Appledale Designs: The grass isn't always greener

Thursday, October 25, 2012

The grass isn't always greener

Some years back, I decided to buy a pair of Hunter wellies. I was spending a lot of time in fields with dogs and having to negotiate mud, sheep droppings and all other sorts of detritus that my running shoes just didn't appreciate. When I started looking at Hunters, I noticed that they were no longer made in Scotland, but in China. Sigh. Well, it had to happen. Then one day I was in a Smith and Hawken (remember them?) and spied an old pair of black Hunters on a shelf. Because they were a display model, they were a bit salty. I asked the sales associate if they were for sale and she said that yes, they were, but they were the last pair and she was embarrassed with the way they looked. They were my size, a perfect fit and when I turned them over, they were...made in Scotland. The sales associate felt so guilty that she offered them to me for half price. I couldn't get my credit card out fast enough.

Fast forward to my reading a Summer is a Verb blog post about this very subject. Allie of prep fame suggested that a suitable alternative to the untouchable outsourced boots was Le Chameau. Supposedly shaplier, a bit more elegant. From the photo she posted, they seemed shorter and more streamlined. Since I enjoy smallness of person, I thought it would be nice if the back of my boots didn't pinch me when I sat down. Heck, I was game. Thanks to my new best friend 6pm, I found a black pair that would be a perfect replacement for the now very salty (but still trusty) Hunters.

We waited patiently for the UPS truck.

Weeellllll...as you can see by this side by side comparo, there is not a whole lot of difference and they are EXACTLY the same height. Yes, the ankles are slender, but so are the Hunters and the calf shaft is thinner in the H's.

This is the side view of the Hunter--you can see there is very little gap behind my knee.

And the side view of the Le Chameau--a big gap. They are comfortable, but since they pretty much fit the same way, I'm on the fence about keeping them. Please note, I have NO IDEA how they compare to the new Chinese-made Hunters, so they may be a vast improvement. Until then, I'll keep my originals.

One last piece of mail related excitement. I got a gift card in the mail from Thomas Pink! LAM took one look at this and groaned..."Oh great". Party pooper...now, what to do with it?