Monday, 22 October 2012

Splats Rain Boots review


When I was asked if I'd like to review some Splats Rain Boots, I clicked through expecting to see the same old wellies that kids (including me !) have been wearing for generations. Apart from a few minor tweaks to the basic design - I remember lusting after frog wellies with yellow eyes on them as a child and the wedge-heeled wellies that festival-goers have adopted look pretty cool - wellies, with all their failings, haven't really changed much at all. They are so rigid that it's not uncommon for your boot to stick in the mud and pull straight off your foot when navigating particularly boggy ground, they often rub the tops of your legs, they make it impossible for kids to run properly and, when it's time to put them away, they always take up loads of space because you can't bend over the tops and, if you stick the second welly upside down in the first one, they invariably fall over and spill all over the floor. Grrr.

Well, as soon as I clicked through to the Splats website, I could see that these weren't anything like normal wellies. They're made of a soft, squishy material that makes them not only extremely comfortable but also much easier to squash into a rucksack or carrier bag. There is a Velcro-strap at the top which helps keep the rain (and mud) out but also stops the chafing that many wellies cause. It also means they fit better so running, jumping and splashing in puddles is much easier.


Then there are the colours - you have the choice of Classic Navy, Grass Green, Hot Pink, Ocean Blue or Retro Red. They are all really bright and funky and the Madhouse Mini-testers had a hard time deciding which ones they liked best. Eventually Pierre plumped for navy and Juliette for hot pink (now there's a surprise !).

I was also really pleased to see that they have reflective stripes on them which is really important for the walks to and from school now the evenings are drawing in and we're about to put the clocks back. 

I have to say, they're not cheap. They cost £38 a pair which would buy an awful lot of bargain basement wellies ! But they really are nothing like normal wellies, for comfort, practicality, funkiness and fit so, if you can afford it, and especially if you are an outdoorsy family or have kids who absolutely love splashing in puddles, they really are a good investment.



Size-wise, they are available in kids' sizes from 8 to 1. I got the smallest size for Pierre which are a bit big and the biggest size for Juliette which are just the right size, leaving little room for growth, so I would have liked to see a wider range of sizes available.

I haven't had a chance to get out and about with the kids splashing in puddles with a camera yet - they've worn them to school but it's too much of a mad rush in the morning to get photos ! - so I'll make sure we get some lovely shots during half term and add them to this post then.

STOP PRESS : Click through to see the second part of our review with those photos I promised - Splats in action !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £38

for more information : http://www.thesplats.com

Disclosure : I received two pairs of Splats in order to write an honest review.

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