Hunter Boots for Women: Tall, Short, Chelsea and Puffer Styles

Hunter Boots for Women: Tall, Short, Chelsea and Puffer Styles

A guide to Hunter boots for women, from the tall and short rain boots to the Chelsea styles and the puffer booties. I cover the brand's story, how each shape wears, and how to choose one.

Hunter says it began in Scotland in 1856, when Henry Lee Norris founded the North British Rubber Co., which later became Hunter Boot Ltd. Norris was an American from Jersey City, and with his partner Spencer Thomas Parmelee he set up in Edinburgh's Castle Mill to make India-rubber boots. I love an origin story that specific, because it explains why a rain boot from this house feels like a real tool and not a costume.

 

The Original Wellington Boot arrived in 1956, and Hunter still calls it the heart of the brand. The Original Tall is handcrafted from 28 individual parts of natural rubber, assembled over three days on a last made just for Hunter. That is a lot of care for something you will happily splash through a puddle in. If you are shopping for Hunter boots women actually wear in the city, start with the Original Tall, and the Original Tall Rain Boots below are where I would begin. The Original Tall Croc Rain Boots are the same tall shape with a glossy, croc-pressed finish. The Original Tall Boot in light pink is the same classic shape in a much softer color. The Original Tall Gloss Rain Boots in dark brown add polish to the same shape.

 

Then there is the 2005 Glastonbury picture. British Vogue reports that Kate Moss was photographed there in muddy, below-the-knee Hunter Wellington boots, and that the pictures sent hundreds of thousands of women out to buy a pair. This year she fronts the brand's 170th anniversary campaign in the Original Tall. I like her reason for grabbing them in 2005: there was no time to go shopping.

 

Now the grid. The Play Short Rain Boots are the easy, ankle-height pair for jeans you do not want to roll. The Original Short Play Wedge Rain Boots add a little lift, which is useful with a midi skirt. The Refined Quilted Gloss Rain Boots and the Refined Gloss Quilted Rain Boots are the dressier ones, with a shine that looks good under a trench. The Play rain booties are the smallest option here. The Hunter x LoveShackFancy Play Short brings a print to the short shape, the Original Play Tall, Original Tour Short Gloss, Hadley and Diana rain boots fill in the everyday middle, and the Nissa knee high rain boot and the Giania leather knee high boot are the tallest pairs.

 

Fitting-room test: pull the boot on over the socks you actually wear and bend your knee. The shaft should move without pinching behind the knee.

A collage of Hunter tall and short rain boots, Chelsea rain boots and puffer booties, and a mood photo of an oversized sweatshirt, white shorts and green tall Hunter boots.
Hunter rain boots, Chelseas and puffer booties in one frame.

Tall and short boots

Chelsea boots that go beyond the puddle

Chelsea boots are the shape I reach for when it is gray outside and I still want to look like I made an effort. The elastic gusset means no buckles and no laces, and the profile is low enough to sit under a straight-leg trouser. Hunter has taken that shape and made it a rain boot, which is a very sensible idea.

 

The Refined Chelsea Rain Boots are the sleek version, and I would wear them with tailoring and a coat that skims the ankle. The Original Chelsea Gloss Rain Boots have that polished surface that catches the light, so they look best against matte things: a wool trouser, a plain knit. The Original Chelsea Gloss Rain Booties are the same boot in Military Red, the pair I would pick to cheer up a gray coat. The Original Rubber Chelsea Boots are the plain, honest pair. Rubber is right there in the name, and they do the same job as the classics, just with a shorter shaft.

 

The Winica Chelsea Booties sit low on the ankle, and I would pick them for cropped jeans and a bit of visible sock. They are the easiest to pack for a weekend, too.

 

Then there are Chelseas for days when it is not actually raining. The Miana Suede Heeled Waterproof Chelsea Boots and the Miana Leather Heeled Waterproof Chelsea Boots sit on a lugged rubber sole with a heel of about two and a half inches, so they read as proper autumn boots that just happen to be waterproof. The Waterproof Chelsea Rain Boot is the plain, practical one to keep by the door.

 

A small care note from Hunter: if you see a white, powdery bloom on natural rubber, that is normal and does not affect performance. Clean the boots with cold water only, no solvents, and you can bring the finish back with Hunter Boot Buffer. It is a two-minute habit that keeps the boots looking new.

 

Fitting-room test: walk across the room and listen for the heel slipping. A Chelsea should hold at the back without squeezing across the top of the foot.

Chelsea boots

Puffers and booties for the cold months

This grid is the one for colder days, and the styles change a lot. The names matter here, because each one is a slightly different shape, so I will go through the ones I would look at first.

 

The Jasper Boot and the Skylar Boot are the plainest pair, and they are where I would start if you want something that goes with a long coat and a scarf. The Gemma Suede Zip Front Boots are the ones with the zip, so they go on fast when you are late. The Diana Boots read as a sturdy, everyday boot, and the Esme Boots are the simple one I would pair with a skirt and tights. The Sutton Boot is the outdoorsy one, a suede and rubber pull-on with gore side panels, and I would wear it on a muddy weekend walk with thick socks. The Maran boots and the insulated Original Short Play in dark brown are the cosy ones, and the Marlay and Moon are the snow day pairs.

 

Then the puffers. The Madi Puffer Booties are short and padded, with a soft, rounded shape that looks great with leggings and an oversized sweater. The Madison 6 Puffer Booties are a little taller. The Maribels 2 Puffer Boots go higher still, in a shiny silver finish, and I would wear them under a long puffer coat so the two shapes echo each other.

 

What I would skip: do not wear the puffer styles with a very fitted ankle trouser, since the padded shape bunches the hem. Also skip a thick sock under a boot you bought in your usual size without trying it on first, because puffers have less give than you expect.

 

A tip for mixing: if the boot is bulky, keep the coat clean and the trouser wide. If the boot is slim, you can play with a bolder coat.

Winter boots and booties

How I would choose a pair

Here is how I would actually choose. First, decide where the boot lives. If it lives by the front door for rainy school runs and city walks, buy the Original Tall or a short Play style and stop looking. If it needs to go to an office, the Chelsea shapes make more sense.

 

Second, think about your trousers. Straight and wide legs work with the tall boot tucked in or the Chelsea underneath. Skinnier pants prefer the short ones. Third, decide how much shine you want, because the gloss and quilted pairs are noticeably dressier than the matte rubber.

 

Last, take care of them. Rinse with cold water, let them dry away from direct heat, and do not worry about the bloom. A pair that gets looked after from the start is the pair you will still be pulling on when the next anniversary comes around. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Ariat Boots and Frye Campus Boots Dupe.