Rubber Boots

Rubber boots are all the rage right now.  I love rubber boots.  They remind me of jumping in puddles and trekking through creeks and other messy fun.  I don’t have the pencil thin calves required to pull off the Fashionista look, but as soon as I realized they were in, I was desperate to get a pair.

We were planning a family trip to London over spring break and I knew rubber boots would be put to good use there.  We were cashing in years of miles earned from past business travel and strategic credit card use, so splurging on boots didn’t seem too frivolous, even if they did cost twice as much as my favorite leather boots.

I was afraid the popular Hunter brand would not accommodate my ample calves, so I got a pair of Bogs that were on sale and could double as barn boots over the long term.  They were not as cool as the Hunters, but they were shiny and fun and I immediately loved them.

I test-drove them in New York one rainy weekend in February.  My friends thought I was a doofus until they realized everyone in New York had them.  I was actually stylish and practical all at once — a far cry from the doofus who had sprained her foot racing across a crosswalk in platform flip-flops on an earlier trip.   That sprain hurt a lot more than the blisters caused by skinny jeans bunching-up and rubbing my vacuum-packed ankles.

While I could get the boots on over my jeans (no minor accomplishment given my stature) they were snug and pinched a bit.  So, I wore them every opportunity I could, hoping to stretch them out so they would be completely comfortable in London.   I didn’t want to get cankle blisters there!  I wore them around the house and out on days I shouldn’t have, facing the harsh judgment of people who rightly thought big-ass rubber boots should be reserved for rainy days.  After a few weeks, they were ready and I was sure the effort was worth it.

As the big trip approached, I checked the weather online daily.  Everything showed rain or at least drizzle for the entire month of March.  I planned my travel wardrobe entirely around the boots.  I even got my daughter a cheap pair, picturing her adorably slogging around London like Christopher Robin or Paddington Bear.

But a few days before we were set to leave, the forecast changed dramatically and we were scheduled to get unseasonably warm and sunny weather – a straight six days of sunshine!  Fantastic, right!?  Yeah, fantastic, except I didn’t need the damn boots.  Not only didn’t I need them, I couldn’t really justify packing the clunky things and hauling them halfway around the world.  I had to completely rework my wardrobe.  So much for planning ahead.  So much for London Fashionista and Paddington Bear.

We had a great trip.  It was sunny and in the mid-60s every day – completely unheard of.  My fair-weather shoes were not nearly as hip as big rubber boots, but I was thankful for the beautiful weather and the liberty it gave us to walk everywhere and fully enjoy the city.  When I saw folks wearing their wellies in the sun, I judged them harshly and relished my good luck and the sunshine.

The day after we got home, my luck ran out and the boots were put to use.  Turns out rubber boots come in handy when your septic line clogs and leaves puddles of grey water and muck in your basement.  As I’ve already said, these boots are cute and practical.

I may not be a Fashionista, but my instincts were spot on when I knew I just had to have those big rubber boots.