The Easter Weekend was quite a wash out this year and looking back on my Facebook ‘On This Day’ moments with pictures of the kids in shorts and t-shirt last year did not help at all! But nonthereless we decided a little bit of rain will not dampen our spirits and we will enjoy the long weekend with friends who came down from London to spend Easter Sunday and Easter Monday with us! Despite rain being forecast all day on Easter Monday we decided to brave the wet weather and go for a walk in Iford Fields in the late morning. Thankfully BOGS kitted us out with waterproof and insulated boots for the whole family so we were prepared to not only stay dry but also nice and warm whilst finding the biggest puddle to jump in!
Ever since moving to the seaside I repeatedly put down ‘get some wellies for the whole family’ on my to do list but I never got round to actually getting some. There is Mr. C. who only recently started to wear something else than trainers and Converse on our beach and forest walks with the family, he has never owned a single pair of wellies all through his live and doesn’t find them particular nice looking! Then there is our equally fussy son Finn who does not wear boots or wellies full stop. He doesn’t like the hard rubber and the tightness around his calf so I mostly have to throw his trainers into the washing machine every time we go out walking the dogs (of his cousin) in wet weather hoping that they survive! Not really ideal. Then there is Molly-May who is the most easy going of us all she wears any kind of footwear you give her as long as its shiny and her favourite colour (which of course – to my despair – is pink!). I on the other hand as much as I would love to wear a welly boot to stay dry when we are out and about have real struggles to find anything to fit around my (very thick) Bavarian calf’s! So when I went on the BOGS website to choose some boots for us all I decided to involve the whole family to make sure they are happy with their new boots.
Mr. C. decided on a pair of mossy oak Classic High Insulated Boots who look massive (might got something to do with the fact that he has large feet) there are a great fit and he says they’re very comfortable to wear.
Finn chose the dark blue Durham Solid Insulated Boots because it’s in his favourite colour and he thought the easy-on handle looked quite cool! The real test came when they arrived and he tried them on. I was holding my breath and when I got the thumbs up I was more than relieved! He said they don’t even feel like wearing wellies!
Molly-May of course went for the bright pink North Hampton Solid Insulated Rain Boots and couldn’t wait to wear them around the house as soon as they arrived! She was pretty sad when I refuse to let her wear them to Pre-School to show them off to her friends because they only allow trainers, shoes indoors.
My first choice was the Classic High Insulated Boots but as a mentioned above my calf issue meant that despite being able to pull them up (when wearing leggings) they just where a tad to tight when I was walking around in them. Despite sizing up a size after reading the reviews on the website I just didn’t have enough room around my calf’s! Most of the boots have the circumference in inches in the description but this particular one didn’t. I then received the black North Hampton Solid Mid Insulated Boots who are just half the length of a normal welly and they fitted like a glove. I like the sleek shiny black look to them and the extra cushioning with the moulded EVA insoles make it’s a real joy to walk in and wear for a longer period of time! I normally have a bit of a problem with my feet smelling unpleasant when it comes to wearing rubber wellies but I can report that the bio-technology Durafresh odour control most certainly does it’s job very well!
Both Molly-May’s and my North Hampton Boots are comfort rated from temperate to 5°F so there are ideal to wear all year round! They are lightly insulated, 100% waterproof with a mud-defying outsole lined with Bogs Max Wick to keep feet dry. Despite only being lightly insulated they kept our feet dry and warm on our walk.
Mr. C’s Classic BOGS Boots are non slip, non-marking and self-cleaning outsole and not surprisingly despite him wadding through just as many deep puddles as the children and walking along some pretty muddy paths on our walk they ended up being the “cleanest ones” out of the 4 pairs when I washed them a couple of days later! His boots have a comfort rating from temperate to cold conditions and he told me that they are nice and cosy despite the rainy and chilly air.
Finn’s Durham Boots are the most comfort rated from temperate to -30°F which are perfect for our currently wet and chilly Spring, Autumn and the upcoming Winter months.
All the boots have a 5-7mm waterproof Neo-Tech™ insulation, most of them have a non-marking and self-cleaning outsole and a durable hand-lasted rubber over a four-way stretch inner booties which is the secret that makes them so very comfortable. The added handles on most children and some adult boots are a added bonus for easy access:
Our verdict on our new BOGS Boots?
I have to admit I was a little bit sceptical because all the Bogs Boots where quite heavy and I was worried that this might be a problem comfort wise with the children wearing them for a longer period of time but it wasn’t and they did not once complain or in Finn’s case ask me a hundred times when he can take of his wellies (which is what he normally does when I made him wear them in the past!) All the normal height boots have a very generous upper calf fitting which makes it easier when wearing jeans or in MM’s case waterproof dungarees over her leggings! I am really glad that Finn (the most judging candidate when it comes to wellies) did not once tell me he doesn’t like them or he will not wear them again and even more surprisingly despite his effort of finding the deepest puddles and walking through them his socks stayed dry and only his trousers were splashed with mud at the end of the walk!
THE AFTER PICTURE
Yes there are a little bit on the pricier side when it comes to wellies (ranging from £25 in the sale up to £120+) but then there aren’t your standard boots that’s for sure and you get so much more than just waterproof ones. Over the years I realised that I put quality before quantity anytime and I think with any BOGS Footwear you get very good, long-lasting boots with the extra’s of utter comfort alongside some stylish looks and most importantly great technology to keep those small and big toes warm in any weather!
You can check out their full Baby and Kids Range and Adult range on the BOGS Footwear website!
Disclaimer: I have been sent some Bogs Boots for the Family for reviewing purposes, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
