Cotswold Windsor Tall Wellington Boot Welly Black

12 January 2021

I chose the Cotswold Boot because I imagined it to be a mid-range boot manufactured in England – a step up from old and very basic wellingtons. I also wanted the side straps allowing expansion to make putting the boots on easier.On delivery, I read the accompanying card: ‘Cotswold Wellingtons are inspired by the beautiful rural settings and philosophy of the Cotswold Way.’ So far so good. On further investigation I found the ‘Made in China’ stickers. Very disappointing. I would expect Cotswold Boots, like Cheddar Cheese and Cornish Pasties to be made in England. I consider this to be cynical and misleading product naming and marketing.The side expansion straps are far too short to allow sufficient expansion to be useful and threading the rubber straps through the cheap toothed buckles is a nail breaking experience.I found that the boots lack grip in snow and mud. The tread on the soles consists of parallel grooves which give very poor lateral stability. There may well be a good reason for this design in certain conditions but I am not aware of it and the block tread of my old boots was far superior.