My left boot

Four or five years ago, m'sister was visiting from England and we went to Red Mills for some mmmm good sheep-muesli and a bucket. I was between Lidl-special gumboots, and Sis mocked my cheapskatery until I purchased some top-range Bekina (Belgian) Wellingtons . . . because I was no longer an impoverished student and what else - go faster car [χ] cruise holiday [χ] silk undies] [χ] - was I going to spend my money on?

A couple of months later I was trimming back the hedge we planted in the 00s along the boundary with Toxic Neighbour. Happy out! Because I was not only winning a long, 3m wide strip of meadow for sheep food; but also saving a bunch of wrist-thick hazel Corylus avelanna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa branches. Walking sticks, shillelaghs, firewood, as you ask. For the pieces-of-twig-too-small-keep [see also string], I pushed the brash back into the hedge - for habitat. Regrettably, I channelled my inner kick-boxer and used my boots rather than a pitch fork for this task. Next time I used my spanking new wellies out in the rain, I came back with a sopping left sock. Duh genius had punctured the rubber with at least one blackthorn. I did try using those boots when it was dry, rotating them with cheaper, skiddier, crappier boots when wet out. Then last year, we seized an empty domestic bin opportunity and cleared out a bunch of beat-up, worn-out footware to create space in my tool-shed. From that holocaust, I salvaged a single water-proof left gumboot and I've been hirpling about the place like that. I'd rather look ridiculous than have wet socks, wouldn't you?

But that left boot, while hydrologically sound, is a tad too small and requires a hand to pull t'bugger on. Which is awkward if I'm running out the door with hands full of tools and devices. I was in Red Mills again last week to buy more sheep muesli [it's the season when they desrve a bit of dessert on a grass meal] and another molassed mineral lick bucket for micronutrients. I think it's really more like candy [molasses] for them, but I don't begrudge. And, while there, I stumped up for another pair of the same boot: as [L] flanked by the current mismatched pair. I'm going to leave the shop-tags on for while to remind me that these boots are made for walking not kicking brash or sawing wood.

I had a similar experience ~15 years ago when I bought a pair of Lidl middle-aisle walking boots. I used them while digging over the garden and destroyed them in about 2 weeks of footing a spade. The next pair served me about 6 years going to work with occasional yomps up the hill. Even €100 boots [HiTek looking at you!] can be kinda crappy. Update: €35 of repair work by Grumpty the Cobbler started to fail only 8 weeks later. Luckily I have two pairs of Columbia brand walking boots which are holding up well.: