How do I choose the right pair of Wide Calf Wellies?

Back when I was young (no further detail will be given!), buying a pair of wellies was quite a simple process. You either bought a cheap pair of Dunlop boots or an expensive pair of Hunter boots. If neither of those fitted you, then you were generally out of luck. Luckily things have changed and we now have an enormous range to choose from in lots of different colours, sizes and fittings, so we wanted to share our thoughts on how to choose the right pair for you.

There are 4 main choices to make when choosing a pair.

1. Usage. What do you use your wellies for and how much do you use them? 

If you go for the occasional dog walk or just to watch your children playing football, normal boots should be perfectly sufficient. Boots between £35-£60 will give you a comfortable walk and will last if maintained properly. 

If you work in farms or stables and wear your boots for more than an hour a day, we would recommend looking at hard wearing boots or our Muck Boots or Gumleaf ranges.These are more durable and protected from some of the corrosive waste that can damage rubber that is found in stables and farms

We always compare them to sports shoes - if you went running for an hour a day, would you just spend £30 on a pair of cheap trainers? 

2. Sizing. Measure your calves and feet with a tape measure.

Nobody really knows how wide their calves are until they actually measure them. Simply put a tape measure around them at the widest point. Then make sure that you check the calf sizing for your specific foot size on the website to see if they will fit. 

Jileon Wellies specialise in having a huge range of boots for wide calves ranging from 40cm up to 57cm, and believe we can find a boot to fit almost everybody, so if you are stuck, drop us an email at help@jileon.com for some advice.

Do remember that if you are only just squeezing into a boot, this is likely to cause a lot of pressure on the boot and will likely shorten its lifespan

3. Height. Consider half height or ankle wellies if you are a casual welly user

Wellies come in 4 basic heights: 

Knee high - we don't typically recommend these for people with wider calves as they can be tough to fit on

Full height - these usually fit to around the top of your calf and are the most popular boots sold. If you use your wellies for walking in the countryside, we would always recommend these as they protect your legs from any branches etc and also ensure that the mud/puddles don't get inside your boots

Half Height - these will go up to the bottom of your calf so are an ideal option for people with wider calves as they sit below them. They still give a fair amount of protection from mud and puddles so are also a really popular option for festival goers.

Ankle Height - a fairly recent addition to the welly range, we recommend these as an additional shoe for any welly user. They are super handy to just slip on to put the bins out, to potter in the garden or to do the school run, but are not designed for any hard usage. Another fabulous option for festivals, although be careful if it is a really muddy one.

4. Design. Do you want funky colours or traditional country style?

This is where we provide no advice. It is entirely down to you - whether it be spots, stripes, dandelions or butterflies, you can find all kinds of fun designs nowadays which can be paired with your outfit.Why not get 2 different pairs depending on your mood? 

The only thing to be aware of here is that if you are looking for hard wearing boots, typically there is not much choice in terms of brighter pairs, as they do tend to come in traditional plain black, blue or green colours, but that is about your only limitation so enjoy the choice.

Take a look at our fun little video here explaining our range of boots