If you live in the UK, one thing you quickly learn is that good footwear matters almost as much as the weather forecast itself.
Rain arrives unexpectedly, pavements stay wet for days, and during autumn and winter especially, muddy roads and puddles become part of everyday life. As much as I enjoy rainy weather indoors or when I’m trying to sleep, it becomes a completely different story when I have work, errands to run, or long walks planned around London.
Before buying these, I already owned water-resistant boots like my Blundstone 585 Rustic Brown and Thursday Boots Major, both of which I’ve reviewed on this site. They handle light rain fairly well, but neither is truly waterproof. Eventually, I got tired of constantly worrying about wet socks whenever the weather became unpredictable.
So after a ridiculous amount of research and comparison, I decided to finally buy a proper pair of Wellington boots:
The Hunter Play Short.
The Original Tall remains Hunter’s flagship model, but living in London rather than the countryside, I wanted something that felt easier to wear casually without looking overly rugged or farm-oriented. The shorter silhouette of the Play version immediately stood out to me because it looked cleaner, more modern, and far more versatile for city wear.
I also chose them in black.
Don’t ask me why. I just like black! 😜
Kidding…
Partly because black goes with almost everything, but mainly because it hides wear far better than lighter colours: something that matters a lot with rubber footwear.
Style and features
The boots arrive in a light grey box with beige and red detailing, alongside Hunter’s royal warrants printed on top. It immediately gives the impression that you’re buying from an established heritage brand rather than just another trendy rain boot company.
Inside, the boots are neatly wrapped alongside the standard documentation and packaging materials.
Straight out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the shape.
They somehow manage to look slim and chunky at the same time. The silhouette is streamlined enough to style casually with jeans or cargos, but still substantial enough to feel protective and rugged.
They were also heavier than I initially expected.
Not uncomfortably heavy, but solid. The kind of weight that actually reassures you the boots are properly built rather than flimsy fashion wellies.
The upper is made entirely from natural rubber while the interior features a polyester lining. The inside also includes Hunter branding, royal warrant detailing, and even a small name-and-phone-number section in case the boots ever get lost.
A surprisingly thoughtful touch.
For wet UK weather, they honestly do exactly what they’re designed to do. No leaking. No damp socks. No stress about puddles.
That alone made them worth buying for me.
Sizing
Hunter describes them as true to size, but in my experience, they run slightly small.
I normally wear a UK size 8 (US 9), and while the boots technically fit, I think going half a size up would have created a more comfortable fit, especially with thicker socks during colder months.
The opening is also slightly narrow initially, so slipping your feet in takes a little adjustment at first.
Pull tab design
One small detail I never fully warmed to was the pull tabs.
Functionally, they’re great and genuinely useful for getting the boots on quickly. But aesthetically, I still think the red, black, and white striped design slightly disrupts the otherwise clean minimalist look of the boots.
Personally, I would’ve preferred an all-black pull tab for a sleeker finish.
A minor complaint, admittedly, but worth mentioning.
Three years later, how have they held up?
Interestingly, my opinion on them today is slightly different from when I first unboxed them.
The good news first:
structurally, they’ve held up impressively well.
The rubber exterior is still fully intact with no cracks, splits, or leakage whatsoever. Considering how rubber footwear can sometimes deteriorate over time, especially if exposed to changing temperatures and frequent moisture, this genuinely surprised me.
Even around the flex points near the toe box, usually where rubber boots begin to weaken first, the material has remained solid. Granted, there are visible creases now from years of movement, but they look like natural wear rather than damage.
The outsole durability has also been excellent.
Looking underneath the boots, the tread still has plenty of life left despite years of rainy pavement use. There’s visible smoothing in high-contact areas, but nowhere near enough to affect grip in any meaningful way.
For everyday urban use, the soles have aged remarkably well.
Visually, though, the boots definitely show their age now.
The matte black finish has developed light scuffing around the toe area and subtle surface marks throughout the upper. But honestly, I think this actually works in their favour. Unlike glossy rubber boots that can start looking cheap once scratched, the matte texture hides aging relatively gracefully.
The biggest area of wear is actually around the opening of the boots.
Over time, the inner collar lining has started fraying slightly around the top edges from repeated pulling and friction while putting them on and taking them off. It’s cosmetic rather than structural, but after three years, it’s definitely noticeable.
The pull tabs themselves, despite my original dislike for their colour combination, have actually held up brilliantly. No tearing, loose stitching, or separation whatsoever.
Ironically, the feature I liked least aesthetically ended up being one of the most durable parts of the boots.
Comfort after long-term wear
This is where my opinion evolved the most.
Initially, I found them very comfortable for general wear because the thick rubber soles provide decent cushioning compared to traditional hard Wellington boots.
But over time, I realised these are still ultimately rubber boots.
They’re fantastic for rainy commutes, quick errands, wet weather days, and casual city use, but not something I’d personally choose for extended all-day walking.
After several hours, especially if I’m walking continuously around London, I start noticing fatigue around my feet due to the firmness of the sole and the overall rigidity of the rubber construction. Going true to size, which as mentioned earlier turned out to be the wrong choice, might also contribute to this.
That said, it doesn’t make them overly uncomfortable.
It just means they have limits.
And to be fair, they were never really designed to compete with trainers or dedicated walking boots in the first place.
Final verdict
Three years later, I still think the Hunter Play Short is one of the better-looking Wellington boots you can buy for everyday urban wear.
They’re stylish without trying too hard, genuinely waterproof, durable, and much easier to integrate into everyday outfits than traditional tall wellies.
Most importantly, they’ve proven reliable.
Despite years of wet weather use, the rubber construction remains fully functional, the soles have held up extremely well, and they still look good enough that I don’t feel embarrassed wearing them around the city.
However, as with my current version of blundstone boots, my perspective on footwear has evolved over time.
These days, I generally lean more toward slimmer, more refined silhouettes with slightly more versatility across different outfits. So while I still appreciate the practicality of the Hunter Play Short, I probably wouldn’t buy this exact model again.
Not because they’re bad.
Far from it.
I simply think my personal style has shifted toward footwear that balances weather protection with a more elevated aesthetic.
But if your priority is a reliable, stylish, waterproof everyday boot for rainy city life?
The Hunter Play Short absolutely delivers.
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