For those that have been on The Wide Welly Company journey for a while, you will know that the wellies we have now, are very different to those that we launched with! No more double gussets or silver buckles; a higher rubber content and thicker rubber; two insoles instead of one…all developments driven by customer experience and feedback, coupled with an increase in our understanding of the manufacturing process.
But one thing that evades us, is the production of an Invincible Wide Calf Welly! I’m frequently asked why wellies don’t last like they used to. And after much research and consideration, my answer is… because they can’t. Not if you wear them!
Without getting all technical and boring, I’ll try and explain why!
Let’s consider rubber 🛁
Wide calf, wide leg, ankle wellies, in fact all rubber wellies, include a natural rubber content! (NOTE, Rubber wellies are NOT made with 100% rubber – they can’t be 100% rubber. Rubber needs other substances adding to it to make it durable, flexible and yet set into a form!)
And the same applies to any product made from rubber!
So let’s start with a hot water bottle!
Hot water bottles come with a use-by date. Usually around 2–3 years. Why? Because rubber degrades over time. Heat, cold, pressure, stretching, folding, sunlight… it all takes its toll.
Hot water bottles live a pretty cushy life:
- Indoors
- No mud
- No flexing with every step
- No freezing mornings followed by hot car boots
Yet it still gets retired.
Your wellies? They’re typically out there living their best life.
And what about car tyres? 🚗
Car tyres are also rubber. Highly engineered rubber.
And what happens to them?
They wear out.
You don’t expect the same tyres to last forever because:
- They grip the road
- They flex
- They deal with heat, cold, rain, grit and potholes
- Their wear is impacted by the way you drive
Sound familiar?
Every step you take in wellies flexes the rubber. Add abrasion from concrete, gravel, tarmac, mud, sand and farm tracks, and it all adds up.
Rubber + movement + environment = wear.
“But my old Hunters lasted years!”
Yep! Something I hear often and see on many Buy British chat forums.
Older Hunter Boots were over-engineered. They were designed for:
- Farming
- Heavy, slow, practical use
They were thicker, stiffer and frankly… not that comfy for everyday life. And certainly nothing like the iconic pictures of Modelling Royalty you see wearing wellies at Festivals like Glastonbury.
Modern life is different. Today, people want wellies that are:
- More flexible
- Easier to walk in
- Nicer looking
That means trade-offs. You can’t have flexible, comfy boots that also behave like industrial farm kit.
The uncomfortable truth (sorry)
Wellies are a consumable product.
Just like tyres.
Just like hot water bottles.
They are not designed to last forever – they are designed to do a job, comfortably and safely, for a reasonable period of time.
If someone ever invents a welly that:
- Never degrades
- Never splits
- Never wears
- Works in every environment
Think of the business that would sit behind that. It wouldn’t be sustainable. And then there'd be no wellies!
Well Verity, how do I optimise the life of my wellies?
Simple things help:
- Make sure they fit well
- Don’t store them in direct sunlight
- Keep them away from radiators
- Rinse off salt, mud and chemicals
- Let them dry naturally
- Don’t force them on or off
Just like us, rubber likes being treated kindly!
Final thought
If your wellies are doing what they’re meant to do – keeping your feet dry while you live your life – they’re doing their job.
They’re not ornaments.
They’re not heirlooms.
And they’re definitely not hot water bottles on a shelf.
They’re workhorses. And like all workhorses, they eventually earn a rest.
Just remember, that when you buy from The Wide Welly Company, your wellies are sold with a 12-month guarantee. In the event of a manufacturing defect, we’ll replace your wellies. If we don’t know about an issue, we can’t resolve it.