Since the popularity of Hunter boots skyrocketed in 2005 there is not a day gone by or you can come across another brand of very similar rainboots in different colors and patterns. Most are simple knockoffs of these famous wellington boots that go for low prices and have unknown levels of quality. Rockfish wellies seems to be an exception.
This British brand was established in 2004, just before Hunter took off, and is currently being sold in mostly the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand. That might also explain why you have never heard of them if you are not located in one of these countries. Picture below from flickr.
The product range of rain boots at Rockfish wellies is pretty predictable: the wellington boots are available in a range of different colors in matt, glossy, and metallic finish and as a standard boot and an adjustable boot for larger calf sizes. This is comparable to what Hunter boots has available, with the main exception that the strap on the adjustable boots is located on the side as opposed to the back. But there are a couple of special color combinations and design available that sets this brand apart.
They have a limited edition boot in two-tone that attracted my attention because of the zipper on the back of the boot. I really like this feature as it is something different and special for a pair of rainboots. While this boot seems to be mostly being marketed as an equestrian boot, I presume it will still be completely waterproof and absolutely adore this special twist. The way the boot has 2 colors and the logo on the side are not my favorite thing though, so I hope they will produce rainboots in a single color with a zipper anytime in the future.
Another pair of boots that stands out are the laced rainboots. This is something we have seen before with Ilse Jacobson rainboots which are available in many colors and where the laces are more predominant. This pair of boots is less “rainboot” like and more “punk” making it a pair of boots for many more weather types and much easier to combine in an everyday outfit if you stick to the black boots with black laces. No need to wait for rain or combining them with raingear, this would look great also on a normal day with a pair of plain jeans or even a skirt and some knee high socks. I absolutely love the tough look of these boots and would love to have a pair, but it seems these were limited edition also as the website only shows short laced boots which miss that special factor I like in the high boots.
Finally there are the matt black with hot pink stripe adjustable rainboots that speak to me. These boots are very simplistic in matt black but that one stripe of pink turns them from an average pair of boots into something special without attracting too much attention. A pair of boots like these are great to give a tiny twist to an otherwise unassuming outfit. The only downside of the pink stripe is that it will not combine well with raingear in any other color besides a neutral color or hot pink which is a color you won’t find easily for rainwear outside of Farmerrain.
So with many of the eye-catching rainboots only available as limited edition or not available at all anymore, why am I still focusing on this brand? The main reason for that is that they have 2 things going for them over the most obvious brand of rainboots: the price and the quality.
It is hard to find many reviews of this brand, but everything I was able to find seems positive. The boots seem well-produced and comfortable, and the brand gives 12 months manufacture guarantee on their products. Combine this with their relatively low prices and you can quickly see the attractiveness of these rain boots. Where Hunter boots go for around 100 British pounds a pair, Rockfish wellies are being sold on their online store for 40-80 British pounds with most boots going at the low end of this price range. This lower price simply means you are able to afford them sooner or you can take a bit more risk on your choice of colors by going for a less versatile and more eye-catching pair of rainboots. And how do the two brands differ visually? Actually they are almost exactly the same, as the picture below from Le Maïtre on flickr shows.
Do keep in mind that while the price of these boots is relatively low, you will need to include shipping costs in case there is no shop selling them near you. Shipping costs to European countries close to the UK is only 10 British pounds making these boots a good alternative to buying other brands locally.
In conclusion this brand has really attracted my attention. I would be ready to jump the ship on the high laced rainboots, but unfortunately they are not part of the current collection anymore. The rainboots with zipper would also have my interest, but only if they were available in a solid color. Finally the black boots with pink stripe look cute to me but will be too hard to combine with my current raingear. So basically, for me personally, this brand is currently mostly interesting for their standard rainboots in colors I would not be willing to buy from the Hunter brand due to the price.
Looking forward to hear your opinion about this brand and in case you have ideas which brands I should look at next. There are still some requests open that I am working on, but if certain brands or products are mentioned more often I push them forward whenever possible.