Rain Boots

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I'd been looking for a pair of suitable gardening boots for more than six months, without success: Either the boots were too expensive, too heavy, too sloppy, or too unworthy of the natural beauty of a garden setting.

Gardening boots, even at most bargain stores ranged in price from $35 to $85, more than I was prepared to spend for footwear that failed in one or more of the other three categories.

I've found that a lot of gardening boots are very heavy, truly cumbersome in their weight, even in the store; and, try as I might, I couldn’t help imagining how much heavier the boots would be when weighed down by the gooey mud of spring.

Finding boots for myself that aren’t too sloppy has always been a problem. I have very narrow feet, in that I’m the product of a dad who wore size 13 A-width shoes with a triple-A heel. I also blister easily, so sloppy footwear of any kind is something I try to avoid.

To my mind, boots that are unsuitable to a garden setting would be: plaid or argyle patterned; branded with advertising; anything camouflage; decorated with zippers, chains or studs; and geometric, paint splatter or leopard printed. I’m also not really into cutesy animal themed boots; although, I could envision them on children.

Sensing my frustration, my sister suggested that I expand my search and check out Value Village; and, though I hate the idea of wearing footwear previously worn by strangers, I knuckled under and gave it a go.

Imagine my surprise, when the first time I looked in the shoe department at my local VV boutique, I found the perfect pair of rubber gardening boots. They were, in fact, the only rubber boots in the entire store, and they filled all four of my boot buying criteria.

These perfect boots were totally affordable at $7.99, very light-weight, unbelievably narrow, and a garden-worthy basic black. I was so excited, I could barely contain myself!

So, now with the rubber boots of my dreams safely stored in my hall closet, I’m so ready for spring that the wait is intolerable. Each time I take my coat out of the closet, the rain boots almost seem to mock me with imagined taunts that gardening weather will never arrive.

Nevertheless, I remain optimistic that spring is truly just around the corner, and that happy productive and sustainable gardening is only a few weeks away.

For this reason, I'm delighted to finally have comfortable garden-worthy rain boots at the ready. Their presence will offer me the ability to brave the elements in the coming months, no matter how soupy the conditions in the garden.