One thing to get this started: not all rain boots are made equal!
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They could be made from natural rubber or synthetic materials, be hand-made or produced with a modern spraying technique, be lined or just purely made from rubber. Do you want to beat crazy weather, go on a comfortable hike or go hunting, or is your rain boot more of a fashion accessory? These boots can do it all &#; although each option comes with its pros and cons.
The journey of the rain boot is marked by a few clever business people from the 19th century. The water-repellent properties of the sap of the rubber tree were known long before then: The indigenous peoples of South America had used the milk from the rubber tree (»latex«) to water-proof their footwear since over years ago. The textiles drenched in this sap however remained sensitive to heat and cold, were very soft and brittle, so there were no inventions made using the until far into the 19th centuries.
US-American chemist and explorer Charles Goodyear (-) was convinced by the practicality of the rubber material and experimented with combining it with different chemicals. In , he got lucky: when he added sulphur to the rubber mass, accidentally dripping some of the mixture onto his hot stove, the result was an elastic and stable rubber (1). He had thus invented the method of vulcanisation. As a businessman, Goodyear wasn&#;t particularly successful since all of his attempts to turn his patent into products, from shoes to tableware and furniture parts and even condoms, failed fast. The big tire company »Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company« was only founded in and is named in honour of him.
Others used this opportunity!
The first to do so was American engineer Hiram Hutchinson (-). With a licence from Goodyear for the production of rubber, he went to France because the successes of Goodyear&#;s discovery had not been adapted there. South of Paris, he began the production of rainboots in under the brand name of »A l&#;aigle«, today called »Aigle« (the American national animal). In they already produced pairs of boots and shoes a day. A factory in Mannheim followed and you can still buy high-quality Aigle-rain boots today (2).
A second American, Henry Lee Norris (-), went to Scotland in to start his own line of rubber products, including rain boots. The company was most successful during the two World Wars of the past century as boots of any kind were in high demand for the muddy trenches of combat. In , the company first made its very popular green boot, the original »Hunter Boot«. As the »Hunter Rubber Co. Ltd« they are still producing today, delivering even to the British royal family.
Boots had always been a necessary part of life on the British Isles. On demand of the famous Napoleon-conqueror at the battle of Waterloo (18.06.), Sir Arthur Wellesley (-), Duke of Wellington a pair of tight, comfortable and high leather boots (»Hessian boots«) was made to suit the English taste and military requirements of the time that are very similar to today&#;s version. That&#;s why Brits today still call rain boots »Wellington Boots« or short »Wellies«.
The production of rain boots can work many ways. The basis can be high-quality natural rubber, synthetic rubber made through polymerisation of different chemicals (mostly Styrol-Butadien-rubber), but also polyurethane and PVC. Even today, boots are made by hand because this allows for the use of different kinds of rubber that make wearing the boot more comfortable. In a factory, boots can mechanically be produced by pressing or injecting rubber into moulds under the application of high pressure and heat &#; this then shows up in a characteristic seam in the product. The boot can be made more comfortable with various linings made from textiles or leather that alleviate temperatures and external influence.
While rain boots were mostly invented to protect from wet or muddy, cold or hot conditions and worn by military employees, farmers, builders, policemen and firemen, they have now advanced as a fashion staple with ankle-length and knee-high versions that serve as a style statement. The game has no boundaries. Environmentally conscious wearers that don&#;t want to wear the dubious chemicals included in synthetics and PVC often choose those models produced in a sustainable and humane way.
With all of this knowledge, you can now pick and choose between the naturally dyed Chelsea boots with a bootleg made from 100% calf leather and sole made from rubber by Bottega Veneta for around 950 Euro, a high-quality natural rubber boot by Le Chameau for 400 Euro, a chic Aigle, Hunter or Nokia lined and made from rubber entirely for 150 Euro or a Cortina, waterproof synthetic outside and textile interior for 20 Euro?
Well, it&#;s always the same in this world.
Proof:
1 https://www1wdr.de&#;Stichtag&#; vom 15.06.
2 https://www.hutchinson.com-aktuelles-Hiram Hutchinson: ein wagemutiger Amerikaner!-
Staff Writer
The Columbus Dispatch
Ever wonder when rubber boots replaced shoes on rainy days?
Hessian soldiers wore leather boots, and Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, decided boots made of rubber would be more useful and keep feet drier.
Charles Goodyear had vulcanized natural rubber in the s to make tires, and he sold the use of the patent to Hiram Hutchinson in to use for boots. They became a fashion statement for a few years, but then farmers began to wear them, and then soldiers in both World Wars &#; the trenches often held rainwater and the boots kept feet dry.
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Boots, of course, continue to be used by many and they have changed from a semi-pointed toe to a rounded toe, and even a metal toe to avoid accidents.
Boots were first made of leather and went to the knees in the s, then to the calf in the s, and to the ankle by the s.
Today, the terms &#;wellies,&#; &#;gummies&#; or &#;gumboots&#; are used to describe rain boots. The original high Wellington boot is still popular for people in places or jobs where there are puddles and floods.
The picture shown here is part of an calendar advertising Hood Rubber Boots for children. They are high enough to be considered Wellington boots. The sign, in a gold-leaf frame, 14 by 24 inches, sold at a Kimbell Sterling auction in Johnson City, Tennessee, for a bargain at $81.40. The company called the boots &#;galoshes.&#;
Q: Years ago, when Norman Rockwell plates were popular, I collected them. I have gotten rid of all but my four favorites. They are called &#;Rockwell on Tour&#; and show sketches of Rockwell and two friends on a tour of Europe after college in . The plates have sketches of their trip to England, Paris, Rome and Germany.
The names &#;Bill, Dean, Norm&#; are listed on the plates. Information on the back of the plates back say the pictures are sketches Rockwell made on postcards and sent to friends. Can you tell me more about the plates and their value?
A: Rockwell traveled to Europe with friends Bill Backer and Dean Parmalee. Rockwell&#;s sketchbook was stolen near the end of their trip and the four postcards sent to friends are the only surviving sketches.
In , the Rockwell Society of America sent a notice to members asking for undiscovered Norman Rockwell memorabilia. A couple who had three of the postcards contacted the society. Newell Pottery Co. made limited-edition plates in with sketches made in England, Paris and Rome. The limit was the number fired in 150 days.
Two years later, Parmalee&#;s daughter provided the fourth postcard, a sketch done in Germany. The final plate was issued in . The sketches are s cartoons, not like Rockwell&#;s later &#;folksy&#; paintings. The plates sell online for $6 to $16 each.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
&#; Minton portrait plate: woman, jewelry, veil, &#;behold all my treasures,&#; pink; 9 inches; $160
&#; Cookie jar: cockatiel, ruby art glass, silvered brass head, Murano, Italy; 12 by 7¼ inches; $540
&#; Silver shell bowl: hammered, ball feet, Alfredo Ortega & Sons, Mexico; 18½ by 18 inches; $1,090
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel, authorities on collectibles, write for the King Features Syndicate. Visit www.kovels.com.
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