A pair of fully waterproof shoes can be liberating. Rain boots allow you to travel unobstructed through the world without thinking about the mess around your feet. While they're especially useful if you live in an area where wet weather is common, wellies are practical for all types of locations.

They remain effective long after the droplets stop falling, especially if you're substituting mud for mud, snow in place of snow, or slick subway platforms. Rain boots are also great for doing chores outside the house, like taking out the trash or walking the dog, as they're easy to slide up at the door and start on your way back.

Rain boots are often labeled as men's or women's, we've kept this naming scheme to make it easier for people to find a style that matches what they want to wear. But in the raincoat world, there's little difference between boots marked "women's" or "men's", so any boot will fit anyone as long as it fits.