Gear review: Merry Boots
Travel writer Carolyne Jasinski puts a pair of stylish rubber boots - Bobbi Boots from the Merry People range - to the test during an expedition cruise in South Australia.
When do rubber boots become so much more than your old-fashioned wellies that were only to be worn on the farm?
When Merry People take them and turn them into, dare I say, fashionable Bobbi Boots.
What are Bobbi Boots? (and who are these Merry People?)
Bobbi Boots are the type of rubber boot (aka gumboots) which are equally at home, in the city, on the farm or an expedition cruise. Bobbi Boots are the brainchild of Dani Pearce – the founder and CEO of Merry People. Dani grew up on a dairy farm in South Gippsland in Victoria, so she was very familiar with gumboots.
But it wasn’t until she was working in a corporate office in Melbourne in 2014, dealing with the city’s notoriously wet weather, that she came up with the idea for her Merry boots.
She needed waterproof shoes that could cover her daily commutes and also let her walk into the office without feeling like she should have been back on the farm. But her search was fruitless … so she decided to make some boots herself.
Ten years on and I can say these boots are made for walking … and slushing and gardening and what ever else you need to do while keeping your feet dry.
Rubber boots are a great option for expedition cruising
“Like my journey, Merry People represents finding what makes you feel happy and alive,” says Dani.
“Putting your gumboots on, finding your own unique adventure, embracing the unknown and enjoying the journey.”
My journey, puts a pair of khaki green Bobbi Boots to the ultimate test on a Coral Expeditions cruise around the wild islands of South Australia.
You might not think a cruise is going to make rubber boots work very hard.
But you would be wrong.
This is an expedition cruise which means there’s more adventure and less of the usual lazing around. Twice a day we get off the ship to explore a different island. We hike, go beach combing, rock climbing, bird watching, wander through old homesteads and historic sites and meet the locals.
Kangaroo Island, Boston Island, Flinders Island and Reevesby Island are just some of our destinations. Each time we venture to an island, there is a wet landing to negotiate.
That means we step off the Xplorer boat into water and so need sturdy shoes that are waterproof, won’t slip off your feet and can stand up to all sorts of underwater and beach obstacles – like razor fish – that could cause problems should you step on them.
Cue the Bobbi Boots.
Can rubber boots be used as walking boots?
As well as meeting all the safety requirements, they’re also comfortable. Bobbi Boots are ankle-high and have a neoprene gusset and two pull tabs to help get them on. Mine are a khaki green colour that don’t look out of place no matter what I wear.
However, if khaki is too boring for your tastes, bright yellow or orchid rubber boots might be your choice, there are plenty of colours to select from.
How do rubber boots stand up to the wet landings? Ideal… until the water is higher than ankle deep. Then they fill up.
I did worry that I might suddenly struggle with the extra weight of the water and that they might turn into anchors.
But apart from my feet being wet, and staying wet, they still did the job.
In one particularly deep return walk to the boat – up to my waist – they were brilliant! I didn’t have to worry about stepping on sharp shells or rocks and there was no chance of twisting an ankle.
Some landings only required stepping into a few cm of water. On those occasions, I kept the boots on to see how they performed on hikes. Small arch supports mean they get a big thumbs up for comfort and for extra protection in case we met any snakes along the way.
Back on the ship, drying did prove a slight problem. Once the neoprene inner is wet, it stays that way for a few days. But slipping them on wet was still quite easy.
The Merry People rubber boot verdict
Bobbi Boots were not made for the expedition cruising excursions that I put them through, but they proved to be ideal in most situations.
A few times – when I walked in deep water and they got soaked – they were a little heavy. But the protection they provided outweighed (pardon the pun) the weight issue. They also look great. I had to fight the ship’s deck crew and expedition crew to keep hold of them.
Now I can’t wait to test them in more “normal” situations like the garden and while hiking in the bush.
** The next pair I want to try are Merry People’s new Lochie Sandals. They’re made of the same tough material but for warm weather adventures. Sounds like they’d be perfect for those wet boat landings.
JUST THE FACTS
Price: $159.95
Sizing: Bobbi Boots run true to size, so order your normal shoe size. There is also a size guide on the product page if you want to be more technical. For half sizes, they recommend sizing down.
If you would rather try them on, visit the website to find the nearest stockist.
Web: Merry People
Carolyne Jasinski is a media specialist with decades of experience and hundreds of media famils under her travel writing and hosting belt.
She runs Footloose & Fancy Freelance, a successful travel and lifestyle writing and editing business. “The world is at your feet” is her motto and she has followed those feet to some amazing places around the world.
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