They are thought of as a fixture among farmers, fishmongers and festivalgoers, but it seems wellington boots are falling out of favour with once fevered fans.
On Wednesday, Hunter Boots, a stalwart of British footwear and festivals nationwide, went into administration, just hours before Glastonbury kicked off.
Blaming a combination of dry weather, high freight costs and the shuttering of its Chinese factory during the pandemic, the Edinburgh-based brand has debts of more than £100m.
Later in the week, the wellington boot industry got another kicking when Glastonbury’s founder, Michael Eavis, revealed he preferred walking boots to wellies.
“I don’t ever wear wellies,” Eavis said in an interview with the Glastonbury Free Press newspaper. “They make your feet sweat. They are really bad actually.”
On the ground at Glastonbury, it seems Eavis is not alone.
With sunshine forecast for the whole weekend, many of the 200,000-plus festivalgoers have shunned wellingtons altogether.
“Wellies aren’t the most comfortable option for walking long distances,” said Billie Bhatia, a fashion writer who arrived at the Somerset site on Friday. “They often leave me with blisters. I’m dodging them as much as possible this year.”
Instead Bhatia had packed a pair of New Balance trainers alongside hiking boots from Canada Goose.
“I’m banking on my New Balances being my go-tos this week. I live in them in London and, although definitely not as tricky terrain as Glastonbury, they are super comfortable, breathable and I know I can last a long time in them.”
In the noughties, Hunter Boots were as ubiquitous as denim shorts and flower crowns at Glastonbury, with stars such as Kate Moss and Alexa Chung pictured in mud-splattered pairs.
But in 2023 the brand is facing stiff competition from other brands delving into the functional footwear market.
Wearers of Crocs waterproof “Crush” boots boast about how light they are (weighing about 300g) while the heritage French brand Aigle has attracted a younger audience with its new cropped style.
Grazia’s fashion director, Molly Haylor, a Glastonbury veteran (this weekend is her ninth stint), has remained loyal to Hunter, but favours newer editions rather than the traditional knee-high versions.
For this year’s festival she had packed a pair of ankle-high rubber lace-ups and a pair of slip-on sliders with a faux fur lining.
“The adjustable shorties are a no-brainer. They’re easy to slip on and off so you’re not rolling around outside your tent trying to get a muddy welly off. I’ll wear the fuzzy slip-ons for teas run in the morning.”
The welly industry will also be buoyed with scenes from the current men’s fashion week in Paris.
JW Anderson’s frog-faced Wellipets in traditional batrachian green are the shoe of choice on the front row. On Thursday, during torrential showers, some people were spotted in black Dunlop rubber wellies at the Rick Owens show, one of the hottest tickets at fashion week.
Even Pharrell Williams, the new creative director of Louis Vuitton, has endorsed them. During his debut show on Tuesday night, watched by Rihanna and Beyoncé, he sent knee-high pairs of Wellingtons with a pixellated print down the catwalk.
