I’ll be honest: For a long time, I thought I had outgrown wellies. To me, they were tied to a specific memory: puddles, playgrounds, and the vague feeling I looked a bit like a duck every time I wore them. Even when designer versions had their trendy fashion moment, they always felt a little too “festival field” for me. Functional? Yes. Chic? I wasn’t convinced. And yet the Tall Gloss rain boots from Hunter are back in my suitcase this season – and something tells me they’ll be one of the most useful things I pack.
My first pair of Hunter boots actually came from my grandmother, who has an incredibly sharp eye for great shoes (and zero patience for flimsy ones). When I was a teenager, she bought me a pair of tall Hunters in a glossy light silver. They were practical, of course, but also strangely cool –metallic enough to feel a little dramatic, subtle enough to still work with everything in my wardrobe. I wore them constantly for years: on rainy afternoons, muddy sidelines, and long walks when the weather was questionable.
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A brief history of the Hunter rain boot
Somewhere along the line, I stopped reaching for my Hunters – convinced I had moved on from rubber boots entirely. They felt a little too embedded in the early-2010s uniform of tall boots and skinny jeans. After decades as a heritage British staple, Hunter Boot Ltd. hit a rough patch, entering administration in 2023 after financial strain and an over-expanded product line. But instead of disappearing, the company respectfully restructured under new ownership and returned its focus to the boot that made it iconic in the first place: the Original Tall rain boot. The result feels less trend-driven and more back-to-basics – in an honourable, sure-of-itself sort of way.
Right on time, this past Christmas, my fashion expert of a grandmother did what she tends to do when she believes a shoe deserves a second chance… she bought me another pair. This time, the classic tall gloss in red. (She knows me really well.)
Original Tall Gloss rain boots
How to pack them
I didn’t expect my red Hunter rain boots to become one of the most useful things I travel with. They’re durable, but far lighter and more flexible than people assume. The rubber isn’t stiff or bulky, which means they can actually bend a bit in your suitcase rather than taking up a rigid block of space (like some other tall boots do). I usually angle them along the side of my checked luggage and then roll socks – sometimes even a small scarf or packing cube – into the shaft. It’s one of those small packing tricks that saves a surprising amount of room.
Why I love them for travel
The real reason they’ve earned a permanent spot in my travel rotation is simple: they remove stress. If you travel often to and through Europe, you know the situation. You land somewhere beautiful – Rome, Copenhagen, Amsterdam – and within a few hours, it’s drizzling. Cobblestones become slick, the sidewalks puddle, and suddenly the “cute shoes” you packed feel like a mistake.
This year, rain clouds followed me across the globe on trips from Scotland to the Catskills. I didn’t mind the rain when I packed properly; with my Hunters, I walked through puddles and wet pavement without thinking about it. My rain boots were my go-to shoe on both trips – and not because they’re the most fashionable options in my suitcase, but because they’re comfortable and equipped to handle all the elements.
