In honour of my adopted countries' recent holiday, I thought I'd pick a British-type object to review. It was this, or tea cosies. I'm not in a good position to review tea cosies, though, so my beloved wellies are taking the stand.
My absolute favourite thing about Ariat shoes/boots is that they appear to have a model of my foot in the back room somewhere at the company. I've never had a brand fit so consistently, (although fashion trainers Tiger don't do badly.) Your mileage may vary on this, but for me - I mean these wellies are better supported than most random shoes I would wear for fashion purposes. Which is very cool :)
So they do the general things wellies do, they are waterproof and comfortable and actually not even too hot. Equally, they don't get cold too easily either, though they are no substitute for actual winter boots if those are needed.
I have cheerfully worn them over trousers, or just with skirts or shorts and wellie socks. A single pair of the fashionable type is entirely comfortable. For practical purposes I'd wear something like coolmax riding socks, or in a pinch any sports socks, and then layer shooting socks over the top whilst wearing the wellies (and take those off but still have some socks on if I want riding or jodphur boots or another tighter fitting shoe.)
I also thoroughly enjoy the colour :) (Two choices). I've tried on lots of others, and these are far more supportive and comfortable, and appear to be on the higher side of breathable. They do have a small heel and spur rest, and are theoretically possible to ride in, although I do everything I can to avoid it as they're big compared to the normal size of my foot.
The one downside is they do decay along the front/sides where they bend, I presume from overexposure to urine or similar when mucking out regularly (and not rinsing them, just took them off outside my room instead.) Probably most boots would, and probably I could have prevented it. They're still almost entirely functional at this point, but I wouldn't wade in streams with them or run a hose straight at them for an extended time.
Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 5
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 8
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 5 (Still on the fence about this, they don't fall apart and I may have caused the problem I had, but equally I can't prove top durbility)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 8 (But your mileage may vary depending on lifestyle)
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 10 (Again, depends on your lifestyle. If you live or work in the country, or consistently have to trek in the wet, they're a huge deal. If you occasionally go to the country on holiday, less. If you never leave London, well, they're not fashion wellies, even if they do serve the basic purposes)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 5 (In part for perfect fit, in part for colour enjoyment)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 7 (Ariat coolness varies, but they are at least a little cool. I'd call them a ten, but in reality they are midrange of cool things, overall.)
*Do I think its the best in its field: NOT SURE
*Could I live without it: NO
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Adults, Teenagers, Male, Female, Countryside Folk, Walkers, Festival Goers
Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.
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