Boots of the meeting 2023

The theme of this year's meeting, 2023, will be old English rubber boots that are no longer made today. These boots, called Vintage Wellies, were or are still worn today to the delight of rubber boot enthusiasts. The variety of these handmade English rubber boots is so great that it is confusing. Some of the best known brands are Hunter, Bullseye, Gates, Uniroyal, Lincoln and Dunlop. There are certainly other brands that I do not know. Among all these brands that I know, there are many versions that have been made especially for certain professions. Then, for brands like Lincoln, there was the Armasol model in X-high and Standard. I have a Lincoln model called Armasol, Jetflash. They have steel toe caps. For the Bulleye, there was also the Standard and X-hight presentation, and in addition there was one for Ireland, with the red edge above the sole and at the top of the shaft. At Gates, you could have the company logo on the upper. For the miners, there were some with steel toecaps and rubber reinforcements on the instep and ankles. The toes of rubber boots with steel toes were often covered with rubber of different colours. Blue, green, orange, grey, red, etc. Diamondised or not. An almost infinite variety of variations. The appearance of these rubber boots is always a bit clumsy, which is what makes them special for many enthusiasts. In terms of quality, they were excellent rubber boots, robust and durable.

Only a few brands and models have survived, some of which, like Hunter, are produced in China, in a much lower quality. These English rubber boots are a bit special in the world of rubber boot enthusiasts. That's why I'm themeing them at my meeting this year.

Of course, it is always possible to participate at the meeting with other rubber boots, because it is relatively difficult to get hold of these old English boots. On auction platforms, it is not uncommon for them to fetch almost astronomical prices. The Lincoln Armasol X-high models in particular are highly sought-after.

And not the least. Two years ago, a new opportunity to buy rubber boots inspired by these British models opened up. These are rubber boots from the company Vintage Wellies, ( www.vintagewellies.com ), which are made to order in Argentina in a small rubber boot factory.

And now I hope that some of the participants will appreciate these old English rubber boots in their true value at the meeting.

We will see you on 8 and 9 July 2023, and I hope you enjoy your rubber boots. English or other rubber boots.

The organiser of the meeting, Agraro.