Wellingtons are a great choice if you want to keep your feet safe from mud, water, and many other things. People rely on them for work in agriculture, days at rainy festivals, trips through the woods to walk the dog, and more. However, a lot of us have a problem with the fit. We want to have a look at this today to give some useful advice on how to improve it.
Why the difference?
The thing about wellies is they typically don’t have an opening at the ankle. While you can get ankle high ones, they are generally taller, with the shaft reaching the calf or just below the knee. The idea here is you get protection for your feet and lower legs. However, it means the opening is high up and you have more room around your feet.
While you can typically easily slip your feet in and out of wellies because of the space, the shape and lack of opening at the ankle means they won’t fit like normal shoes. You also don’t have things like laces to help cinch them in around your feet. Sadly that can mean you may have a situation where your feet can move around in the boots, particularly at the heels. That can cause rubbing and lead to blisters.
What to do?
There are two things you can typically do to try to improve the fit with wellingtons and get it closer to what you have with normal shoes.
Firstly, you can try wearing thicker socks, multiple pairs, or foot wraps. It can help to fill gaps around your feet so they won’t move around. Just make sure your feet won’t get excessively hot and sweaty.
Another thing to try is insoles. They also work to reduce how much space there is, giving you a fit that is closer to normal shoes. You can try different types of insole to suit your needs and the time of year. You will likely want thicker insoles in summer because you won’t want thick socks making your feet sweat. In winter, thinner insoles can be better as you’ll typically be wearing thicker socks to keep warm.
Moving around
It can also be helpful to spend some time just moving around in your wellies. Most people will find they walk a bit differently in the boots because of the shape and fit. Typically you will have a little more heel lift. So, take the time to walk in the boots and make sure you are walking just like you would in normal shoes. You can even try running.
Explore different brands of wellingtons
Finally, what you can do is try different types of boots, including branded ones. Keep in mind that the sizes and fits can vary massively. There are also different types of materials and soles. Neoprene can be excellent. A lot of people love wellies with Vibram soles.
If you are looking for your next pair of wellingtons, there are some great ones on the JS Hubbucks Ltd website. We also have more in store here. So, you can browse, come to us, or get in touch for recommendations.