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Wellies for walking. Help please. UK (1 Viewer)

Cashie

Hello folks
United Kingdom
Hi there:

Can anyone recommend a good birding/walking, wellington boot without breaking the bank?

I have tried Hunters but found them very uncomfortable & tight around the calf.
 
Hi Cashie, I bought some Seeland Allround 18" Neoprene-Lined Wellington Boots from our local Scats store on Saturday, reduced from £59.99 to £39.99. Used them Sunday on a 4 hour walk that included a lot of wet clay ground and found them extremely comfortable. Not too tight around the calf and very well priced.
 
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Muck boots were excellent but expensive, and they don't seem to stock the ones which were best for me anymore, however, I also have some 'Dirt Boots' which are one option, as they do not fit quite so perfectly as the Muck Boots it is advisable for me to wear a slightly thicker sock.

A lot depends on the terrain you will be walking over, around here it is sloping, slippery and the clay/chalk mix will clog up most cleats so I tend to have to buy at the more technical end (mildly more expensive) where the cleats will cope. Small, closely spaced or regularly lined up cleats are great for sliding and damaging your back, but not for walking around here, if it was peaty bog, cleats don't matter so much as leg length does (Scottish bog in your boot is not nice). My cleats are also OK for dryish or hard edged rock.

Having damaged an ankle last year the Muck Boots were too good a fit and the Dirt Boot option was a good solution. Because I have fairly well developed leg muscles I find full height boots less comfortable that the 3/4 size (I appreciate keeping the circulation to my feet!)

Dirt boots and many other good options are on Amazon, which does mean that if you buy a pair and you can't get them on you can at least return them easily.

Tried out of curiosity to google Welly boot reviews and no one seems to agree on much - good luck!

The best advice is really to go to a few outdoor shops and try a few on if you can, a bit like binoculars really.
 
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The one thing that lets down most wellies is the sole. Either in terms of grip or longevity or both. If you pay that bit more you can wellies with a proper Vibram walking boot sole various companies do them but my Le Chameau have been going for nearly ten years and seen the top of many mountains, I've even soloed rock climbs in them!
 
Leather-lined Le Chameaux wellies with a full length gusseted zipper cannot be beat. They are excellent for walking and excellent protection as well. I think mine were called the "Le Chausseur" model; I bought them 15 or 20 years ago and they're still going strong... although it's true they were so expensive I actually hesitated to use them for the first little while (afraid to leave them in the car).
 
If you can justify it the get both walking boots and wellies. Walking boots give immeasurably better performance and can be enhanced by gaiters. I bought a pair of neoprene lined wellies that were aimed to the fishing market, only cost £25, bloody superb for what the do. However if walking then trad boots are my first choice.
 
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