Wellies: All-Purpose Work Boots Still Appeal

(NewsUSA) - Rubber boots may be the workhorse footwear of today, but they had a surprisingly ostentatious start.

Wellingtons were invented in 18th century England, when the first Duke of Wellington commissioned his shoemaker to create a low-cut heel, mid-calf version of his Hessian boot. Soon patriotic Brits, eager to emulate their war hero, made Wellingtons the newest footwear trend.

The original Wellingtons were made of leather. But in 1852, Hiram Hutchinson met Charles Goodyear, a tire manufacturer who had just invented vulcanized rubber. Hutchinson bought the patent to manufacture a rubber version of the Wellington in France. In an agricultural age, where most of the population wore wooden clogs, the introduction of the Wellington-style rubber boot made warm, dry feet possible for many a farmhand.

In World War II, the Wellington made an important contribution to forces who often had to work in flooded conditions. By the end of the war, the Wellington had become popular among men, women and children. Laborers began using them daily for work.

Today, these all-purpose work boots are popular with food workers, foundry workers, farmers and industrial chemical workers who use them to protect their feet from mud, water and worse.

Wellingtons are most often made with rubber or a synthetic equivalent, and many feature modern advancements. LaCrosse Footwear (lacrossefootwear.com), based in Portland, Ore., has been making rubber boots for more than 60 years. Products range from scent-free rubber boots for hunters to work boots with technical compositions that resist animal fats, petroleum, greases and chemicals, to insulated pac boot versions for cold weather conditions.

Other innovations, such as LaCrosse Ankle-Fit technology, help the boot fit better to keep it from slipping off in muck. Some versions come with buckles and expandable calf gussets to accommodate varying calf sizes. The company also makes boots with specialized soles such as self-cleaning soles and soles that grip in slippery conditions. LaCrosse carries a line of leather Wellingtons as well. Chances are, Lord Wellington would have approved.

"Article By: NewsUSA"