On a rainy day, the sky is gloomy and gray. Everything seems a little duller. Yellow raincoats contrast this gray atmosphere, and rain boots can do the same thing.
Rain boots range in colors and designs — polka dots, flowers, animals, solid and tie-dyed. They might be blue, yellow, pink, purple, red, black or anything in between. They can be fun, stylish and practical on those rainy days.
However, on cloudy, drizzly days, rain boots are not worth drier feet, according to Tory Griffith, a sophomore in political science. She said she only wears her rain boots if it is pouring rain.
Alex Nichols, a sophomore in public and interpersonal communication, agreed. She said it’s too much of a hassle to wear them if it’s not pouring. However, when she does wear them she said she finds them invaluable.
“I hate having my feet wet,” Nichols said.
Both Nichols and Griffith have unique rain boots. Nichols’ boots are spotted black and white like a cow, and they have eyes and ears to make them completely cow-like. She said she bought them at a discount shoe store in Asheville because she had wanted rain boots and cows are her favorite animal.
“People usually get a kick out of them,” Nichols said.
She said she likes the shoes because not only are they practical, but they also showcase her personality.
Griffith’s rain boots are also an animal — ladybugs. Her rain boots are red with black dots and they have eyes and antennae. She also has an umbrella that matches. She said she wanted fun rain boots because the other ones she has seen are boring. She also got the ladybugs because they were red for N.C. State.
Rain boots designed like animals are usually only available for children, Griffith said. She works at Target, and said they had frog and ladybug rain boots for kids but the adult rain boots were patterned with flowers or polka dots.
However, Target isn’t carrying rain boots anymore, according to Griffith. She said the store always runs a season ahead, so they haven’t carried them in the last month. The store has switched its merchandise to the summer season.
Most stores run a season ahead, according to Griffith, so right now, the best place to find rain boots would be online. She said hers were “pretty cheap” when she bought them online last year.
Regardless of where one acquires rain boots, one of the best things about them is being able to jump in puddles, Griffith said.
“It’s the thing to do,” she said. “Who doesn’t like jumping in puddles?”