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Overview
These Red Band gumboots were made by the New Zealand company Skellerup, and are the most iconic and well-known gumboot in New Zealand, particularly for rural workers.
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. Red Band gumboots were first made in 1958 by Marathon Rubber Footwear Ltd.(the forerunner to Skellerup established in 1939).
Traditionally gumboots came up to just below the knee, but these boots are mid-calf length. They were an instant hit around the country and continue to be valued for their style and durability.
Most recently, Red Band gumboots were included in a donation of 500 pairs of different styles and sizes given by Skellerup to the Student Volunteer Army to help volunteers with cleaning up after the devastating earthquake in Christchurch on 22 February 2011.