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You are here: Home / STYLE / BOGS Boots review and snow days

BOGS Boots review and snow days

March 5, 2018 by Molly 13 Comments

It doesn’t snow in Devon. Seriously. South Devon is the land of palm trees and British beach holidays. Ice-cream, candy-coloured beach huts and fish and chips. NOT snow. Except it was, last week, when Storm Emma landed here and we had our first proper hit of snow in eight years. Excitement levels were through the roof. It was also a fantastic opportunity to test out the girls’ new wellies – the North Hampton insulated rain boots by BOGS Boots.

We have a love-hate relationship with wellies. I love them, the girls hate them. If they could play out in the mud wearing nothing but bare feet or flip-flops they would. Their main gripes seem to be that they can’t get them on and off easily, they’re “annoying” and they leave their feet cold (although their feet would be far colder in flip-flops, but when I mention this it doesn’t go down well).

So would the BOGS Boots withstand the wrath of the Beast from the East AND my feisty three year old? It didn’t seem like a fair test really, but we gave it a go….

Test 1: Putting them on

The first step to welly resistance in our house is always getting the boots on in the first place. Despite being only three years old Effie is incredibly independent and likes to do all her own dressing – fiddly buttons and stubborn wellies included.

Luckily for us the North Hampton boots feature a “handle” at the top, giving kids’ an opportunity to get full purchase and yank the boots on themselves. Both Effie and Freya managed this easily, even over their trousers (which is often the next issue).

Test 2: Keeping warm

Once we get wellies on there’s usually some sort of drama after half an hour about the girls having cold feet. I was fully expecting to have to cut short our very first Devon snow experience due to cold sore toes, but this didn’t happen. Proof that the North Hampton boots ARE, indeed, insulated. The girls both had on an extra pair of socks, but this is the case usually anyway – even though the extra socks never ever work. Not this time though, and the temperatures were at least ten degrees lower than our last trip out in wellies.

Test 3: The play factor

The third reason my girls are generally not welly fans, is the fact they find them “annoying”. I can only assume this means they get in the way when they’re playing. Often their wellies will fall off, or they’ll trip up when wearing them and get cross, saying they can’t run around properly. This didn’t happen with the BOGS Boots. They ran up and down hills, built snowmen, walked through thick snow and ice and managed hours of playing outside without one single welly-related moan. The boots have a soft insulated upper section which helps them stay on comfily, keep the feet warm and – in the words of my seven year old – be far less “annoying” than her regular wellies.

If you want to see the boots in action then watch the video below. And if you’d like to see them in even more close-up detail then check out my February Favourites video over on YouTube.

In short, we highly recommend them. They might cost a bit more than regular wellies but if that extra investment means we lose the tantrums over putting wellies on, cold feet dramas and actually get to enjoy our time outdoors without any cold toes then the extra cost is worth it.

Check out the other boots in the BOGS Boots kids’ range here (they also do adult shoes too!). The boots featured in this post are the North Hampton kids’ insulated rain boots in red, costing £55.

 

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Thanks to BOGS Boots for working with me on this post. Check out my Work With Me page for more examples of how I work with brands. 

Filed Under: Fashion, STYLE Tagged With: country kids, kids clothes, outdoor life, Parenting, reviews

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Comments

  1. Emily Leary says

    March 8, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    At least the recent cold snap meant you could put the boots properly through their paces (hah!). Love the design and colours.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 12, 2018 at 2:23 pm

      They were definitely put through their paces!

      Reply
  2. kyang says

    March 7, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    Love the baby blanket and the sox. They are real feel happy sox and in this awful snowy weather they are ideal to keep the feet and legs warm in the wellies!! I also love ‘ love knitting’ . I’m not confident enough about what I knit to publish it.

    Reply
  3. Donna says

    March 6, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    Oh my gosh those boots are PERFECT for the snow! We just had our normal wellies for the snow and they really didn’t work as well as we needed them to x

    Reply
  4. Talya says

    March 6, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    I love how these withstood the play test as my daughter also usually finds wellies annoying I’ll have to look into these!

    Reply
  5. Eliza @ My Everything Beautiful says

    March 5, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    It looks like you had so much fun in the snow. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the right clothes to go outside and play for that long. Will prepare for next winter now.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 6, 2018 at 12:13 pm

      It takes you by surprise doesn’t it?! Was fun though!

      Reply
  6. Emma says

    March 5, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    oh I am so glad you all got some snow fun. those wellies were perfect, it is almost like you engineered the snow to give them the full work out! Erin enjoyed sledging for the first time with her friends and it was lovely to see.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 6, 2018 at 12:13 pm

      I know – couldn’t have put them through their paces more thoroughly!

      Reply
  7. Jen Walshaw says

    March 5, 2018 at 3:15 pm

    My boys always hated wellies, but we revied some bogs and they were perfect and they wore them. They were so good that when they grew out of them I bought them both another pair. We also bought the FIL (farmer in law) a pair for Christmas.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 6, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      They are so great – we’re really impressed!

      Reply
  8. Colette says

    March 5, 2018 at 12:58 pm

    Didn’t you just have the perfect weather for testing them out! We flipping love our BOGS boots – I’m always surprised at just how warm my feet are when I’m wearing them and the kids love them too!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      March 6, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      And they look mega cool too!

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
#BodyHappyKids 
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When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnan When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnancy yoga class every week. It was the highlight of my week. I left each session feeling like I was floating on a cloud, and I used the poses and breath work to guide me through labour too. But then I had my baby and found that, as a knackered new mum of two, I couldn’t find the time for yoga. I no longer had the excuse of doing it “for the bump” or “to prepare for labour”, so what was the point?
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It wasn’t until I started reinvesting in myself and unravelling the diet culture perspective on exercise that I found it again, along with running, which turned to hiking, and swimming. 
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It wasn’t about preparing my body for someone or something else. It was about the process itself, the time to unwind my mind and move my body for joy, just for me. I’ve lost a bit of that this past year with lockdowns, and I feel it.
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I recently signed up to @theunderbellyyoga with @mynameisjessamyn and feel like I’m finding it again. I love that my kids can see me taking time for myself, and enjoying movement, and that they sometimes want to join in too. Even if it is a bit annoying sometimes (swipe 👀). 
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#BodyHappyMum 
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[Image description: Molly and her 6 year old daughter Effie sit on yoga and gymnastics mats with their legs crossed and arms in the air. They have their backs to the camera. In the second image they are sitting crossed legged while twisting round to the side, and in the third image Molly is lying on the mat with her eyes closed while Effie leans over her, being a bit annoying.]
Health is complicated, yet it’s so often over-si Health is complicated, yet it’s so often over-simplified on social media. “Just eat less and move more!” etc are packaged up as empowering motivational quotes, but when we look into what health actually is, and the many things that impact it, we realise that this view isn’t empowering at all. 
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Any conversation about health that doesn’t acknowledge the fact of body diversity, social determinants of health and the impact of weight stigma and all forms of discrimination on health, is not a full conversation.
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When it comes to how this makes children feel about their bodies, the impact is huge. From appearance based bullying (both online and in the playground) to confusion over how best to look after their own health, we’re not equipping kids with the tools to feel good in their bodies or be accepting of other children in bodies that may not look the way we teach kids “healthy” looks. 
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Consider this as a “starter post”, an introduction to the “But what about health?” question if you’ve not come across a weight inclusive approach to health before. If it’s useful bookmark and come back to it. And maybe even share it if you think your friends and family might benefit from it too. 
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On the last slide you’ll find a short list of further reading. This is by no means an exhaustive list! Again, just a starting point. 
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There are professors, researchers, activists, educators, doctors, public health policy makers doing important work in this area (who have been leading the charge on this for decades, before social media was even a thing), but still the mainstream view on health always seems to come down to personal responsibility arguments and the “eat less, move more” approach. Just remember, it’s complicated. ❤️
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EDIT: On the last slide I recommend the book Burn Out - apologies for a typo to author name: it is written by Emily & AMELIA Nagoski 
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