The Hunter Story is a symbol of British country life that has graced catwalks from New York, Paris, and Milan to London. They remain the preferred Welly brand from the Royal Family to Glastonbury festival-goers like Kate Moss, working farmers and landed gentry alike.
We can thank Mr. Henry Lee Norris, an American entrepreneur, who in 1856 landed on Scottish soil in search of a home for his boot making company. That September after having acquired a block of buildings in Edinburgh, known as the Castle Silk Mills, the North British Rubber Company now known as Hunter Boots was registered as a limited liability company with only four members of staff.
The popularity of the wellington boots was growing and by 1875 the team had grown to 600 members of staff. Production of wellington boots was dramatically boosted again with the advent of World War I when the company was asked by the War Office to construct a sturdy boot suitable for the conditions in flooded trenches. In total, 1,185,036 pairs were made to cope with the Army’s demands. This fashionable boot was now a functional necessity.
At the outbreak of World War II in September, 80{3ec13c407393c77d0b76ac354e5e8751bb426f2c8d05d24f69f7e9f5bf644d15} of the North British Rubber Company’s production was for war materials – from ground sheets to life belts and gas masks. By the end of the war rationing laborers began to wear the rubber boots for everyday work, this is how the Wellington had become popular among men and women for use in wet weather. This lead to the birth of Hunter’s most famous Welly, the Original Green Wellington, made over 50 years ago in the winter of 1955.
By the 1980’s Hunters were thrust back in to the spotlight, this time a pair of Hunter Originals are worn by Lady Diana Spencer in her engagement photographs, this sparks a fashion spurge. Hunters were to become an essential item for those guided in up market country fashion. They were now synonymous with the much caricatured figures of The Sloane Ranger Handbook.
To date Hunters have expanded the Originals colour pallet, they no longer just offer the Green Wellies. The colour selection is changed yearly with colours such as Silver, Gold, White, and Midnight Sparkle to name a few. This is why so many love Hunters, they are “Outstanding in Every Field”.
