Hoppy feet: the return of the frog-faced wellies | Mode

Whats have two eyes, green skin, and dry your feet when you were a kid? Anyone born in the 1980s will remember that whenever the heavens open, come Dunlop and out came a pair of anthropomorphic amphibious wellington boots. Now, nearly forty years later, they are back.

Made by Wellipets, the British brand that was launched in 1983 and until recently closed, this month they are the talk of the town. Milan fashion week as models in the JW Anderson show glided down the catwalk in shrink pants, leather trenches and frog-faced mules created by the Wellipets team in Milan. Crogs as one fashionista calls them come in the traditional batrachian blue, yellow or green.

According to a Wellipets spokesperson, Anderson approached them in the summer, with the brand giving the Northern Irish designer full creative freedom, they said. Our nostalgia and introduction to wellington is part of it [of their revival] but even if you’ve never worn them before, they still evoke that rare feeling.

The designer says he owned a pair of wells as a child. Motivated also by nostalgia, the boots touch home and childhood memories, he said in a statement. Amphibian-style clogs also feel appropriate in a show that challenges gender norms. As any amateur biologist knows, frogs can be intersex.

Also fond of the original frog boots in their childhood were princes Harry and William, AKA the heir and reserve, who in the late 1980s were regularly depicted in the tabloids wearing them at polo matches. Wellipets has refused to get involved in the royal fray surrounding Harry’s recent memoir, though Anderson called this era a better time for princes in a conversation with iD magazine.

Anderson, who oversees her namesake brand as well as Loewe, has become a pro at turning goofy jokes into high fashion. Over the last few seasons, he has given Carrie Bradshaw a pigeon clutch bag made of resin, covered shoes with red balloons deflated from a children’s party and turned the colorful cardigan worn by Harry Styles into knitting sensation on TikTok.

Despite the best efforts by more formal designers, comfortable lace-free shoes are everywhere in Milan, as well as the catwalks. From platform Uggs to clogs at Charles Jeffrey Loverboy and Crocs and socks in the front row. According to a report by Sole SupplierCrocs saw a 121% increase in searches on Google Trends this year alone, while Uggs has seen the biggest increase in sales (figures to be released in the spring) despite raising their prices to match.

While the frog boots are only available in kids’ sizes, the website suggests sizes 4-8 will launch in the spring, with a men’s range to follow. For those hoping to get started, there are some rare vintage Wellipets for sale on eBay for around 50 pairs.