Ankle Wellies - Short Waterproof Wellington Boots - Slip On Garden Shoes

The wellies are in the shed. The job is at the end of the garden and takes two minutes. So you go out in trainers, and afterwards you leave them by the radiator to remind you not to do it again.

These are the pair that lives by the door instead.

Two seconds, standing up

There is no lace, no buckle and no zip. You stand at the back door, put a foot in, and go. There is a pull tab at the heel for the second one, which matters more than it sounds when your hands are cold or you are holding a bin bag. Nothing to undo when you come back in either — heel on the step, foot out, done.

Moulded in one piece, so there is nothing to leak

Upper and sole are a single piece of PVC. That is worth explaining, because most boots at this height are cut, sewn and then bonded to a separate sole unit, and the join is where they eventually let water in. There is no join here to fail.

You will see what look like stitch lines running across the front and the sides. They are moulded into the plastic — a raised ridge with dashes pressed along it. Nothing on this boot is sewn, which is exactly why we are willing to call it waterproof.

Where the waterproofing stops

At the top of the boot. It finishes just above the ankle bone, so it will take a puddle, wet grass, a hosed-down patio and rain all day. Step into anything deeper than the boot is tall and it comes in over the collar, the same as any short wellie. If you are crossing streams, buy full wellies.

Underneath

A lugged PVC outsole, moulded straight onto the upper, with deep blocks and channels between them. It bites on wet grass and mud instead of skating over it. When you are done, hose them off — there is nothing to clean around, nothing to dry out and nothing to proof.

The gear they replace

• Full wellies — waterproof to the knee, and too much production for a two-minute job. They live in the shed, which is why they never get worn.
• Trainers on wet grass — the reason you own trainers you no longer wear indoors.
• Garden clogs — fine until the wet reaches your ankle.
• Slippers on a wet patio — we have all done it.

What's in them

• Slip-on, no fastening — nothing to tie, standing up.
• Rear pull tab — something to grip with cold hands or gloves.
• One-piece moulded PVC — upper and sole in a single piece, no seams to leak.
• Ankle height — fits under a trouser leg and stores in a cupboard, not a porch.
• Padded collar — the opening does not cut into the ankle.
• Lugged PVC outsole — grip on wet grass and mud.
• Fabric lining and insole — not bare plastic against the foot.
• Three colours — Beige, Black, and Black with a red sole.
• Thirteen sizes, UK 4 to 12.5 — one unisex range.

Suitable for the garden, the bins, the school run, walking the dog on a wet field, the allotment and hosing down a yard. Not insulated, and not safety footwear — there is no steel toe. PVC does not breathe, so on a warm day they wear like a wellie, because that is what they are.

A word on sizing: these are converted from the supplier's US sizing and the full mapping is in the details below. The fit is standard. If you are between sizes, take the larger one.

Keep them by the door. That is the whole idea.