life is like a hurricane, here in duck boots

December 16, 2016 10:36 AM

A Rain Boot Roundtable

Four Racked editors — three of them correct — debate the worth of a shoe you can only wear when it’s wet outside.

posted by poffin boffin (29 comments total)

but do you mean the rubber wellie-type boot or the classically perfect duck boot greg

what is your official new hampshire ruling on the rain vs snow status of the duck boot
posted by poffin boffin at 10:41 AM on December 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

*side-eye at thread title
posted by saturday_morning at 10:41 AM on December 16, 2016 [5 favorites]

metafilter: You need some limb articulation.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 10:46 AM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm amused that they are halfway into it before realizing that they are talking about totally different boots. It reminds me about Kate Barton's story about chatting with coworker's about "peelers," and the conversation going on startlingly long before realizing that she was talking about the early London police force and they were talking about strippers.

Except, you know, rain boots
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:50 AM on December 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wait, are the rain boots the strippers in this story?
posted by Etrigan at 10:51 AM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

And when you do wear them, rain boots are only serve a purpose for a small part of your day

Well, this is the dumbest thing I've read off of Facebook today. "I only eat for like thirty minutes a day, so I might as well just consume live rodents stuffed with cabbage."
posted by Etrigan at 10:53 AM on December 16, 2016 [4 favorites]

This was like watching a bad episode of Seinfeld - all the meaningless banter, none of the humor.

I feel bad for the employees who had to transcribe this thing into print and put it online as though it was content. Next time just leave a recorder on during a staff meeting and be done with it. You'd think a real roundtable would start with someone handing out a photo of a rainboot, an agenda for discussion and start, but no, we get to read a vapid gonzo watercooler conversation.
posted by womandad at 10:55 AM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

Wait, are the rain boots the strippers in this story?

Only the ones who aren't duck boots.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:55 AM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

These people can pry my Hunter wellies from my warm, bone-dry feet literally never.
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:57 AM on December 16, 2016

the early London police force and they were talking about strippers.

Quit perpetuating this false dichotomy.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:00 AM on December 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

Also, anyone who ascribes "uni-task" status to a rain boot, like they're some kind of Mango Pit Sculptor Tool-As Seen On TV! has probably never lived in Philadelphia. Like I guess breathable atmosphere is technically a one trick pony for me. Sometimes you get six inches of rain in a day and sure, my oxen may have died but guess who didn't get Mysterious Puddle Dysentery? Bless you, rain boots. Honor on your cow.
posted by jetlagaddict at 11:01 AM on December 16, 2016 [7 favorites]

A month ago I bought my first ever pair of rain boots (these awesome metallic silver ones) and now find myself firmly on the side of "of course rain boots!" Sure, I don't wear them all the time, but when I need them they're the only footwear that will do the job.
posted by Lexica at 11:03 AM on December 16, 2016

i hate rubber rain boots and im not sorry
posted by poffin boffin at 11:07 AM on December 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

Well, this is the dumbest thing I've read off of Facebook today. "I only eat for like thirty minutes a day, so I might as well just consume live rodents stuffed with cabbage."

I understood the complaint to be that rain boots are useful for the small amount of time you're outside in the rain, and then woefully maladapted to the rest of your day unless you muck out horse stalls for a living. So you either need to spend most of the day inside clomping around in rubber boots in an office setting or take another pair of shoes with you to wear inside.

The proper analogy to your statement, I put it to you, would be something like "I only eat for thirty minutes a day, so I probably shouldn't carry a plate and utensils around with me all the rest of the day too."
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:07 AM on December 16, 2016 [6 favorites]

My duck boots are for rain. My rubber boots are part of my Field Biologist Uniform.
posted by pemberkins at 11:15 AM on December 16, 2016 [5 favorites]

I live in a semi arid climate, so not only did (DID) I not have rain boots, but I shared the only marginally rain type jacket I could find with two other people.

So a few years back, when we had a deluge that took out roads and stranded whole communities, we were all pretty screwed. I had snow boots, but they were not hardcore waterproof type snow boots, and like I said, one third of a marginally waterproof jacket. There was a shocking picture of a completely washed out road the national news used to illustrate the story that was about two miles from my house. I got lucky, in that all I had to deal with was bailing out the window wells, which were filling too quickly to drain. For days. I was getting maybe 15 minute breaks between bailing on the worst day. AND I HAD TO DO IT BAREFOOT.

So as soon as it subsided enough for me to go out and search, I went looking for waterproof boots. Obviously, they were sold out in all the obvious places, but I was able to score a lone, aggressively ugly pair for me that was hidden back in the garden section of a Target, and an even uglier pair for my husband that was in the building materials section of Home Depot.

I did just get my first new pair of snow boots in probably 25 years, a pair of beautiful, lined Sorel duck boots, and man, do I love them. But the rain boots are taller and much better equipped for large amounts of liquid water than they are, and I am keeping them for the next climate change disaster.

I do not look cute in them, but that's a plus. Glomping around in mud and rushing water all day makes me want to be scary and repulsive.
posted by ernielundquist at 11:33 AM on December 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

I can't find rain boots in my size - 10 1/2 EE. I looked pretty hard for a while too because I walked to the train station for a year and the road through the swamp would flood regularly. But they don't fit my calf, or they fit but are too big in the sole. But I have that problem with all shoes. It's like the issue plus-sized clothing has, where once you hit a certain size it all becomes freakishly ugly and ill-fitting because fuck you for not fitting in what the designers like to make.

I ended up getting men's boots and then trying to prettying them up by découpaging flowers on, but ... no. I looked very silly.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 11:57 AM on December 16, 2016

I love rain boots. They were my childhood yellow armor. So long as it is warm ok.
Otherwise bullshit.
I worked in a freezer. It was -20. Rubber boots stow moisture which robs you of heat.
posted by vapidave at 12:03 PM on December 16, 2016

I swear, slightly too big, cheapish hardware store rain boots and a really thick pair of wool socks is the shit. perfectly comfortable, breathable, dry, warm, forever.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 12:38 PM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

80 Cats in a Dog Suit: Try widewidths.com. They only sell boots for women with wide calves, in various widths, as well as various foot widths. That link goes to their new rain boots section, but don't stop there if you like boots. I was never able to get anything higher than ankle boots before I found these guys.
posted by current resident at 12:48 PM on December 16, 2016

It's hot when you're wearing them in the summer, and your legs get sweaty, but if you're wearing them in the cold, I’m pretty sure rubber is conductive and it makes your feet freezing.

Rubber is a terrible material for comfort. Leather or neoprene work much, much better for temperature control and they're more comfortable too. LEather blundstones are more duckboot replacements (which are awful in their own way), but neoprene boots are great alternatives to wellies.
posted by bonehead at 12:54 PM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thanks, current resident. But once you hit 10, the site stops making 1/2 sizes. I'm too big for a 10 and an 11 slides off my heel and I galump around. And at almost a $150, I'd want something that actually fits.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 12:58 PM on December 16, 2016

My go-to used to always be the black or green no-name jobbies from the nearest Ranger Surplus. Heavy, thick and impenetrable, decently cheap at $20-30, but non-breathable and unconfortable.

About 8 years ago I went to Antarctica and was advised to buy these neoprene boots from LL Bean. At $120 they were ludicrously expensive compared to what I was used to, but they :
- are comfortable and actually breathe a little
- are water-proof to just below the knee
- are tight enough on the calf (with pants) to minimize splashing and easy to cover with an outer layer
- are comparatively light
- fit my size 13 feet easily.

They've been down the Grand Canyon with me twice, used to snowshoe and hike dog trails in all kinds of fall/winter conditions. I can wear them for hours (and did, last year) while shoveling or walking. My biggest complaint is that they're overkill in shorts weather, almost like a reverse three-season.

Pro-tip: buy a set of felt insoles for $10 and trim to size in whatever rain/gum/muck/duck boot you have. Adds comfort and about 5º warmth.
posted by now i'm piste at 3:34 PM on December 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

I love everything about rain boots & I look hot in them.
posted by dame at 4:04 PM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

I love everything about rain boots & I look hot in them.

I'm happy for you, but us fucks with canckles will never know your life.
posted by Diablevert at 5:04 PM on December 16, 2016

(don't worry it was a joke because this is about rain boots, the women's options for waterproof boots appropriate for both the commute and the office are just not overall that awesome and sometimes divisive!)
posted by jetlagaddict at 5:40 PM on December 16, 2016

I have had some cute rain boots, but man, my feet HATE THEM. I break out in rashes and/or blisters very quickly after wearing the damn things almost every time I try to wear them. Because of this, I can't wear them all day long in the office, and hell, yesterday I had to cave in and wear them because we'd been having flooding alerts for a week. I was starting to get a damn blister in the 10-minute walk from my office to the car and had to give up and take them off. My feet would rather be soaked (and I really can't seem to find any other shoes that can deal with rain any more either), apparently, than attempt to stay dry. Waaaaaaaaaaaah, my feet are whining little bitches.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:11 PM on December 16, 2016

I wear Muck boots for field work, but I'd never wear them around town or to walk to work. That seems like total overkill unless you walk through a swamp to get to work.

The worst feeling is when you step into slightly too-deep water, and you get a slug of frigid water inside.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:37 PM on December 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

My problem with rain boots is that cheap ones (like $20) wear out super quickly, and then fail to fulfill even the one task they are good for, which is keeping the rain away; and more expensive ones are too damn pricey for an item you'll wear like 3 x year.

But I do look cute as heck in em
posted by likeatoaster at 6:15 AM on December 17, 2016