The "Wellington boots" boot became a staple of practical foot wear for the British aristocracy and middle class in the early 19th century.
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14 Facts About Wellington boots
2.
The name was given to waterproof Wellington boots made of rubber and they are no longer associated with a particular class.
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3.
Duke of Wellington boots instructed his shoemaker, Hoby of St James's Street, London, to modify the 18th-century Hessian boot.
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4.
Wellington's utilitarian new boots quickly caught on with patriotic British gentlemen eager to emulate their war hero.
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5.
Wellington boots is one of the two British Prime Ministers to have given his name to an item of clothing, the other being Sir Anthony Eden whilst Sir Winston Churchill gave his name to a cigar, and William Gladstone gave his to the Gladstone Bag, the classic doctor's portmanteau.
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6.
Production of the Wellington boots boot was dramatically boosted with the advent of World War I and a requirement for footwear suitable for the conditions in Europe's flooded and muddy trenches.
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7.
Green Wellington boots, introduced by Hunter Boot Ltd in 1955, gradually became a shorthand for "country life" in the UK.
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8.
In 1980, sales of their Wellington boots skyrocketed after Lady Diana Spencer was pictured wearing a pair on the Balmoral estate during her courtship with Prince Charles.
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9.
GumWellington boots are popular in Canada during spring, when melting snows leave wet and muddy ground.
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10.
Rubber Wellington boots specifically made for cold weather, lined with warm insulating material, are especially popular practical footwear for Canadian winters.
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11.
GumWellington boots are often referred to in New Zealand popular culture such as the rurally-based Footrot Flats comic strip.
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12.
New Zealand comedy character Fred Dagg paid tribute to this iconic footwear in his song "GumWellington boots", a modified version of Billy Connolly's "If It Wisnae Fur Yer Wellies".
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13.
When Leonid Brezhnev came to power in 1964, the usual leather footwear returned to shops, and rubber Wellington boots quickly lost their popularity, returning to their original role of utility footwear.
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14.
Wellington boots are a commonly used form of waterproof footwear in the UK and are usually referred to as "wellies".
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