Save this story Save Story Save this story The best rain boots for men aren’t a one-size-fits-all shoe . The chance of precipitation may be 100%, but you could be stepping out to a gentle mist, wading through cataclysmic flooding, or taking on sporadic showers—so your choice of shoes and outerwear should adapt to the weather. Popping up out for a quick coffee could require a pair of simple gardening shoes or tall wellingtons depending on whether you’re walking a few blocks or taking your car to a drive-thru.
There are many factors to consider but the most important is that your feet and socks remain dry, no matter the shoe or how heavy the rain is. So take into consideration how tall or short your rain boot ought to be, whether you need grippy soles to get you through some rough terrain or you might have to contend with slush and snow, which inevitably means you’ll need some boots with insulation . Your rain boots and shoes have to contend with a litany of different factors so we rounded up the best options for every kind of wet-weather situation from mild mists to ankle-deep downpours.
The Light Mist The Sporadic Drizzle to Consistent Shower The Heavy Downpour How We Test and Review Products How We Make These Picks The Light Mist For the kind of mediocre rain that has you second-guessing whether you should open your umbrella or just stick it out, you’ll likely get by just fine with a pair of shoes built with a water-resistant or waterproof membrane. Think a slight spray or an annoying mist. Many outdoors-focused shoes and boots come with some type of Gore-tex lining or a coating that helps slough light water. In mild rain situations, your shoes don’t need to be very tall, either. Low-cut gardening shoes or rain-ready sneakers can manage the weather just so long as there’s a low risk of deep puddles along the way.
Norda's trail-ready slip-on runners are an iron-clad pick for any rocky terrain you might encounter, purposely or not. With their lightweight, tear- and water-resistant Dyneema uppers, and crag-grabbing Vibram lugged soles, these bad boys can handle more than a drizzle. Plus, the easy slip-on design is great for when you just need to jam out the door for a quick errand, not to mention for keeping water from sogging your socks.
Pros Easy slip-on construction Great for running quick errands or running the trails On-trend style Cons Pricey Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Plasticana
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Saucony
If the precipitation falls anywhere between a drizzle to moderate showers, I can’t be arsed to bust out my heavier rain boots. I’m unlikely to wear my wellies in showers, too, if I know I won’t be outside for too long. For most situations, a good water-resistant boot will more than suffice. Save your brain cells and just get a pair of Blundstones—they’re tough as nails, reliably dry in the majority of rainy days, and look great with any pant. But if boots on the wellies-chelsea spectrum aren’t your speed, there are plenty of other shoes with rain-prepped details like Gore-tex linings and DWR coatings to keep water at bay.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Blundstone
It's hard to argue against a pair of Blundstones. The quality leather uppers age beautifully, the shape is ruggedly handsome and endlessly styleable, plus the hardy soles can handle most everyday situations regardless of the forecast. No wonder why you see everyone from your local barista to Hollywood's leading men rocking a pair. Their waterproof design is adept at traversing through medium rain, so long as you don't step into any deep puddles, and we like that they don't present as a full-on rubber boot which makes them easier to wear all year long.
Pros Flexible style for year-long wear Rugged design for vast majority of weather Available in a multitude of colorways and leathers Cons Ubiquitous Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Xtratuf
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Moncler
What you’re probably imagining when you think of proper rain boots are the kind wrought entirely out of a block of rubber, reaching up to your calf, without any laces. Some people refer to these as Wellingtons—or wellies—whose origins go back to the Duke of Wellington, and though they were originally made of leather, are now mostly thought of as a rain-ready boot. Their seamless, monoblock design in conjunction with impermeable rubber makes them the right choice for heavy rain or if you plan on being outside for several hours in average rainfall conditions. Of course, they’re well-equipped for lighter precipitation as well.
Hunter's flagship boots are a textbook Wellington rain boot. Made entirely of waterproof (not water-resistant) rubber from sole to shaft, no amount of rain, sludge, or slush penetrates these boots. The carved rubber soles keep their grip amidst slippery sidewalks and slick metal grates, while the height is tall enough to stand nice and dry through calf-deep water, but isn't so tall to be a physical or stylistic burden. And at just under $200, they're a reasonable price for the quality.
Pros Fully waterproof Solid value for money Adaptable design Cons Tucking in your pant legs isn't for everyone Save to wishlist Save to wishlist L.L.Bean
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Arc'teryx
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers , the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week , GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality , fit , and price .
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here .)
Source: Celebrities
