Review: Hunter Fleece Socks.

      Admittedly, after being so excited to buy and wear my Hunter Wellington Boots over a year ago, I don't really wear them that often. Aside from the fact that D.C. has relatively dry weather, these boots are quite cumbersome on my small frame. They're big and on the heavy side, and because my calves are very lean, I constantly have this slapping noise as I walk. I also find them quite difficult to drive in, which wasn't a big problem when I lived in D.C. because I rarely drove anywhere, but now that I'm home, it's something that I have to consider now that I find myself in the driver's seat almost everyday.

   These Hunter Welly socks were on sale so I decided to finally snag myself a pair. It was definitely a smart investment on my part. They fit perfectly over the rim of the boot. At a regular price of $30, I understand the hesitance on buying these (although you can find a similar pair by Betsey Johnson here, but I can't attest to how well they fit on the tall Hunter Wellies). I can say, however, that if I had known what a difference these would have made, I probably would have purchased them earlier at it's full price. What makes it worth it? Weighing the pros vs. cons:

     Pros:

• Warmer feet. Sure Wellies will keep your feet dry in rain, snow, and slush. But the cold? Not so much. But the fleece socks certainly keep my toes toasty during those cold winter days.
• Boots look more snug against my lean calves--there wasn't a ton of gapping between the boot and my leg before, but they look better with socks. 
• Related to the point above, no more slapping sounds when I walk! Bonus!! Now I can walk down a hallway without anyone knowing a minute ahead of time that I'm coming.
• Also relating to the fit--boots don't feel as clunky. I find them much easier to walk and drive in, which means that I will once again look forward to wearing these boots without having to worry about how difficult they are to wear while performing daily activities. 

     Despite these pros, there are a few cons and to be fair, I should mention them. Besides the $30 price tag:

• Uncomfortable. There are seams around the inside of the sock, and because my feet are on the narrow side, they tend to bunch up in the boot and I can feel the rubbing seams as I walk. As a result, I have to wear thick socks inside these fleece socks. After a few steps, they seem to adjust and don't bother me, but this is something you should be aware of, especially if you have narrow-ish feet like I do.
• Not really a con yet because I'm not sure if this is the case, but because these socks are fleece (i.e., polyester), they do have the potential to smell with sweaty feet. That's not to say that you can't wash these socks because you certainly should. But just be aware that if you pull off the boots and you smell something a bit funky,  its' probably your socks. :/
• Lastly, the socks make it a bit more difficult to pull off this boot.  Not really a huge deal and probably not enough to give it a full negative point against them, but it just takes a bit more effort to remove the boots than without having the fleece socks at all.

   If anyone has been considering purchasing a pair of Hunter Fleece Welly Socks, I definitely recommend them! They come in two sizes: M (size 5-7) and L (8-10). They come in a multitude of colors and you can also get a short version, which I will be getting to go with my Burberry Mid Buckle Rain Boots.