The Original Muck Boot Company began in 1999. The need for a more comfortable wellington boot that did not freeze your feet on a cold winter morning and kept you warm all day has been there since wellies were first used. To wear a wellington boot that felt as comfortable as a pair of your favorite trainers yet offered you all of the waterproof protection of a wellington and the warmth of several pairs of thick woolen sea socks has seen sales sky rocket over the last few years. The traditional premium hunting, shooting, fishing, equestrian brands have suffered significantly as Muck Boot wearers have evangelized about their new discovery.
However, there has been some confusion in the market as Honeywell has sought to rationalize its styles under a set of global common names. There have been several styles sold in the UK that have been named after British rivers such as Spey, Tay, Esk, Tyne, Derwent etc. Honeywell have deemed it necessary to have one style sold in the US or wherever in the world under one style name. Great when you want to buy a Snickers bar in Tokyo, St. Louis or Middlesborough and not have to cope with the old British Marathon bar and get blank looks at a tobacconist in Barcelona. To apply the same logic to a pair of premium willies is frankly bonkers. I only buy my wellies in the UK as I tend not to shop for practical footwear on my worldwide travels, I am too busy taking in the new experiences and environments.
That said, we felt a duty to explain what was and what now is…….
‘Spey’ is now ‘Woody Max’. Quite why a pair of hunting wellies should be named after a character in Toy Story is beyond the wit of most, although they have alluded to Woody having visited MacDonalds a tad too many times.
‘Tay’ is now ‘Muckmaster’. Why? No idea. Perhaps our cousins thought that Muckmaster was a more romantic name than Tay.
‘Tay Sport’ is now ‘Arctic Sport’. The most logical change of the lot as these are rated to cope with some stupidly low temperatures.
‘Esk is now ‘Chore 2K’. Sorry but I cannot think of anything to say about this name change.
‘Derwent is now ‘Chore Hi’. As above.
‘Humber’ safety wellies are now ‘Chore Safety’ or at least will be in Mid-October when the new stock arrives. (We have lots of Humber left as we were sneaky and bought up oodles of stock when we saw the changes coming but be quick – they are going fast).
‘Tyne’ riding boots are now ‘Colt Ryder’. And I thought that my spelling was poor.
There are more but these are frilly pink and purple versions that are worn in the garden and don’t fit well into a working environment.
It may be a bit irritating – all these name changes and American at that. But it does not take away the fact that they are exceptionally good at what they do. I binned my traditional willies several years ago when I first bought a pair of Tay (sorry, Muckmasters). I can wear them for ten hours a day and not feel the slightest bit tired due to aching feet. What other wellington boots can you say that about?
Granite Workwear – We only sell the good stuff.
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