Autumn and Winter brings rain, mud and shortening days, and the right country shoe or boot handles all three without fuss. Storm welts, water resistant leathers and the right sole make the difference between a season spent dodging puddles and one spent walking straight through them.
What Makes a Shoe Ready for Wet Weather
A shoe built for wet weather relies on a handful of features working together, not one clever trick. Construction, leather and sole all play a part, and the best country footwear brings all three together rather than relying on a single feature to do the job.
Storm Welts and Water Resistant Leathers
Our country styles use a storm welt, a ridge where the upper meets the sole that helps deflect rain and mud away from the join rather than letting it sit and seep in. Paired with a water resistant leather, this is what keeps a shoe comfortable through a wet autumn, rather than merely looking the part. We keep the language honest here: our shoes are water resistant, not waterproof, which means they stand up to typical British rain and mud very well but are not designed for standing water. For suede fans, our Repello suede brings the same water repellent quality to a softer material, so you do not have to give up suede once the weather turns.
Dainite versus Commando Soles for Grip
Sole choice matters as much as the leather on top:
-
Dainite soles offer a studded rubber tread that grips well on wet pavements and is smart enough for country shoes worn into town.
-
Commando soles have a deeper, chunkier tread built for mud, uneven ground and proper countryside walking.
Choose Dainite if most of your autumn is spent on streets and platforms; choose commando if you are heading off tarmac. The Corbett walking boot is a good example of a style built for the wettest, muddiest days, pairing a rugged, grippy sole with a sturdy, weather-ready build that shrugs off rough ground and country tracks.
Care and Protection Routine for the Season
A short routine through the wetter months keeps everything working as it should:
-
Polish smooth leathers with a wax polish before the season starts and top it up through the season, as a wax finish is what adds water resistance to smooth leather.
-
Keep leather fed with a nourishing shoe cream so it does not dry out and crack in changing temperatures.
-
Dry naturally away from direct heat after a wet day, using shoe trees to help them hold their shape.
-
Brush suede regularly to lift dirt and keep the nap fresh, and keep Repello suede out of prolonged heavy rain.
Everything you need is in our shoe care collection.
Spotlight: The Corbett Walking Boot
Few styles capture the spirit of this journal quite like the Corbett, a walking boot Tricker's introduced to mark our 195 year anniversary. It is named after the Corbetts, the 222 Scottish mountains between 2,500 and 3,000 feet, and it was built to live up to that name: a sustainable, Goodyear welted boot handmade in Northampton for people who genuinely walk.
For the Corbett, Tricker's commissioned a brand new last, the unisex 1961. It is the first new last we have made since the 4444 and 4497, created for the coronation of King George VI, which gave us the Bourton and the Stow. The boot is cut to a generous 6 fit, a traditionally wide fitting that leaves room for a thick walking sock and for feet that naturally swell over a long day on the hills.
It is also the clearest expression of everything above. The upper is water resistant full grain calf leather, soft but hard wearing, sitting on a Goodyear storm welt that keeps rain and mud out of the join. Underneath is a hard wearing Vibram commando sole built for grip on wet, uneven ground, and inside sits a breathable, moisture absorbing footbed for comfort mile after mile. As with all our leather it is water resistant rather than waterproof, so feed it with dubbin through the welt and stitching and a neutral wax polish on the upper to keep the weather at bay.
Explore the Corbett walking boot and see how a proper country boot is made.
Handmade in Northampton since 1829, our country boots and country shoes are built for exactly this kind of weather, with styles like the Corbett walking boot made for the muddiest days. Get ready for autumn with our full range and shoe care collection.
