Gumboots

These gumboots were made by iconic New Zealand company Skellerup, and are an excellent example of their product range.

Skellerup first started making high quality rubber products in 1910 when George Skellerup, a Danish Australian, opened his first retail store in Christchurch, selling tyres and rubber goods for the dairy industry.Skellerup began producing footwear in 1943.

These gumboots are also interesting for their connection to fashion and the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11. Not only were gumboots crucial for dealing with the mess of liquefaction caused by the earthquakes, they were also a key part of a Christchurch fashion design company's (MisteR) catwalk show at New Zealand Fashion Week in 2011.

MisteR nearly lost everything in the devastating earthquake of 22 February 2011, but survived to debut at Fashion Week with their much acclaimed 'Not So Grimm' Winter Collection 2012.The models wore Skellerup's 'Ashley' boot as pictured here.

The designers of MisteR, Mickey Lin and Ra Thomson, were inspired to use Skellerup boots when they volunteered to help the Student Volunteer Army cleanup the mess of liquefaction.Skellerup had donated 500 pairs of boots to the students.These caught the eye of the designers as they shovelled silt, and inspired them to feature the boots in their catwalk show.