Monday 13 February 2017

Product Review: Caldene Westfield Wellingtons

Image courtesy of Caldene.co.uk
This weekend I was quite busy because of  yard duty. This is part of the requirement of a first year student at my college. Every Thursday morning and afternoon the other equine students in my year and I will muck out, groom and prepare the hay/haylage for the horses. Four weekends are also required, which is much the same but with the addition of turning out and catching horses. Having brought a horse in, I was rinsing off my wellies to get rid of the mud. When I went to walk away I realised very quickly that my sock was wet. On a cold, windy day my boot had managed to get a hole - thankfully this was about 4pm so I only had another half an hour left! Because of that, I decided to write a review about the wellies I've been using so here goes. 

Knowing since August that I would have yard duty, I decided to get a pair of wellingtons as they offer a bit more coverage and water proofing than ankle-high boots. The nearest Go Outdoors to me doesn't have a massive selection of shoes, and the Caldene Westfield Wellingtons (shown at the top of the page) were the only ones to actually fit my calves. Even though the choice was taken away from me, I did actually quite like the way they looked - which, considering the cost, is quite a good thing! The colour appealed to me, as well as the matte finish.

I started wearing these wellies in September. Given the expense of these shoes (£60 with the discount card at Go Outdoors, otherwise they retail at £70), I was really disappointed that they have already ripped. The work I do in them is ultimately quite minimal, and as the rip is above where the balls my feet are, I'm disappointed that the quality is poor enough for this to happen - I haven't been stood on, stabbed with a shavings fork or any other number of things that usually cause a hole in a shoe, particularly when said hole is basically on the top of the welly. 

"Keep your feet warm & dry this winter!
The Westfield wellingtons are designed for ultimate comfort and warmth.
These unisex neoprene wellingtons have a 3mm neoprene lining and a textured embossed matt finish.
They also feature a steel shank for durability and support." 

That is the description on the Caldene website. The wellies are quite weighty, but I did actually find them quite comfortable and my feet were always nice and warm. They just aren't durable, and the fasteners on the side are forever needing to be clipped back down. If Caldene were cheaper I think I would sort of expect them to rip, but because of the cost of them I expected better quality in the longevity of the product. I read some other reviews on the Go Outdoors website, and a few other people have had them rip quite quickly but these were dog walkers who travelled miles on foot frequently; for mucking out stables I am a little annoyed that they've died on me so soon. I fully expected them to last me to the end of the year, which for me is around April/May. 

As I have another eleven weeks at university yet, these wellies have to survive for another eleven Thursday yard duties and another weekend. Hopefully the rip won't get any bigger or I'll get a very cold foot! In the mean time, I will definitely be on the lookout for a cheaper, new pair (as I won't have yard duty next year I can get away with not actively seeking a long-lasting wellington unless my current pair completely fall apart in shreds). 

Overall, I can only give the Caldene Westfield Wellington ★★★ stars (three out of five is also quite generous - if I'd needed more use out of them they probably would have ripped last month at best). I wouldn't buy them again, and they certainly wouldn't be my go-to walking shoe no matter how muddy it is - they are just too heavy. Having said that, if you are only occasionally on a yard then I'm sure they are quite good and will certainly last longer than mine have. Nevertheless, I don't think I would go out of my way to recommend them. 

Have you ever owned/worn a pair of these wellies? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or get in contact via social media. Also let me know of some good wellington/yard boot brands - I'm in the market for a pair!

Until next time~

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