The Invincible Boots?

I never used to like wearing boots. In fact, I hated them. 

I hated the way they came up really high over your heels. I hated how bulky and heavy they were. And if I’m brutally honest, I hated that wearing them usually implied some form of serious exercise. 

But then things changed. 

When I moved to Wisconsin for the first time, I was told I absolutely needed a pair of boots for when the snow came, and so I caved in, lest my feet cave into a 3ft snow drift. Turns out I wasn't lied to; you really did need a sturdy pair of boots in the wintry weather over there. 

Back in England they came in useful too. Moving to Mossley, we found ourselves going on many more walks into the countryside; traipsing through mud slides and over babbling brooks was a whole lot easier with sturdy boots on. 

Then we got Nancy, the Golden Retriever that wants to go anywhere and everywhere. Boots became even more of a necessity, a vital, daily pair of footwear. 

Pounding through the snow

After a solid 7 years of wear, the impenetrable boots I got on my very first day in Wisconsin finally gave up the gun. Worn in, they had holes between the sole and the shoe part, and just became unwearable. 

So, on a recent trip up to the Lake District I invested in a new pair of Gelert boots. 

They’d dipped their toes in the water a few times since I bought them, wandering across some fields, down bridle paths and up narrow & rugged footpaths. They’d even recently taken a stroll across the wet and windy beaches of Wales on a visit to the Llyn Peninsula just last week. 

Incidentally, very near to Beddgelert, where the Gelert company was founded. 

But from the beaches of Wales to the foothills of the Pennies, in the space of a week, the boots went from sand to snow. 

When snow day hit Mossley, it was the perfect time to put these boots through their paces and push them to their limits.  

And well, I felt invincible. 

8 inches of snow was like a mere sprinkling of powder on the floor, as I pounded through snow drifts left, right and centre. Pavements covered in ice could have just as easily been carpeted rubber, the grip was so good. 

I felt unstoppable, like I could just plough through anything and everything without a worry about cold or wet feet. No matter how high the water or how deep the snow, it felt like I could just wander through as if I was strolling across a field in summertime. 

It was like I was indestructible, and it got me thinking about all these flimsy, floppy, cloth material shoes. How did they ever come into fashion in a country like England, where it rains all the time and there’s constantly mud patches, dirt tracks and puddles to hop over. Why do we opt for small, thin shoes that barely cover our feet, when we could wear boots all the time? 

Who knows, I’m hardly an expert to comment on fashion. But still, if you want practicality, you need to wear boots. 

Are there any pairs of boots that are truly waterproof?

And from what I could see, the Gelert boots I was wearing were as good as any I’d come across. Comfort wise, I couldn’t fault them. They didn’t feel like I had a pair of heavy, cumbersome weights on my feet, and they certainly didn’t slow me down. 

Support wise, I’d been climbing snow hills and clambering over styles, and hadn’t had any twists or falls or anything to complain about at all. 

And standing in 8 inches of snow, then walking across a stream that completely covered the bottom of my foot, the leather held up extremely well and not a drop of water got onto my socks, unlike Kirsty who was already whinging about cold feet. 

But when the melting snow and slush rose above my heel and completely blocked the path in front of us, things took a turn for the worst. 

Suddenly, the ‘waterproof boots’ reached their limit. As ice cold liquid hit the tongue of my shoes, and the splashing motion of walking sent water flying even higher, their barrier broke. 

And before long, I was squelching along with wet feet, even though the water never actually got much higher than the top of my ankle, about 3-4 inches. 

Wandering along like that, I wondered how different brands and types of waterproof boots vary with regards to their liquid repellant abilities. Are there really any pairs of boots that are truly, 100% waterproof? 

These Gelert boots were good, but they’d just failed me at the last moment. I’ll certainly be using them again, as the weather was extreme, but at the moment they’re drying under a radiator. 24 hours later, they’re still soaked through and unwearable, which is a disappointment. 

Are your boots waterproof? Let me know if you recommend any, and I may just try them out.