Folks, the holy festival is upon us. Splendour in the Grass kicks off this Friday, July 21, and given the fiasco that happened last year, a good pair of gumboots are forever a good shout. The weather changes in the blink of an eye and regardless of what forecasts say right now, the three-day fezzie is notorious for a puddle or two.
Now we know you probably haven’t owned a pair of wellies since you were a wee bebé. But rain boots are a damn good investment, especially in the winter. A good pair of gumboots will save you from jumping over huge puddles on your morning commute to work, the soggy socks on the train after trudging through the streets post-5pm, and from ruining a good pair of sneaks when you’re caught in La Ninã 2.0.
If you don’t own rain boots, we’ve gone ahead and scoured the Internet to find a few pairs that’ll have you stomping around soggy sock-free.
We’ve broken our findings down by the best gumboots for women and men, the best bargain and designer buys, as well as tall, short and colourful rain boots — all you have to do is scroll (and don’t forget to select express shipping on your order).
The Best Rain Boots for Women
Honestly, chunky boots have made a huge comeback over the last 18 months, so why not embrace the trend and level up by getting yourself a pair of chunky gumboots? Long gone are the daggy days of oversized, shiny rain boots. You can actually get some pretty sick pairs at very reasonable price points that most people wouldn’t even know are rain boots. Below we’ve pulled a few pairs we’ve got lingering in our carts. First up, there’s the super popular Bobbi boots from Merry People, which are the perfect blend of fashion and function. Next, we’ve got the military-style zip-up pair from the folks over at Bogs that are 100% waterproof and have a warm, plush lining. And finally, we’ve got the classic Original Short Wellington Boots from Hunter — a crowd favourite among festival goers.
The Best Rain Boots for Men
If you’re a bloke looking for some rain boots, we’ve got you covered. We’ve found y’all some pretty tough-looking boots that are perfect for everything from fishing to gardening and festivals. We’ve included the classics from Hunter, a cheeky cheapo pair from Rivers, and a nice, chunky pull-on pair from Bogs.
The Best Tall Rain Boots
Ugh, there’s something oddly chic about a pair of tall gumboots, so of course, we had to add them to our list. Both pairs from Ugg Express and Hunter are that traditional sleek riding-boot-esque look. But the middle pair from Merry People were designed for those who want their rain boots to stand out in wet weather as more of a functional statement piece.
The Best Short Rain Boots
Now, not all of us are blessed with long ass legs, so knee-high rain boots aren’t an option for us shorties. Hence why we’ve included a number of short to mid-shin options. Each of these boots offers a different style and ankle height — Keds are really low cut and perfect for those people who want a pair that double as everyday boots. The same could be said for Everlane’s Rain Boot. But the Kate Spades are a really cute traditional style gumboot that’s perfect for those who still get the urge to jump in puddles while looking all cute and shit.
The Best Budget Rain Boots
Look, we totally get it if you don’t wanna fork out hundreds of dollars for a pair of gumboots that are only going to get absolutely TRASHED at Splendour. So we’ve added in a few cheaper options, like the $20 bargains from Big W and Kmart. That said, if you’re looking for an affordable pair that don’t look like they’ll give you blisters after the first hour, we’d go for the knee-length boys from Bunnings. They’ll only set you back $34 and save you from reapplying bandaids all weekend.
The Best Designer Rain Boots
For all our bougie binches, designer gumboots exist, and they’re fkn beautiful! Each of the boots on our list could double as everyday boots, they look like they’d heal your blisters instead of giving them. They will set you back a pretty penny though, so be prepared to weep as your money leaves your bank account.
The Best Colourful Rain Boots
If you have even an ounce of personality, you’ll probably wanna go for a colourful set of rain boots like these delicious little morsels. Merry People, Crocs and Rag & Bone all offer some pretty vibrant colourways and styles that are sure to spice up any outfit. Plus, they don’t really look like gumboots, they lean more so into the chunky boot trend that we’re seeing more and more of this season.
What to look for in a good pair of gumboots
As someone who actually hunted down a pair of good gumboots a few Splendours ago, I can confirm that not all gummy boys are created equal. You’ve got to think about a whole bunch of deciding factors like height, material, lining and, of course, style and colour.
When it comes to height, you want to think about where and when you’re going to wear your rain boots; are they more of an eclectic style choice on an overcast, rainy day, or are you wearing them to thrash around in puddles at the back of the mosh?
Once you’ve decided on height, you’re going to want to consider what material they’re made of. At the cheaper end of the scale, you’re going to get a lot of ridged, synthetic options made from things like PVC that’ll probs give you blinding blisters by the end of night one and head straight for the bin post-festival. Or alternatively, on the bougier end of the scale, you’re going to get ones made of natural rubbers that are a lot more flexible, comfortable, and expensive, that you’ll probs have for years to come.
The last thing you’re going to want to consider is the colour and style. Do you want something subtle that’ll go with every outfit for years to come, or something that’ll make it easier for your mates to spot you in the mosh and have people completing you on your sick gumboots? I know which category I’d fall under.
Should you wear socks with rain boots?
Honestly, you can do whatever you like (no judgement here, ok maybe a little), but personally, we’d be wearing socks with our gumboots. Gumboots can often be kinda rigid and somewhat uncomfy if you don’t have a little something covering your tootsies. Plus, think of how bad they’ll stink after all that feet sweat you’ve created bustin’ a move during the festival.
Now that’s enough about gumboots for today, pick a pair and get stomping!
Image Credit: Merry People Instagram
