These Boots Were Made for.. Rain?

If you’ve been in my close circle of friends over the past three years during my time on the East Coast, you will know (and probably roll your eyes) at how long I’ve been in the market for a solid pair of rainboots.

To give you some background, I moved from Los Angeles to Burlington, VT for college three years back. In addition to the new things I had to buy for my college dorm, I also had to purchase an entirely new wardrobe. this included everything from sturdy snow boots, a heavy snow jacket,  wool socks, fleeces (it literally took me an entire month to decide between a Patagonia and a North Face), wool socks, and insulted mittens.

Unfortunately for me, one of the things I failed to purchase in my first few months was a pair of rainboots for the fall and for the dreaded mud season that we Vermonters are so painfully familiar with.  So here I am, in my third year at Saint Michael’s College, in the middle of Fall, without a pair of rainboots.

I know, I know—why would rainboots, something that could easily be classified as a shopping product,  an item for which the consumer compares several alternatives on criteria such as price, quality, or style, take me three years to purchase?

Well, for me, rainboots were initially an unsought product; I knew about them, I thought I might need them one day, but I didn’t exactly know that I needed (or even wanted) them at the time. Now, after ending most of these Vermont rainy days with soaking wet socks and freezing toes, I realize their importance.

So now, the seemingly mundane task of finding a good pair of rainboots has taken me the same amount of time and effort that it would normally a consumer shopping for a specialty product, items that the consumer makes a special effort to search out and buy.

It’s not that I’ve put off buying a pair out of sheer laziness, it’s just that I want to make sure I’m making the best purchase for my money and that I am investing in something that’s going to be durable enough to last me a couple of years.

Although I am much more familiar with the brands that are the most popular here on the East Coast (*cough* L.L. Bean *cough * Patagonia), I still find myself conducting tons of research when in the market for durable products, items that usually last over many uses.

Although many people have highly recommended Hunter’s and Bean Boots (which I’m honestly leaning more towards), I still have my doubts about what will be the most suitable for my needs and satisfy my desires as a consumer.

I certainly never thought that buying a pair of rainboots would be such a high-involvement task for me and that I’d be stuck in the third stage of the purchase decision process for three years, but you know, I’m sure the right pair of rainboots will come into my life eventually.

Until then, I’ll just have to keep stepping around those big puddles on my way to class.

$$$$

Ariana