The gumboot, or as otherwise known the wellington, has been planning its coup d'état for years. Biding its time under the mask of practicality, the gumboot is now the proud title owner of ‘the wardrobe staple’.
The trump card was played years ago under the guise of Kate Moss. Moss debuted the now iconic ‘Hunter’ gumboot at the Glastonbury Festival, where it gleamed in its own natural habitat – the muddy outdoors.
The phenomenon that slowly followed has now exploded. Everyone wants to buy in to this aesthetic of good hard fun. Surely, as we justify to our credit cards, there is no other way to go but the Moss-way. The ‘Hunter’ way.
Hunter has been making wellingtons in Scotland since 1856. Whereas Hunter gumboots were originally designed for combating the unpredictable weather of the Scottish Highlands, they are now celebrated worldwide as a fashion statement suitable both outdoors and in. Women can choose from a range of colours varying from navy to yellow to even (for the girl who has everything) aubergine.
It is obvious that Hunter have cashed in on something good. As their website promises you, ‘Hunter gumboots are simply the best gumboots that money can buy’. They are the Louboutins of wellies; classic, distinctive and most importantly, highly sought-after. But there is no denying that they appeal to expensive tastes.
Priced at $180.00 they are no small investment, especially when remembering that a pair of perfectly satisfactory Wholesale gumboots can be picked up for a measly $8.80. Indeed everyone admits it is ridiculous but everyone still secretly wants a pair. Like a thong only being a thong if it is Havaianas, the gumboot is only a gumboot if it is Hunter.
The real reason is due to the connotation that they invoke. People are willing to pay for the feeling or sense that the gumboot can imply. Hunter gumboot have become integrated with the happy memories of an overcast winter festival. Pulling on a Hunter is analogous to squelching through crowds buzzing with excitement, hearing the music come closer as one heads towards the main stage. Hunter gumboots simply guarantee a good time.
Indeed the Hunter regime promises to be a memorable experience. Though perhaps slightly autocratically minded, it does assure that there is something for everyone. It is a campaign which has taken the world by storm. Hunter promotes a durability that is both attractive and stylish. And certainly there is satisfaction in knowing that in the hard times when we are all stuck in the mud, we’ll all look good doing so.
