Figure 1.--This photograph shows Canadian boys wearing standard black wellies during an enviromenatal camp outing during 2002. Notice the red soles. Image courtesy of James Alcock.

No country is more associated with Wellington boots than England. They have, however, been worn since the early 20th century in many other countries and are still a popular boot today. They continue to be most popualr in England and various former English colonies. They are worn in other countries as well, but we have less information on this. We have noted them being worn in America. Red and black rubber boots were being sold in America in the early 1920s, but they are not nearly as popular today as England.Styling and colors vary from country to country as do the height of the boots. Linings and treads also vary. There are also variarions in how boys like to wear their wellies.

America

Red and black rubber boots were being sold in America in the early 1920s. I'm not positive when they first appeared. Wellies were made famous in America of course by Christopher Robin. In a country like England where it rains so much, they were very useful footware. American boys also wore rubber boots, but they were not nearly as common as in England.

Australia

Wellies were popular in Australia as in other former British colonies. I am not sure when they first appeared. An Australian reader writes, "I had a pair of big bulky black rubber boots or Wellies as a boy of 9 in 1971. You could not get them off me in the wet weather. My dad got my Wellies because he saw I loved getting in to puddles and kerbside floods on the roads." Colored wellies appaeared about 1970 for younger children. There were blue, red, white, and yellow as well as the traditional black of course. Our Australiab reader reports in 2002, "I saw some Wellies with red undersoles recently. A friend of my my nephew Jamie has pair of black Wellies with the red undersoles. Jaimie himself has dark blue Wellies. Like his uncle, he loves those muddy puddles." According to our reader, "Some country boys here in Port Pirie District wore them to the markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, usually to the Abatoirs Markets where poultry, pigeons, sheep, rabbits, and local parrots, and finches or budgies are sold." He also indicates that some Wellies had a fruit smell added to them as my oldest nephew Alex had a red pair that smelled of roses or apricots/lemons/oranges and other fragrant smells these often gave Alex and I nausea." Blue is reportedly the favorite color for little boys and black is next in line.

Canada

A Canadian reader tells us, "Black and red rubber boots have also been extremely popular among Canadian boys, and remain so today. Every Canadian boy has worn a pair of rubber boots, like his British counterpart. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was considered tough and cool to fold the tops down. The lower they were folded, the more cool a boy was. Today, rubber boots remain popular in Canada, more so than in the U.S., however, it is now more common for Canadian boys to wear their rubber boots up at full length. Canadian boys wear rubber boots in the mud and water in the spring, at camps in the summer and generally on rainy days. They also wear lined winter boots during the harsh cold winters. Canadians usually have a blend of the British and American influence, this is evident with the boots and the popularity of going barefoot in the summer." [Alcock]

England

No country is more associated with wellies than England. Virtually every British boy has worn Wellington boots or "wellies" at some time in his life. The heavy and frquent rainfall in Britain, make wellies very ptactical footwear. They were not specifically made for children, but were worn by adults as well for outdoor activities. Most of the wellies we have seen are black, but white and colored wellies were also worn. Up until the 1980's, British wellington boots were predominantly all black. However, since then, green wellington boots have become far more popular in Britain. Today, most British people, both adults and children, have green wellington boots which have beige soles. Green wellingtons were apparently made popular by members of the Royal Family in the early 1980's.

France

Wellies are sometimes referred to as Napoleon boots in France, for the same reason they are called Wellington boots in England. Important leaders in the early 19th century wore high, well polished black boots. Of course they did not wear rubber boots, but high rubber boots have something of the look of high, polished leather boots. A French company reports producing rubber boots in 1927. Claude Chamot from Cherbourg produced his first ever natural rubber boots. Le Chameau boots are manufactured at Pont d'Ouilly in Normandie, producing over 400,000 pairs each year. A French expert on leather boots tells us, "The first French rubber boots were created in 1853 by Hutchinson and not in 1923 by Le Chameau." We are not sure, but presumably Le Chameau was the first to produce rubber boots in quantity. Aigle and le Chameau are the most famous French rubber boots now, but for years, (1950-1980) it was: "Baudou" Ltd; they made totally unlined rubber boots (black ones) called "Tracteur". They were very very very popular among counry people. Virtually all French farmers wore them. The French Army bought thousands and thousands of them for years. Rubber boots were not as common un France, especially for children, as England, but they were still widely worn. [Bourcier]

Germany

We have not normally thought of wellies in association with Germany. We gave not noted many German boys wearing them. We have noted, however, a unidentified German farm boy wearing wellies about 1910. We also note three German boys wearing them in the 1950s.

Ireland

We believe that wellies are worn in Ireland much as they are in England. We have at this time, however, little actual information. Ireland has a very wet climate, so wellies are worn there just as much as in the rest of the British Isles. The boots are the same styles as the ones worn throughout the U.K. and the Irish Republic. The Irish even have wellie races in which adults and children hold running races wearing wellington boots.

Italy

No information available yet.

Scotland

We believe that wellies are worn in Scotland much as they are in England. The same style and colors are worn in Scotland as in England. We have at this time, however, little actual information about wellies in Scotland.

Sources

Bourcier, Pascal. E-mail, July 1, 2003.

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Created: October 25, 2000
Last updated: 9:35 PM 4/8/2009