My New Favorite Garden Boots

From time to time I get to test garden products. I welcome the opportunity, because as an avid gardener, I'm always on the lookout for newer and better products. Oh, I have my old favorites, too, but sometimes Research & Development comes up with something better.

For the past several years, I've worn Ladybugs clogs in and around the garden, mainly because they're inexpensive, comfortable, and easy to slip into. Last year, I happened upon a pair of lightweight garden clogs at Target made by Sloggers. I'd heard of them, but this was the first time I'd seen them in person. I won't tell you what ridiculously low price I got them for at the end of the season, but it was cheap enough that I bought a pair a half-size too small for me, because no more were left in my size. (They aren't uncomfortable, though.)

This made me go to the Sloggers website to see what other kinds of footwear they made. I liked the clogs (called Uni Sandals) I'd purchased at Target because they were easy to step into, comfortable, and extremely easy to clean (just hose them off). I wondered if they had any other garden footwear with these characteristics.


When I saw the colorful Waterproof Rain & Garden Boots ($39.99) , all thoughts of practicality went right out the window. Red paisley and three colors of floral designs - how cool were they! I would never buy a pair of regular boots in such eye-popping designs, but garden boots can pull it off. The thing is, these are so pretty that I actually might wear them in places other than my garden, say when running errands on a rainy day.

I vacillated between the black floral pattern and the red paisley, finally deciding on the black ones. (You have no idea how difficult it is for me to make decisions like this.) In the last several weeks, I have worn these boots in various situations: while bailing water out of our sump hole when the power went out, while trudging through the snow to get the mail, and taking walk-throughs in our soggy garden.

Here's what I think of them:

• They are incredibly comfortable. Sometimes boots such as these can be a bit sloppy, if you know what I mean. Not these. They're more fitted and supportive.
  
  
• The top of the boot isn't floppy or too large. I can easily fit my pants down inside them, but if I don't choose to do that, they don't feel or look like they're one-size-fits-all.
  
  
• They're truly waterproof and believe me, I put that to the test.
  
  
• They're quite easy to pull on and off.
  
  
• The finish on the resin is glossy, and the print is a rich color, giving it a quality look.
  

Sometimes, especially in the wet spring, I like to work in my gardens in clogs, especially because of their cleanability. Mud is just a fact of life in the garden, so shoes like this are a necessity. Wouldn't it be nice if there were some shoes that wore like clogs, fit like shoes, yet just enough boot-like to keep splashes of water and mud out of them?



Sloggers Garden Trekker Ankle Boots ($29.99) fit the bill. Like the Rain & Garden Boots, I was amazed at just how comfortable these were, even without wearing socks. Not too loose and not too tight, I'm pretty sure I could work all day in them, though I've not yet tried that.

They have an elastic insert across the top of the boot and a pull-tab at the back which makes them easy to put on. And they're waterproof, too. Clean-up? Shoot 'em with the hose.

Both the Rain & Garden Waterproof Boots and the Garden Trekker Ankle Boots get two thumbs up from me. Take a look at Sloggers' website for more footwear and apparel for gardeners, including men's and children's styles.

Just another thing to note - their footwear comes in whole sizes only and they recommend ordering one size up. They have a Half-Sizer Insole ($1.99) available, but I didn't feel the need to insert it. I normally wear size 8½, so I ordered size 9 in both boots. Both fit great without the optional Half-Sizer Insole.

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I know you're dying to know which color I picked for the Garden Trekker Ankle Boots. That was an easy one. Red, of course. It's my favorite color. :-)

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The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.