So, Alice + Whittles got wind of my review on ethical rain boots, where I compared their product to Everlane’s. (You should read that post first if you haven’t already.) They asked me if I wanted to try their boots in size 7, which they believed would be a better fit for my 6.5-sized feet. (I had tried on size 8 in my last post). I was skeptical that they would work since my feet are wide-ish and their shoes run narrow. But I have to admit that free stuff is enticing, so I agreed. They sent me their Classic Black Ankle Rain Boot.

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This post contains affiliate links and a gifted item. If you shop through my links, I may earn a commission. As always, all opinions are my own and I only write about items I’m interested in. Thanks for supporting Welcome Objects!

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The boots retail for the same price ($96) as the Minimalist Ankle Rain Boot I first tried. The main difference is the metal plate with the logo. On the Minimalist pair, the logo is vertically placed on the back of the boot and molded into the rubber. (You can see photos in my first post.)

The metal plate seems extraneous to me. Like, why waste resources making a metal plate? I feel this way about a lot of things. For example, I bought a nice dress once and the tag had a circular piece of metal connected to the string. I saved it, along with some other random pieces of metal and gave them to SCRAP SF, hoping that someone would be able to do something useful with it. But, honestly, I am probably giving SCRAP crap. Maybe they just ended up throwing it out. (In my defense, I also gave them art supplies I no longer use.)

Besides, most people probably don’t have a resource like SCRAP near them — or even if they did, wouldn’t think to give them random metal pieces — and would just cut the tag off and throw it away. (BTW, here’s a post where I take you on a tour of SCRAP.)

Anyhow, that’s a long way of saying I’m not into the metal plate with the brand name on it or extra touches in general. It doesn’t look bad; in fact it kind of lends a luxe touch to the boots. But I prefer them sans plate. Alice + Whittles does make an all black, no plate version, and I should have specifically asked for that pair to try. Baby blogger mistakes.

As to the construction and features, it’s the same as the other pair I tried on: made out of natural fair-trade rubber, removable insole, metal pull tab on back, and very lightweight. (Each boot weighed in at 14 oz on my postal scale.)

OK, now on to the fit. I noticed that Alice + Whittles updated their site since I first wrote about them. Now their fit description reads. “Our boots have a narrow fit. We recommend that you order up a size to your closest full size. (e.g. If you are a 6.5, order a 7. If you are a 6, order a 7).”

Hey, that’s me! A 6.5 trying a 7. I tried a boot on my left foot first and was pleasantly surprised that it seemed to fit, at least width-wise. It felt snug, but not too tight. Then I tried the right foot. Dear reader, that’s when I realized how much freaking wider my right foot is than my left. I mean, I’ve known for some time now that my right foot is bigger. But the way that boot squeezed my right foot and not the left, wow.

This made me sad, as clearly the boots didn’t fit. What a waste.

But I’m stubborn and decided to wear them all day anyway for the purposes of this review. And well, well, well, what do you know — they stretched! I wore them again the next day and they held their stretch. The right boot is still tighter than the left boot on me, but they’re not uncomfortable like they were at first. They kind of molded to my feet!

I didn’t know this would happen. I own a pair of rain boots by a non-ethical brand that are also rubber, though synthetic. The whole reason I started looking for rain boots in the first place is because those older boots are too tight for my wide feet and don’t stretch. While they seem OK when I first put them on, by the end of the day they pinch my toes too much and my feet are unhappy.

Natural rubber, it seems, have some give, even with the fabric lining of the Alice + Whittles boots.

I wore them out and about, running errands in the neighborhood even though it was sunny. (We’re not projected to get rain anytime soon.) Comfort wise, they seemed fine, but nothing special. I still prefer the more cushiony insole of the Everlane rain boots. The Alice + Whittles boots were a little big in the heels for me. This was not ideal, but after I walked around a bit, it wasn’t as bothersome as I thought it’d be either.

I still find the opening of the boot too wide. As in: it seems possible that rain could fall in. This might just be the prevailing design of rain boots that don’t have a Chelsea stretch panel, though. (I looked at some Aigle boots online and they seemed similar in that regard.) If you carry an umbrella over you, this is probably not a big deal on a day with moderate rain fall. But I like to wear a rain poncho so I can go hands-free. I fear water would roll right off my poncho and into the boots.

Overall, after being given a second chance to try these boots, I like them more than I did before. Of course, they’re a better size for me now. I still love the way they look, and feel like I can style them with my normal clothes. (You don’t have to stick to black, either. Alice + Whittles also makes fun colors every season. Right now there’s a bright yellow and a neutral-ish pink version, both with gold hardware.) They’re reasonably comfortable, though not the most comfortable. I’m going to keep wearing them and see if they continue to mold to my feet.

I have to ask myself, though, does the fact that they were gifted to me make me feel more fondly towards them? Honestly, I think it might a little bit. But also, if they hadn’t been gifted to me, I wouldn’t have worn them around outside and realized that they stretched.

UPDATE 5/22/19 – We’ve had some rainy days here in the SF Bay Area and I can now report that I tried these rain boots out in moderate rain. I wore a poncho and did not carry an umbrella and rain did not fall into the boots. I also purposely walked through puddles and they were watertight.

The boots have not continued to mold to my feet, so there’s a limit to how much they can stretch. They’re still a tight across the top of my right foot (which is wider than my left), but they don’t pinch my toes. I walked 30 minutes to get home the other night and they seemed fine. But I wondered how they would feel after a whole day.

If you generally wear wide widths, these will likely be too narrow for you, even if you go up a size.