#WELLIES Skellerup Quatro Safety
Le Chameau Vierzonord
Bekina Agrilite
The first thing to note about these boots from New Zealand’s Skellerup is that they are heavy duty, complete with an armoured toe-plate. The company makes a variety of products for the dairy sector, as well as specialist footwear for the fire and forestry services, and the Quatro Safety might well tackle all of those disciplines at once. If there’s any risk of a burning fresian falling out of a tree onto your foot, you’d be fine in these. They are also properly waterproof. Solid these are, but beneath the vulcanised, armadillo-ribbed exterior they are super comfortable and insulated.
Hopes were high for the Rolls Royce of rubberised footwear, but were unfortunately dashed. I am sure Le Chameau are lovely – as long as you have the calves of a gazelle. But for mere mortals, the narrow gauge of the leg and ankle made getting them on a challenge. Getting them off was easier, but only because I used Orla as a boot jack. Once on, the close fit meant that there was zero chance of losing them in mud and strenuous water testing revealed them to be fully waterproof. The neoprene lining added comfort but not much warmth. Probably more suited to a festival rather than a dairy parlour.
Despite being fairly heavy-duty boots built to withstand anything you throw at them, the Bekina Agrilites are remarkably light. They slip on easily and hug the foot without feeling like you have blocks of cement on your feet. If they don’t fit perfectly there’s a handy insole included, which is a nice bonus. I certainly wouldn’t call these fashionable wellies, however, they’re discreet enough to suit most situations and they are very affordable. There’s even the added protection of a steel toe-cap, which is perfect for when you’re lugging timber round the yard or rolling a keg into a festival.
Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:
Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:
Ease of getting on/OFF: Comfort: Hill walking: Mud walking: Puddle walking:
Worn by Jo lechameau.com £170
Worn by Tom skellerupfootwear.co.uk £69
5 5 2 4 4
Worn by John bekina-boots.com £54.99
1 2 3 4 4
5 4 3 5 4
Welly wanging
The most important part of the review was testing just how far we could throw our wellies. Simply put, we were going for distance. One pair of boots each, two chances to get it right. Tom went first and set the bar high with the Skellerups. The armoured toes for safety on farms gave his boot extra weight to carry them further during the flight. Huw’s first throw landed mere inches behind Tom’s and showed off the aerodynamics of the Dickies. Orla then launched her Gumleaf with the ferocity of a Viking and managed a respectable distance, even if it was a few feet behind Huw’s welly. Jo stepped forward and flung her slimline Le Chameau a decent distance, but in a bizarre direction that rendered her attempt pointless within the realms of this competition. And in a final challenge to Tom, John’s unorthodox over-the-shoulder throw was a brave way to gain distance but only landed a few inches ahead of Orla’s boot. To make the welly wang more even, the testers probably should have left the throwing to one person, but they all agreed that Tom’s will have still been flung the furthest, thanks in part to the added weight.
14
MAY 2018 / #STUDENTFARMER
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24/04/2018 13:58:40