although it feels like more), my, how I’ve got my wear out of them:

But now I’m sick of the sight of them. I’m not going to replace them, because even if the economy wasn’t in the toilet, that would be silly an’ all – you need one pair of rainboots, not a wardrobeful. But if I was in the market for a new pair, I would be looking at these:

They’re from US chain LL Bean and cost $179. They’re also kind of fugly. But I think they’d look good with the right trousers and they’re fleece-lined, which, as winter stares me in the face, has its appeal.

I actually prefer these ones from Joules, which, at £29,99, are a third of the price of the Melissa/Vivienne Westwood ones, and not nearly as common popular. I sense that ribbon might get pretty manky though:

You could go the other way and spend £435 on these Valentino ones, available at Net-a-Porter, but that would be mental. Besides, then it all starts to go a bit jackboot:

These rubber Gucci Chelsea boots (£180, Net-a-Porter) are a new take on the idea. But £180 for plastic shoes? C’mon.

I also like these rubber biker boots (£30, Office). But then you’re back to the old clompy-wellies-in-urban-high-street conundrum…

Rainboots are an insanely practical purchase though. Not least because they’re wipe-clean…