Early last year I received a pair of Arxus Primo Nord Welly Boots from Alan Paine Country Clothing & Knitwear. I did give them fair warning I’m a ‘welly killer’ I’ve been through a good few pairs of lesser brands in my career so far and have never had a pair survive a full year but they must of been confident that the Arxus wellies could put up with my nonsense.
Now I’m not someone who’s going to promote something before I’ve put it through its paces, so now, after over a year of hard use I’m happy to say that these are a cracking pair of boots, and their confidence in them was well placed.
For context I work full time in deer management, in the winter months I am out culling daily walking across clear-fell and forest terrain. During the winter months I opt for wellies over boots due to how wet the ground gets here, so these boots have had seven straight months of nye on daily use. In the summer I opt for light boots for work, but these wellies still get use when I go Sea Fishing. The Primo Nords have really held their own against saltwater, blood and sharp sitka - so far, I have not sprung a leak.
Let’s talk about fit and comfort first - I have size 6 feet and big calves, often in the smaller sizes welly manufacturers assume you’ll be petite and your calves end up getting squeezed, which is not only uncomfortable, it’s not ideal for circulation either. The Primo Nords however have both a full zip up the back and a fastening ratchet at the top, making the boot more customisable to your size and shape. The insoles are comfortable and can be removed, but this pair haven’t collapsed yet despite the constant use.
Grip - something that is incredibly important in my line of work as slipping on a clear fell comes with the risk of getting impaled on sitka branches. I don’t notice much difference between the grip of these and my leather boots, apart from when I’m on vertical mud, they aren’t as good on a slippy incline. Other than that they handle clear fells and their algae slicked brash piles with ease. The thick sole and heavy tread mean you’re not feeling anything sharp underfoot either. Despite the thickness, they are still a very quiet boot, ideal for close quarter stalking.
Talking of Sitka, I am wholly impressed that these boots haven’t punctured. A week doesn’t often go by without me getting a good ‘dunt’ from a sharp stick on a clear fell, and a few times I’ve thought ‘that’ll have done it’ just to look down and see my boots un-punctured despite my leg underneath being bruised. They are definitely a sturdy pair of wellies.
I did buy the Arxus rubber care, and to be completely honest I should be applying it more often than I do but, despite my slack, these boots have retained their waterproofing. They have stood up really well to blood, which is always one of my concerns when it comes to boots. Processing so many deer you end up getting your footwear covered in the larder and blood really is a boot killer, whether it be rubber or leather, over time it will eat through them but the Primo Nords are coping well thus far. Likewise with the saltwater in the Summer months.
Now this is a pro for me, but I know it’ll be a con for some, the Primo Nords sure are a gie warm pair of boots. They boast being able to cope with temperatures up to -20c and as someone who always suffers from cold feet - this is bliss. Being out in the wet and cold all winter keeping warm is at the top of my priorities, so I love this feature but I can see that someone who is prone to sweating or just has normal circulation may not like this. Of course with the zip you can increase air flow if you get too warm.
These boots are pricey, but realistically if you’re working in the industry and putting your wellies through heavy use then it’s probably more than worth it, after all ‘buy once, cry once’. I know I’ve probably spent a hundred or more over the years on cheap wellies that never even saw the year mark. These boots seem like they’re built to last, and if you look after them, I reckon they will. They are available from Alan Paine who offer a two year guarantee on the zip and strap.
Oh, and just a heads up if you do fancy a pair, the ‘Arxus’ logo badges on the front are not puppy proof and are able to picked off with ease by a teething Labrador, but really, the pros outweigh that minute con.