In The New York Times today:
Hunter was forced to file for... the British equivalent of bankruptcy... [S]ome customers [speculate] that Hunter’s offshoring of production to China had led to stumbles in quality control, resulting in split rubber and sodden toes.
...Similar to brands like Burberry and Barbour, Hunter capitalized heavily on its British roots when it sought to shake off a dowdy reputation and reinvent itself as a 21st century fashion powerhouse.
...Alasdhair Willis, who is married to the fashion designer Stella McCartney, served as Hunter’s creative director between 2013 and 2020...
...Hunter’s intellectual property was sold to Authentic Brands Group[, a]n American company [that] also owns the rights to other once-beleaguered household-name brands like Brooks Brothers.
- Why Hunter, Britain’s Best Known Wellie, Fell From Grace <https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/24/fashion/why-hunter-britains-best-known-wellie-fell-from-grace.html>
Hunter. Once the staple of the upwardly mobile Glastonbury crowd. Its awful to see more and more vintage brands going to the wall.
ReplyDeleteI poked around a bit on the internet, looking at various articles on this topic, and it looks like Hunter alienated its traditional customer base--people who really need a rubber boot--by striving with considerable success to become fashionable.
ReplyDeleteThat's what always does it. It happened to LL Bean, Brooks Brothers, and countless other companies.
DeleteIf you chase money and appoval from the fashion crowd, be prepared to go out of fashion and out of business.
ReplyDeleteHe who bites the dust hath first bitten other things.
DeleteI threw away my last pair of Hunters 3 years ago and after I bought a pair of Le Chameau (the most basic model), I said to myself never again Hunters!
ReplyDeleteTrue, splitting rubber and some micro holes in the front, very uncomfortable comparing to le Chameau (once French, now in possession of a British group as far as I know and I hear still made in France).
...Similar to brands like Burberry and Barbour, Hunter capitalized heavily on its British roots when it sought to shake off a dowdy reputation and reinvent itself as a 21st century fashion powerhouse.
This is why to me brands and their story, history and heritage became irrelevant. The new owners just "capitalise" on any roots but the quality and style is dramatically going down.
I also didn't like Hunter's "fashion approach".
Once Hunter started showing up at Costco and being purchased *at a deep discount* by the suburban striver, it was over. Those who saw the writing on the wall for Hunter followed the silent example of the British Royal Family and jumped on board with Le Chameau.
ReplyDeleteAs it happens I knew someone who used to wear Le Chameau since years and was very happy with the quality, didn't know at that point that anyone from Royal family wore them. But I do appreciate comfort.
DeleteSimilar trajectory for Sorel (Canada). It's now a brand owned by Columbia Sportswear. The original gear was well-made and highly durable, but the last pair I purchased was before the Canadian manufacturer went bankrupt. Quality significantly eroded after that. I can't blame shifting manufacturing overseas per se, as the North Face winter boots I now wear have proved to be good quality, and I'm sure they're manufactured somewhere in Asia.
ReplyDeleteHayslip
ReplyDeleteI recommend the green unnamed rubber boots at Walmart. They are very inexpensive ($29.99) last several years , made in Canada, comfortable, go on and off easily and don't leak.
ReplyDeleteThey sound good, but I still have not recovered from reading Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Erenreich decades ago and just cannot do Walmart if I am shopping in an area with alternatives. With the Internet the alternatives are all over the place! I know most alternatives present many of the same issues Walmart did for Erenreich, but the book was compelling enough to stick.
Delete100% in agreement about the lasting impact of that book.
DeleteLuckily, I picked up a pair of the original Hunter's (photos) in Leeds back in 1992. "Made in Britain." I haven't worn them much, and today look almost brand new. Obviously, the highest quality rubber was used back then - don't know what the Chinese have been using? Or care.
ReplyDeleteIn Central Texas it rains so rarely that any Wellies would just collect dust. When it does rain, it often rains hard enough on our hills that waders would be a better choice. I like rain enough that I am more likely to wear my Leather Man flip flops.
ReplyDeleteI still have my British-made green Hunter wellies which I got in 1988. They're indestructible.
ReplyDeleteI have very old British made Hunters that are beginning to rot. When they go, I will be bereft.
ReplyDeleteHave a 25 yr old pair of LaCrosse, they work just fine.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the ultimate barometer of an item's health is whether my ex sister-in-law is wearing it: highly trend- and status-conscious, I know that when an item shows up in her wardrobe, the clock is ticking, and usually only about 18-mos out from death. Bean Boots; Hunter wellingtons; etc. It's like clockwork. As for boots, I still have my 25yo Maine Hunting Shoes in the closet, but for actual hunting and field work, the new standard is Muck: rubber foot; breathable liner; neoprene shaft (various heights); fair price point.
ReplyDeleteThis honestly doesn’t surprise me at all. A few years ago I worked at Target as part of the store visual merchandising team. When they collaborated with Hunter I helped to set up the store display, these collaborations are not as high quality as their original design, so I wasn’t shocked when we received notification at 4AM to check for defects of all the boots. Every single pair was defective in some way or another. The loss of revenue for both companies had to of been huge.
ReplyDeleteWe bought black rubber boots at Tractor Supply 11 or 12 years ago--maybe $60 or so back then. Still going strong. Simple construction and design. Can't beat that.
ReplyDeleteHunters lost their market and their way when moved manufacturing from here to China Now Le Chameau are good but lm told don’t do well with cow muck I living in the NW of England very close to the Welsh border live in wellingtons for much of the year buy Aigle neoprene boots and very good they are as well
ReplyDeleteThank god I have my pairs, that I bought back in the mid 1990's! Still going strong!
ReplyDelete