10 Fun Facts About Rain Boots!

10 Fun Facts About Rain Boots!

10 Fun Facts About Rain Boots

If you subscribe to the Merry People newsletter, you may have seen over Christmas last year that we sent around some Gumboot Trivia to liven up the holiday break! (We also gave away a pair of Merry People Bobbi rain boots to one lucky trivia fan! If you don’t subscribe to our newsletter, you can do so here and be sure to stay in the loop for giveaways and other fun updates!) 

We had so much fun writing the quiz, that it inspired us to share with everyone some FUN FACTS ABOUT GUMBOOTS! 

So grab a tea, make yourself comfy, and get ready to learn some random trivia about rain boots - or gumboots as we call them in Australia!

1. Gumboots were invented in the early 1800’s by Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington. 

Prior to the gumboot, the Duke (well known in history for his victory at the Battle of Waterloo) wore soft calfskin boots called Hessians to battle. These were about calf high with tassels and a short heel. In the early-1800s, the Duke asked his shoemaker in St. James, London to modify the Hessian boot to increase its versatility. The cobbler removed the tassel, raised the boot to knee high for better protection, and waxed the leather for increased weatherproofing. These modifications made the Hessian boot suitable for battle and informal evening wear. So even at its earliest form, the gumboot was a quintessential everyday boot!

People loved this versatility and the new boot - Wellingtons - caught on fast quickly becoming a popular shoe of the aristocracy. 

2. Gumboots were originally made of leather. Rubber wasn't introduced until 1852. 

In 1852, Charles Goodyear (of Goodyear tyres) invented the sulfur vulcanization process for natural rubber to make it mouldable.  He then licensed this process to Hiram Hutchinson, an American-born industrialist. Hutchinson took this process back to France where he set up a mill to produce rubber Wellington boots. The farmers in the surrounding area had been working in wooden clogs, so (as you can imagine!), waterproof rubber boots were a hit and wellies soon became a go-to staple shoe!

Read More: The Difference Between Natural Rubber and PVC Rain Boots

3. Gumboots, gummies, rain boots, wellies, muck boots, Bluchers… gumboots have many names!

Originally only called Wellingtons, the nickname “gumboots” comes from the natural rubber - or “gum rubber” - that rain boots are made from. 

4. Gumboots were only available in one colour, Black, until 1956. 

Now, rain boots like our best-selling Bobbi boot, come in an array of colours like our sunny Mustard Yellow and vibrant Beetroot Red & Light Pink. What’s your favourite colour? 

5. Gumboot Day is a real holiday! 

Not just one we made up because we love gumboots! Gumboot Day is held every year on the Tuesday after Easter in Taihape, New Zealand.

6. And Gumboot Throwing is a real sport!

Also known as welly hoying and boot throwing, gumboot throwing is a sport in which competitors are required to throw a Wellington boot as far as possible. Originally from the UK, it is also popular in Taihape and you can compete during Gumboot Day!

7. The current world record for gumboot throwing is 209.9ft (63.98 metres).

Do you think you can break that record? 

8. The World's Largest Gumboot is 26 feet tall. 

The Golden Gumboot can be found in Tully, Far North Queensland. It was built  to commemorate the record 311 inches of rainfall the town received in 1950. 

9. Gumboot dancing is an expressive form of South African dance where dancers perform in wellies embellished with bells.  

Also known as Isicathulo, gumboot dancing started in the gold mines of South Africa.  Mine owners often forbade conversation among workers, so they in turn developed gumboot dancing as a means of coded conversation. By placing bells on their boots, they could sound out conversation to a person a short distance away. 

10. Gumboots are so versatile that there is a special song about the many ways to wear them!

At Merry People, our mission is to transform the humble gumboot from a practical necessity to your go-to, everyday boot.  While beautiful design and high-quality engineering can make a product essential, knowing that the gumboot has such a FUN and rich history makes it even more merry to us! 

How Well Do You Know Your Wellies? 10 Facts About Rain Boots

When you’re wading through those April showers, you don’t want to forget your rain boots. Or maybe you call them galoshes? Gumboots? Wellies? No matter what you know them as these 10 facts about safety boots will put your Wellie knowledge to the test!

10 Facts and Trivia About Rain Boots

Wellington rain boots, or “Wellies” are named for their inventor, Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington. As the story goes, Wellington, who was a leading military figure in Britain in the 1800s, asked his shoemaker to modify his riding boots. The result was a form-fitting, tassel-free boot that was comfortable for riding yet stylish enough for social settings. Wellington’s fame (he led the British Army to victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo) led others, especially British aristocracy, to start wearing this new style of boot, too. And because the boots were his personal creation, the name “Wellingtons” stuck.

Wellington’s boots were made of leather, but in 1856, the Scotland-based North British Rubber Company (known today by the brand name Hunter Boots) began manufacturing rubber Wellington rain boots. Rubber enhanced the boots’ design by giving them more flexible movement and making them 100% waterproof.

The nickname “gumboots” is a nod to the natural rubber that rain boots are made from. Natural rubber, which is obtained from trees, is called “gum rubber;” hence the name gumboots.

Wellingtons gained public popularity in Britain and across the globe in the years following World War I and World War II. During both wars, the North British Rubber Company was commissioned to produce rain boots for soldiers in an effort to prevent “trench foot”—a medical condition caused when feet are exposed to wetness for long periods of time. When the wars were over and soldiers brought the boots home, farmers, gardeners, and those working and playing in harsh weather conditions prized the footwear for its ability to keep feet warm and dry from rain, snow, and mud. Today, they are still worn for their functional and fashionable qualities.

Wellingtons were originally only available in one color: black. Other colors didn’t appear until 1956, the year Hunter Boots introduced green boots. Today, a rainbow of colors and designs exists.

In some countries, it’s considered proper rain boot etiquette to wear “lived-in” (somewhat dirty) Wellies. However, when you do clean them, you should rinse with water only and air dry.

To get rid of “blooming” (the white, powdery coating that appears when undissolved particles within the rubber material of your boots rise to the surface), wipe boots with water or olive oil and air dry.

One of the world’s largest rain boots—a yellow, nearly 26-feet-tall structure known as the “Golden Gumboot”—stands in Tully, Queensland, Australia. It was built to commemorate the record 311 inches (25.9 feet) of rainfall the town received in 1950.

Rain boot throwing is a sport in some parts of the world, including in the rural town of Taihape, New Zealand, which is nicknamed the “Gumboot Capital of the World.” Similar to the discus throw in track and field, the aim of welly throwing is to toss a boot farther than one’s competitors. As of the writing of this article, the world record for the longest gumboot toss stands at 209.9 feet!

In 2018, Hunter Boots flew a 120-feet-tall rain-boot-shaped hot-air balloon across Europe and the United States. The balloon was big enough to hold 100,000 pairs of Wellington rain boots.