Back in January, after the first couple of atmospheric rivers in California, I decided to finally look for some rain boots. About ten years ago I had the Hunter rain boots when they were all the rage, but I never wore them much because they were quite heavy and clunky to wear. I eventually sold them and have never looked at rain boots again thanks to years of drought in California. But this year, I got fed up with wet shoes and purchased a pair of Merry People Bobbi Rain Boots. And I’m so glad I did because I was able to use them for the ten other atmospheric rivers that came after.

I happened to stumble upon this brand thanks to Google. I searched for “rain boots for petite people” and these were one of the hits. I remember from my Hunter boot days that the mid-calf boots cut off at a part of the leg that I thought made my legs look shorter. So I specifically wanted shorter boots this time around. The Hunter Chelsea boots also popped up during this search, but after reading reviews about how the rubber of the boot rubs the front of the legs I decided to look at Merry People.

First a little bit about the brand: they’re a small woman-owned Australian brand that specializes in rain boots (or what they call Wellies). They use natural rubber for their boots and I appreciate that they take their sustainability seriously.

But in the end I was drawn to their boots because it looked comfortable. The neoprene around the ankles prevent the rubber from directly rubbing the skin. And the two pull tabs on each boot makes it easy to put on and take off. And I also liked the brown and blue color way this came in.

As for sizing, I got my usual 8 and I would say it fits true to size. I usually wear them with socks for the ultimate comfort though I can still wear them comfortably without socks. And yes, the boots are still the heaviest shoe in my closet because natural rubber isn’t light. But I still find it’s easy to walk in, and after a bit I don’t notice the weight at all.

So if you’re in the market for new rain boots I highly recommend checking out Merry People!