Yet, it is often a decision made quickly as they run quickly through their local merchant store with their arms full of a hundred other things.
Daviesway’s Simon Shorland has been working in the dairy service industry for 35 years – almost 20 of them with Daviesway. He has a deep knowledge of gumboots with the Australian-owned family business, and can cover 3000 kilometres in a week helping farmers with their buying decisions.
BEWARE THE ILL-INFORMED BUY
And, while some may think a gumboot is “just a gumboot”, Simon politely disagrees. “It always amazes me that people don’t mind spending more than $500 on a well-known brand of boots that they might wear half a dozen times – which aren’t that comfortable,” Simon said. “But they don’t want to spend around $160 on a pair of quality gumboots, that they’re in every day for long hours. "For how much dairy farmers are on their feet and the conditions they work in, I think their gumboot choice is really important.” Gumboots are a subject close to Simon’s heart, and he is passionate about the choices in the Skellerup range, which are manufactured by the New Zealand company. Handmade from 100% natural rubber, Skellerup’s team has designed a range that is dedicated to the Australasian dairy industry. Choices include designs that have specific applications for specific uses. Getting the right advice is a conversation worth having, he said. The premium all-round gumboot for dairying is undoubtedly the Quatro. Simon said once dairy farmers push their feet into the “Rolls Royce of the gumboot world”, they rarely want any other gumboot. The Quatro has been made for comfort and performance, featuring thermal properties – among other qualities – with a unique ankle-locking feature that negates heel slip.
VICTORIAN DAIRYMAN’S DREAM BOOT
Victorian dairyman Dean Malcolm always struggled to wear gumboots. With little natural padding on his feet, he said before finding the Quatro he’d never had a gumboot he could cope with wearing for long periods. “My feet aren’t great, and Quatros are the best gumboots I’ve ever worn. Without question,” Dean said. “Normally I can’t spend more than a couple of hours in gumboots, but I could happily wear these for most of the day. The cushioning is phenomenal. “For me, they aren’t heavy, and if you walk in mud, they don’t come off your feet. They fit really snugly, but not tight; it’s a great hold. “But the big thing is the cushioning, the comfort, and the fact that I can wear them doing whatever I’m doing – because they’re not just a gumboot for the dairy.” Would he ever change from the
Quatro to another model or brand? “Never.”
Look no further than Daviesway’s practical range.
Download full story below.
Choosing the right gumboot.pdf
Skellerup Footwear Catalogue 2019.pdf
