As a veterinary nurse who kept horses, Esther Fox used to spend much of her life in Wellington boots, but these days she slips them on only in emergencies – because wearing them causes her so much pain.
Esther, 47, ran a rehabilitation centre for horses until 2022, during which time she regularly wore wellies the entire day.
Having worn wellies ‘for ever’ for farming and horse work, Esther now has back, knee and hip pain – triggered not just by injuries from falling off horses in her 20s but, she believes, by her footwear too.
‘If I did a long walk now with wellies, I would have a searing pain in my hip – that has to say something about how bad they are for our joints,’ says Esther.
Hers is a cautionary tale, not just for true country types but for festivalgoers and fashionistas wearing them in town – thigh-high wellies were recently seen on the catwalk for Chanel, no less – and also for the parents of children who won’t be parted from them.
The irony is that Esther, a physiotherapist and clinical lead at the private Mount Kelly Physiotherapy Centre in Tavistock, Devon, now sees the problems caused by wearing wellies in her work life too as she has more than 350 farmers on her books, many of whom have damaged hips and knees.
‘Lots of the farmers I see have joint problems,’ she says.
‘These are caused by many things, including getting in and out of tractors, moving cattle and lambing – which is extremely arduous work – but wearing Wellington boots all day for decades won’t have helped them either.’
Esther Fox says she now has back, knee and hip pain after having worn wellies ‘for ever’ for farming and horse work
Pain triggered by wellies is a cautionary tale not just for true country types but for festivalgoers and fashionistas wearing the boots
The trouble with the humble wellie is that it does nothing to keep the foot stable as you walk and offers no arch or heel support, say experts.
This lack of stability means there can be knock-on effects for the hips, knees and back, causing all sorts of problems that can be so serious for some that hip and knee replacements are required.
It is also important to have footwear that supports the big toe – there would be a semi-rigid toe cap that limits movement while stabilising it, for instance. This will aid natural walking mechanics, maintain balance and prevent lower back pain.
The problems caused by unstable wellies include plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the band of tissue under the foot), ankle sprains and Achilles tendinopathy (tendon pain and discomfort).
Professor Baljinder Dhinsa – a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Chaucer Hospital in Canterbury and the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, who specialises in foot and ankle conditions – often sees these problems in farmers ‘in part down to wearing wellies for long periods of time, over many years’, he says.
Indeed, a study involving farmers, published in June this year in the Journal of Nursing & Allied Health, found that half of the 139 participants had plantar fasciitis – often a precursor to joint problems.
‘Wearing unsupportive Wellington boots for long hours can lead to an inflamed plantar fascia and the lack of arch support can result in muscle fatigue and proceed to flattening of the foot arch,’ explains Professor Dhinsa.
‘And it’s not only farmers who are at risk – anyone who wears wellies can be affected,’ he warns.
Esther says she also sees lots of sportspeople, construction workers and dog walkers, who have problems related to wellie wearing. Anecdotally, fishermen and gardeners suffer the same issues.
And, of course, wellies are sometimes chosen for their fashion credentials as much as practicality, making the UK wellie boot market worth almost £10billion. Sales of the classic Hunter wellie surged 400 per cent after celebrities started wearing them at music festivals.
‘There is a clear connection between foot, ankle, knee and hip problems and this choice of footwear,’ says Professor Dhinsa.
He explains: ‘The foot has 20 different joints, and the natural way to walk is to put the heel down first and roll the foot forward, and then go down on to your toes. This isn’t possible with wellies because they are rigid, so you can’t move the foot – so the dynamic, natural movement of the foot is lost.’
Professor Dhinsa adds: ‘Walking so rigidly and with no support or “shock absorbers” changes the gait, which is why so many farmers end up with flat feet.
‘The flat, unyielding soles also cause the foot to pronate [roll inwards] with each step, leading to further muscle and tendon fatigue.’
Indeed, a US study published in 2015 in the journal Applied Ergonomics that looked into firefighters’ footwear – similar to a Wellington boot but heavier and less flexible – confirmed that the boots changed the gait of the wearer and also impeded balance.
This change of gait can lead to other joint problems. Professor Dhinsa explains: ‘When you can’t flex or move the foot as you walk, the knee then has to do a lot more work to move the body forward, and take more of the force.’
And the knee itself often can’t move as it should, ‘because of the rigidity of the foot in wellies, you have to use your hip to compensate and move the hip muscles in a different way, putting this joint under more pressure too’.
He adds: ‘I refer lots of farmers to knee and hip surgeons with problems that aren’t exclusively linked to wellies, but plenty of those with hip and knee arthritis are.
‘I wish they would seek advice earlier, but the older farmers just won’t get help – they regard their own health as an inconvenience and ignore the warning signs, such as plantar fasciitis.’
Victoria Wadlow – a physiotherapist at Stoney Stretton Physiotherapy in Shrewsbury, who specialises in helping agricultural workers – says ‘a key problem caused by wellies is that the calf muscles get shorter from not getting a stretch that happens with normal walking’.
‘In turn, a shortened calf muscle can lead to shortened hamstrings – this is the big muscle at the back of the leg – and this can put strain on the lower back. All these problems can take years and years to develop.’
She continues: ‘Farmers and others such as festivalgoers who might be walking a lot would be better off with a well-fitting lace-up boot to hold the heel and mid foot.’
And Kent-based podiatrist Edward Hanger says musculoskeletal problems – such as sprained ankles from lack of support – aren’t the only issues he sees linked to wellies.
‘Wellies are unbreathable so I see a lot of skin and nail problems, athlete’s foot and even a trench foot-style condition because the foot can get so damp if wellies are worn all day in wet fields.’
Professor Dhinsa says he isn’t totally ‘anti-wellie’ and says there’s no harm in children splashing around in pools of water in their favourite fun footwear.
‘Wellington boots are not inherently bad for kids, if worn only for a short period of time – but not as every day, all day wear.’
Adults can wear them too, he says, but not for a long walk – and definitely not daily, over decades.
It’s hard to specify a ‘safe’ time – just listen to your body and if you feel any discomfort, take them off, he says. (He admits to wearing wellies himself when it snows, but only for short periods.)
Esther says she sees lots of sportspeople, construction workers and dog walkers who have problems related to wellie-wearing
And if you are going to wear wellies?
‘An insole provides cushioning to the heel to absorb impact and provide support to the arch to prevent muscle and tendon fatigue and collapse of the arch,’ recommends Professor Dhinsa.
‘The insole should be a medial arch-supporting type to support the inner curve of the foot, with heel cushioning.
‘You can get them online, from running shops and pharmacies, or you can get a custom-made one from a podiatrist.’
If you need to wear wellies regularly, he also advises looking for a pair with adjustable straps around the calf ‘which gives customised support around the ankle’.
And replace them regularly, advises Victoria Wadlow.
‘Wellies generally aren’t good but old ones are even worse as they get worn on one side because of how the foot strikes the ground, or due to the body’s alignment or the loose fit of the boot itself, which can impact the gait.’
She adds that stretching and strengthening exercises can relieve pain after wearing wellies.
‘Heel lifts and calf stretches before bed will help by lengthening tight lower-leg muscles that overwork due to the boot’s flat, rigid design,’ she says.
All the experts agree that it’s worth investing in a quality pair of wellies.
‘The worst offenders are the cheap, loose wellies that are floppy around the foot, which are useless,’ says Edward Hanger.
‘You want a boot with support around the big toe and heel, and a curved sole is really good because it offers flexibility to the foot.’
(However, he says he personally would never wear wellies, but a walking boot instead.)
He recommends that children only wear wellies for short periods and never as everyday wear because of the lack of stability and support.
As for Esther, she sees an osteopath and/or a physiotherapist every few weeks and still wears wellies occasionally ‘for very short bursts’.
‘But they aren’t the cheap ones that give no support – those are lethal,’ she says.
‘I wear wellies with good heel support and a “toe block” which is a hard, rigid shell hidden under the rubber at the front of the boot to protect and support the front part of the foot so the foot can’t move around, causing instability.’