I am sensitive to the look of others when I’m wearing rubber boots. But in fact, I find that few people pay attention or stare to my traditional Chinese boots: rainy boots for rainy days, nothing strange. It’s true also that some people (most of times, young people) look at my Aigle boots or Le Chameau boots. Maybe they just want to figure out the brand or maybe the different sharp of boots attracts them.

       Of course, not every young girl or young guy will wear them. But at least more and more people know that rubber boots are also popular these days in Europe and USA, and also in other Asian countries or regions, like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. On the Chinese social networks, I often find young girls posing the selfie in rubber boots, or photo of friends (teacher, unknown people…) in rubber boots. Even if sometimes it’s a joke or just to make fun of those in boots, many will say : 'this guy is far more fashionable than others' ...

       I find also in the recent one or two years, that some girls also buy a pair of Hunter (not the fake ones on Taobao) or even Aigle… (In some big cities of China, Aigle has retail stores, but much more expensive than in France. It will cost more than 100 euros for a pair of the classic Aigle-Chantebelle). It’s crazy for most Chinese people to buy a pair of rainboots at this price : the traditional rubber boots cost about 80 RMB (less than 11 euros) and most boots for exportation with a little default cost 60 to 150 RMB. (between 08 & 20 €).

       We can say that the rubber boots fashion is influencing Chine little by little, like in Japan or Taiwan 3 or 5 years ago, or 5 or 10 years ago in the US or Europe. I live in Shanghai, a city greatly influenced by the monsoon climat, also a city sensitive to the foreign fashion trends, and I have some interesting observations. During the rainy days, there are 2 places where you can find more people in rubber boots: one is in the morning markets : when the grandma and grandpa buy the food, many of them are used to wear black rubber boots in the rainy days.

       Also because today they are the only generation who possesses the good-quality rubber boots of the 80s and 90s. The other place are the big subway stations. 5 or 10 years ago, it was difficult to imagine the office ladies and office men wearing rubber boots to go to work. But now it’s quite often to see a young lady in high rubber boots. Sometimes I also see young guys in a pair of short rubber boots.

       Apart from the good excuse of fashion, I think the promotion of rubber boots in the countries like China also lies on the elevation of the protection level of those who need rubber boots for work. In China, those people (workers, fishermen, farmers, etc) still wear the low quality rubber boots, and now most of them choose PVC boots. Of course, they don’t have the purchase power or the intention to buy a paire of boots of 1000RMB, or their companies are not willing to buy expensive protection rubber boots for them. In fact, many Chinese rubber boots factories are still available to produce high-quality custome-made rubber boot. But comparing the durability and the comfort of good-quality rubber boots, the market prefers cheap boots. This make it difficult to buy good boots even if you want to. However, I always believe that people will try good quality rubber boots as they see them more and more often, both fashionable rubber boots and practical working boots. I think this is also a major reason for the rubber boot fashion in Japan.

       Anyway, I will try to convince my friends: we can spend more than 500RMB for a pair of Vans or Converse, and wear them for 4 or 5 years. Why not a good-quality pair of rubber boots, which can accompany us for more than 10 years ?