Gateway 1 Woodbeater Wellington Boots

These are the real deal for cold weather, and I have been doing my utmost to destroy a pair through winter. I live in wellies most days from November to March, due to distinctly muddy local ground conditions, so adding extra warmth for the winter made sense. These are a combined rubber lower with neoprene upper, featuring 7mm of insulation around the foot. As always, I’m very impressed by the construction of Gateway1’s boots.

Details

The Lynx Ice grip sole is very aggressive, with a deep tread. It sheds mud quickly due to tapered recesses and a flexible sole. The boots add a little height to your stature as the sole’s material is rated down to -45 degrees, a factor I find hard to test personally, but I will say no cold feet with one pair of socks this winter. I walked in snow as well as icy pools which until breakthrough, allowed me to test the traction capability over the slippery surface.

The wellies are available in UK sizes 7-16. I am usually an 11/45 and found these to be ideally sized, demonstrating the uniformity that Gateway1 has worked on over the last three years. My first ever set in 45 were realistically a 47 and enormous, yet ever since I gave that feedback, they have been very good at ensuring the fit is easy to predict in a world where we are less likely to visit a shop and try boots on.

The overall comfort rating is from -40 to +30 degrees and it’s not hard to imagine the temperature of the human body quickly overwhelming such a wellinsulated boot on warmer days. I don’t suffer from sweaty feet, so don’t have problems with perspiration, yet these do feature a 2mm spacer for air movement within the orange liners.

Gateway1’s trademark is the durable external Japan-rubber and other than looking distressed, mine are in mint condition. Farmers and horse riders still have to be aware of corrosive urine, detrimental to any rubber boot, but one farming friend of mine is into his third year with the Japanrubber boot. He promises he rinses them regularly and most surprisingly, uses the company’s conditioner cream to assure long-term flexibility of the material.

The Japan-rubber is a lamination that was first used on rollers pulling trawler’s nets, a brutal task and why it was adapted and adopted for a more durable upper. Beaters certainly encounter far tougher conditions than most. Brambles stand little chance of tearing these!

Conclusion

A tough boot to insulate and protect your feet, plus breathability and characteristic underfoot support for all-day comfort.