Culture ·

Discovering XTRATUF

INTRODUCITON

Meet Jade & Scott, founders of Helm Wind Outdoor Skincare based in the Lake District. Jade and Scott discovered XTRATUF on their honeymoon in Alaska and couldn’t believe their luck when they spotted XTRATUF on UK shores!

I hadn’t heard of XTRATUF until 2019 when my husband and I went to Alaska on our honeymoon (which I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who loves wildlife, dramatic landscapes and friendly folk).

Jade and Scott dressed in cold weather gear, stood in front of Kachemak Bay with blocks of ice and mountains behind

This is me (Jade) and my husband (Scott) hiking Kachemak Bay.

Whilst in Alaska, we noticed that absolutely everyone was wearing these ‘brown wellies’, from the fishermen coming off the boats to people kicking back wearing them in the bars, styling them with a pair of jeans and a checked shirt. - In fact, it was more unusual to see an Alaskan in trainers than in XTRATUFs.

We thought they were brill (and a great memento from our trip) so Scott ended up buying a pair to bring home with us.

At the airport on the way home we stumbled upon the book ‘The Salmon Princess – An Alaskan Cinderella Story’

A baby sat on grass wearing a pair of Xtratuf boots, reading a picture book
We loved it, as to us, it really summed up our experience of Alaskan culture - including the significance of fishing for both the local people and wildlife… and how literally everyone in Alaska wears XTRATUFs, including Cinderella.
Scott and I live in the Lake District, one of the wettest places in the UK (stunningly beautiful, but very rainy). We have two dogs which we walk twice every day on a 2.5k circuit, through woodlands, bogs, streams and rocky fell land, which we always do in wellies as it’s very muddy and the paths often flood.
Scott walking through a flooded footpath in a Lake District woodland with his dog. Scott is wearing a green waterproof jacket with the hood up, a pair of black trousers and a pair of brown Xtratuf Legacy Boots
Despite walking 5k a day, every day in his XTRATUFs, the boots Scott brought back from Alaska in 2019 are still going strong.
Over the years I myself have bought many pairs of premium wellies claiming they were hard wearing, but they never lasted more than a couple of months, despite the hefty price tag.
In 2021 I had been through multiple pairs of wellies in the time Scott had his XTRATUFs and now really wanted a pair of my own, to the point I was going to purchase a pair from Alaska and pay the shipping fees. However, to my amazement, I discovered I could buy them online here in the UK.
Jade and Scott's dusty Xtratuf Legacy Boots in their house
These are my XTRATUFs, that I bought in 2021. Despite walking 5k every day in them, they are in great condition (other than being a bit muddy). These are by far the best wellies my husband and I have ever bought - we would recommend them to anyone!

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