Topic: What footwear??

[beachlover]

Rigger boots, in the winter, they have steel toecaps and are waterproof if you treat them right. It saves having wellies and boots as well.[img]Also in the summer you can buy safety shoes in the style of trainers. Although your gardening is your hobby please work safely, too many accidents occur because of not being kitted out right.

I get mine from Weld Wise which is on the industrial estate in Newport, next to the royal mail dept. Another thing they always have in there is welders gauntlets which are great for pulling out brambles

Cheers for that. I'll check out Weldwise the next time I have to go and pick something Parcelfarce couldn't be bothered to deliver, which is weekly at the moment!
Couldn't agree more about the safety aspect - Sandals?! :o

[dtw]

Watch out for those pesky worms wriggling in between your toes.  ;D

Don't forget a good pair of socks too, especially if you're digging.

[sawfish]

I wear my LLBean hunting boots with 2 pairs of socks in winter because they have a rubber front and are 100% waterproof plus people cant see how weird they look when I'm on the plot. I find wellies flap about and annoy my calves.

http://tinyurl.com/2bcvck

and rubber slip on clogs with no socks in summer.

http://tinyurl.com/26l3tr

I know they're not safety boots but I'm aware of that and dig very carefully.

[sawfish]

Well i dont think you would wear them out thats for sure. I have a pair of the riding wellies - long... but my calves are short so they dig in the back of my knee... might sell them on ebay and get some short ones as they are heavenly comfy and really warm too for winter... only worn them twice!

If they're too long and you'll probably get a rubbish price on ebay shouldn't you just chop a couple of inches off the top?

[Robert_Brenchley]

T think it depends on what you're doing. If you're planting or weeding, I don't see why sandals shouldn't be OK in summer. digging might not work so well. I've only ever spiked a boot once, and you can do it to anything except steel caps.

[Blue Bird]

Having purchased a pair of hiking boots 2 years ago from Outlet Village for £50 and never wearing them as never walked anywhere I now use them and find them ideal as they support my ankles.

They are a loverly lilac colour ;D

[Bryan]

I bought a pair of Ruccanoor waterproof hiking shoes/boots from TKmax last year. They were a bargain at only 25quid, and great support for the ankles. Will have to see how they are in the summer, may have to search for something not quite so cumbersome and cooler.

[Mrs Ava]

Zamberland hiking boots for me.  Waterproof, thick sole, fluffy warm inners, support my ankle.  Perfect.

[redimp]

Zamberlans up the plot - you must be rolling in it :o

[cambourne7]

i have wellies but there tight on the calf.

i currently use an old pair of shoes i was going to bin, there were in the back of the car so i put them on one day and there ace for just popping one to the plot to get something.

i want to get some ankle wellies but just not got around to it.

[John_H]

I use a battered old pair of Coleman walking boots in the winter and wear sandals in the summer. I also bought one of those square plastic cat litter trays which I fill with water in the summer, so I can sit in the sun and soak my feet at the end of a hard days allotmenteering.

[Si]

I use workman's boots... They only cost £10 from a cheap shoe shop, but are waterproof and can take massive punishment. i.e. you can drop a paving slab on them and they won't buckle... no pain!

[Amazin]

Reebok Classic Black boots - ankle support, good thick soles, waterproof, light as a feather.

[beachlover]

I use a battered old pair of Coleman walking boots in the winter and wear sandals in the summer. I also bought one of those square plastic cat litter trays which I fill with water in the summer, so I can sit in the sun and soak my feet at the end of a hard days allotmenteering.

Now that I do like the idea of, even though the beach is less than 1/2 mile away!

[Melbourne12]

Another vote here for rigger boots.  Loads available on eBay from twenty quid upwards.  Put some dubbin on them and they'll be waterproof, too.

I read somewhere (could even have been on A4A  :) ) that if you need to wear wellies it'll be too wet to do anything useful.

For light work in the summer, I'll use an old but stout pair of trainers, but I wouldn't use them if I was digging or handling anything heavy.

[timelady]

I'm so glad someone else asked this! I wear my Timberland work boots and they're great for digging, but very heavy. My main both is that with my heavy clay there isnt really any grip - the soles just get clogged with mud right away.

I'm very tempted to try the Sarah Raven rubber ankle boots and I could leave them in the shed (once it's built). The Muck boots look nice but a bit pricey for me at the moment.

Tina.

[Rose.mary]

I wear Chris Breasher boots. I bought them when I went walking a lot. I know they are expensive but as I will not go walking again they would just do nothing in the cupboard, and that would be a waste of money.

I could not wear sandles as I get grit in them and I would be forever taking them off to empty.

Rosemary

[caroline7758]

I had to buy a paur of steel-capped boots when I did a horticulture course, but I found them very heavy so just wear welllies in the winter and old trainers in the summer.

[Big Al]

Mine is another vote for rigger boots
I prefer them to wellies they are much easier to get on and off.
Will wear hiking boots when the ground is not so wet.

Alan

[Hyacinth]

Old pair of padded moonboot wellies in the winter - really warm & easy to get on and off.....moleskin Hotters in the summer until one of them disintegrated last year.....so now I wear one Hotter & one Clarke's stout suede boot til I can find a replacement.  Different colours. 8) Do I look odd? Yes. Am I bovvered? No ;D