FOOTWEAR ROAD TEST - FESTIVAL WELLIES
Black rubber and high heels Dawn Smith tests the WedgeWelly and discovers they’re not just for looking good in the mud.
T
he creators of the WedgeWelly dreamed up the idea for these innovative rubber boots while discussing what to wear for the Glastonbury festival. They didn’t see why a girl had to ditch her beloved heels just to keep her socks dry. A few beers later, and the idea for the
WedgeWelly was born: a designer welly with a heel, a welly with attitude, a welly for the 21st century. On the practical side, the 100% waterproof vulcanised rubber upper and the rubber sole on the WedgeWelly guarantee that the wearer can spend several days ankle deep in mud without developing trench foot. Another practical bonus: the extra two and a half inches provided by the wedge gives festival goers a better view. And printed with this season’s latest designs, or in shiny pink or black, they give a fashion flair to festival footwear. As the manufacturer’s slogan says: "mud never looked so gud". But, if festival goers had been the only
takers for the WedgeWelly, then this natty new idea may have ended up forgotten, in the musty dusk of the cupboard under the stairs, rather than heading for the fashion hall of fame. As it turns out, however, this bright idea for festival wear also turns out to be a fab idea all round. Every fashion-conscious, practical minded female is going to want some. I tried a shiny black pair of WedgeWelly
boots, in the ' Legend Unique' design, on the basis that these were the most unobtrusive, and I could always wear them for gardening if I didn’t get any
other use out of them. A few weeks down the line, I wouldn’t dream of risking them in the garden - not with all that rusty ironmongery around and all those slippery slugs. They could get pierced, nibbled at, slimed up... I shudder to think what could happen to them. No, after my first ever experience of being wolf whistled while taking out the rubbish in the rain, I have looked at my WedgeWellys with new eyes. They are not just workaday rubber boots to be used for any old rough job, then flung into the cupboard caked in grime. Nor are they some frivolous piece of here-today, gone-tomorrow fashion frippery with no real practical use. They are boots to be seen in, boots to be cherished, boots to be wiped down with a wet cloth after walking the dogs in the park, to retain their shimmery shine. And at the same time they are boots with a purpose, for days when dry-as-a-bone is
what you need to be, without looking like Worzel Gummage. They are also incredibly comfortable – modelled on slippers, lined with cotton, with a latex-EVA insole, they are shaped to be snug from
ankles to calves. And the two and a half inch wedge acts as a cushion, providing extra comfort. So, I will carry on wearing my Wedge Welly boots to take out the rubbish,
if it gives my other half a thrill, but I will also wear them proudly when I go into town for an afternoon of shopping in the rain. I will stride along the beach in my lovely WedgeWellies if I go for a walk on the sand on a cold and windy day. I will wear them to meet a friend for lunch and enjoy the admiring remarks. I will wear them for a festival, or any other event, that looks likely to be deluged. And I will make sure they are in the back of the car, just in case, whenever
I go anywhere. Because the great thing about the WedgeWelly is that the longer you have them, the more you realise how many different occasions there are when a shiny rubber boot with heels is just what you need. Not only do they ‘look gud in the mud’, they’re an idea that is so good, it’s hard to understand why nobody thought of it before. The WedgeWelly comes in a variety of designs. The black shiny Legend Unique boots retail at £35.
www.wedgewelly.co.uk
Venise Deluxe Pink – £18.80 (trade)
Carelie Fraise - £18.50 (trade)
Chantebelle – £33 (trade)
Poppy Boot Vert
Polka Boot Coquelicot – £21 (trade)
(also available in rose) – £27 (trade)
Carlie Pomme - £18.50 (trade)
Aigle, the French outdoor lifestyle company, also has a great range of natural rubber boots for summer perfect for festivals come rain or shine. To order call Aigle on 01488 649170.
22 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• AUGUST 2010
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