Gateway 1 Pro Shooter Wellies

Gateway 1’s Pro Shooter 18” 7mm side-zip wellies are going to be a great boot for the cold of winter.

I have been wearing them on and off through the topsyturvy seasonal weather of 2019 and although heavily insulated for the winter, they have actually remained very comfortable through warmer days. The lining is made in two parts where the 5mm neoprene adds the warmth with Gateway 1’s 2mm “G1®-air spacer™” to maximise airflow and minimist condensation in what is intrinsically a non-breathable, indefinitely waterproof boot. It has certainly lived up to its claims keeping my feet dry from within.

The outer is a familiar vulcanized natural rubber available in Mossy Oak Break Up or Olive-green colours in US sizes 9-15, which equates to 8-14 in the UK. One thing to beware of is that they come in very large and my size 11/45 were massive, probably 1.5-2 sizes big for me so I’d make sure you try before buying. A friend of mine who normally takes a 47 found them still to be spacious and although extra socks were able to pack them out to some extent, they did get tight over the top of my foot. On that matter, there is a deep padded insole within that offers plentiful bridge support and it’s easy to see how the design of `wellies` is no longer an archaic simplified moulding.

Adjustable gusset

Calf fit is crucial for all day wear and comfort so the adjustable gusset here is placed on the back to prevent hanging in when walking. This works in combination with the low-profile zipped gusset on the inside of the calf for speedy application and removal of the boot yet without snagging hindrance since the gusset remains elsewhere. I liked this element for making the boots step in-step out fast but still able to return immediately to the cinched in gusset around my calf. The four-layer sole with outer 4x4 Arrow deep-grip™ outsole is bonded to the boot’s upper in a similar way to a walking boot, rather than older homogenous full vulcanised boot from end to end. This leads to far greater walking comfort with an External TPU shank for torsional foot support with a shock absorbing EVA Midsole.

Extra “turbo-energy™” heel and forefoot cushioning have given a far defter gait with great tactile feel for what’s underfoot in a boot that initially appears cumbersome yet even slightly oversize, remained extremely comfortable. My (large) size 11/45 weigh in at 1580-grams per boot with plentiful grip from the deep tread from the complex sole construction that lessens twist without any detriment to the liner flexibility enabled by moulded slots across the forefoot in the TPU shank. A heel kicker eases removal that show a comfort rating down to -40-degrees Celsius. I smile as I think back 30 years to my Dad tapping around in studded Hunters when I see what we have available to us now, I don’t think I will be getting cold feet any more in these boots that have construction standard I have yet to see, quite literally, holes in.