In January 1856, an American named Henry Lee Norris landed in Scotland with a partner and a plan to secure a patent for India-rubber overshoes and boots. They found a factory at Castle Mill in Edinburgh, and the North British Rubber Company grew from there into what we now call Hunter. The GANNI x Hunter boots, launched September 14, 2026, close that circle: an Edinburgh rubber boot, dressed up by a Danish label.

I like how clearly each side knows its job. Ditte Reffstrup, GANNI's creative director since 2009, said she loves the idea that the most practical pieces can also be the most expressive. She also said that coming from Denmark, where it rains a lot, starting with the Hunter boot was obvious. Her reference was Glastonbury, Kate Moss in hot pants and Hunters.

The tall boots are the center of the set. The Downpour Tall Boots in green are an olive wellington with yellow trim at the gusset, and the Downpour in leopard puts a leopard panel up the shaft of a black boot. If tall is too much, the Balmoral Ankle Boots come in chocolate brown and in leopard, both with a neoprene collar and a chunky lug sole. I would wear the brown pair with ribbed tights and a wool skirt, which is very October.

Then the rain layers. The Poncho in 10K Waterproof Shell comes in almond milk, lemon and military olive, oversized and hooded with a logo patch. Pair the olive one with the green boots for a head-to-toe field look, or the lemon one with the leopard pair if you want the whole street to notice you. The Water Resistant Bucket Hat in almond milk has tie strings, so it stays put in wind. My tip: pull the poncho on over your coat before you decide, so the cut clears a thick sleeve.

Hunter's own story is worth knowing before you pick a pair. The company began in 1856 as the North British Rubber Company, making rubber boots and other durable rubber goods, and the Original Wellington was first introduced in 1956. Harper's Bazaar notes the Original Tall is handcrafted from 28 parts and has stayed the same since 1956, with that toe moustache detail and the side buckle.

That is why the Original Tall Boots in dark green feel like the reference point for everything else here. The Original Tall Gloss in dark green and the Original Tall Gloss Rain Boots in black gloss are the same shape with a shinier finish, which photographs well on wet pavement. The Original Tall Insulated Boots in medium red add a lining for colder days, and the Original Tall Embossed Boots in black glossy croco bring a little texture if plain rubber feels too plain.

If you want something shorter, the Original Short Gloss in military red is a bright, cropped option, and the Original Short Back Adjustable Rain Boots in black have a gusset at the back so you can adjust the fit over a thick sock. The Original Play Tall in black is a lightweight matte pair.

Here is a fitting test: put your hand in the shaft and check the calf, then bend your knee and see whether the top digs into the back of it. The buckle strap should sit flat. Pair the tall black ones with a shearling coat and a pleated midi in October. What I would skip: the glossy croco pair if you want one boot for muddy walks, since texture shows every splash.

Before this collab, GANNI already had a boot habit. The label is a Copenhagen house that Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup took over in 2009, and its footwear has the same mix of practical and playful as the clothes. These are the pairs I would reach for when the sky is gray but not actually pouring.

The Cleated Mid Chelsea Boots in brown and the Cleated Low Chelsea Boots in brown are both suede with black elastic panels and a chunky cleated sole. Suede and rain do not get along, so think of these as drizzle boots and keep a suede protector spray nearby. The Cleated Boots in black swap suede for glossy leather, with a front zip and contrast yellow stitching, and they are the easier choice for a wet commute.

For something louder, the Mid Shaft Embroidered Western Boots in black have lime-green stitching up the shaft and a stacked heel. They are a good bridge between a plain black dress and a gray coat. The Mid Shaft Biker Boot in black has a harness strap with a silver buckle and a low heel, so it walks better than it looks.

The Trail Boots come in black canvas, green canvas and leopard denim. They are lace-up with a folded cuff and a rubber toe cap, and the leopard denim one is the closest cousin to the collab print. Test the lacing before you commit: you want the ankle to feel held, not pinched. What I would skip: the canvas trail boots for a real downpour, since canvas will soak through.

The leopard print in the collab did not come from nowhere. The Downpour and Balmoral pairs wear it loudly. If you want that spotted look from other makers, or something printed in a different way, start here.

The Hunter Play Short Insulated Rain Boots in leopard are tan and black with the red-white Hunter tab and pull loops, a close sibling to the collab pair. The Bogs Patch Ankle Rain Boots in leopard are taupe and black, with pull handles and a chunky lug sole, and the handles make them easy to get on with cold hands.

Plaid and dots are the other direction. The Barbour Nimbus Chelsea Welly in classic dress tartan and the Wilton Chelsea Welly in classic tartan both read country, one with a chunky sole and one with a small block heel. The Western Chief Printed Tall Rain Boot in organic paisley, a navy boot printed with teal and gold, is the most unexpected, and the Ditsy Dot Tall Rain Boot in black scatters pastel dots over a black base. The Journee Collection Tekoa Rain Booties go polka dot on a glossy black Chelsea shape. For something romantic, the Hunter x LoveShackFancy Original Tall in Toscana toile is pale blue and cream with a back buckle strap.

Wear one printed element and keep the rest quiet: a leopard boot with a navy trench works, a leopard boot with a leopard poncho is for confident days. Check the print at the toe, where wear shows first. What I would skip: the paisley and dots if your coat is already patterned.

A gray October is the best excuse to wear red or yellow on your feet. Bright boots are the easiest way to make a rain outfit look chosen rather than survived, and they pair with a navy or camel coat without any fuss.

The Ilse Jacobsen Rubber Boot comes in deep red and cyber yellow, both tall, handcrafted natural rubber with a front lace-up and a low black sole. The lace-up makes the fit adjustable, so try them with your thickest socks. The Dr. Martens 1460 Rain Boots in cherry red turn the classic boot into waterproof rubber with the heel loop and lug sole, which looks right with black tights and a short skirt.

If you like a Chelsea shape, the Sorel Out N About IV Chelsea Rain Boots in red dahlia have black elastic gussets and a black lug outsole, and the Bogs Amanda II Chelsea Rain Boots in mustard have pull loops and a brown lug sole. The Coach Rainboots in candy pink are a molded ankle boot with embossed signature pattern, soft and a bit playful. The Melissa Ultra Boot in red is glossy PVC with oval side cutouts and a thick platform, the most fashion-forward of the group. And the Kamik Wkhorsepro Rain Boots in bright orange have reflective yellow trim at the cuff, which is actually useful on dark commutes.

Pick one color and wear the rest in neutrals. Walk across the room before you buy: a platform sole feels different on a wet street. What I would skip: the high-gloss red PVC pair if you need a boot for long walks, because the platform adds weight.

I would start with the Downpour in leopard if you want the collab pair, and the Balmoral in brown if you will wear them more days than not. Add a poncho only if you commute on foot, because it is the piece that actually keeps your coat dry.

If the collab is sold through in your size, a Hunter Original is the honest answer. It has been the same boot since 1956, and a green pair does not date.

Edinburgh to Copenhagen, 1856 to now: a rubber boot that keeps getting a new coat of paint and still does its job. Mine would be on the doorstep by the first heavy rain.