I’ve been wanting to try a pair of these for a while and finally got the chance in February.
The Helly Welly is a sailing boot from Helly Hansen designed as a cruising boot for long days on deck. It is also ideal for offshore racing. I however, wanted to try them out sea kayaking.
The first thing to mention about these boots are that they’re light, very light. Like a pair of long sleeved slippers.
That doesn’t mean that they’re not good quality or as hard wearing as other boots. On the contrary, the build quality is excellent and the materials seem more than up to the job. They just feel lighter than they look. A long term test will tell.
My normal size wasn’t available but I was assured that they ‘come up large’ and so ordered a size below. I had my doubts; the size down was a snug fit but after 30 minutes was supremely comfortable.
The boots are constructed using what feels like a stiff closed cell foam for the calf section that is incased in a synthetic cover and has a Helly Tech lining that is waterproof and breathable. There is premium leather detailing front and back with Helly Hansen’s reflective logo on the rear of the boot and on the outside of the heels. The upper is welded to a non-slip ‘Ultra Storm Grip’ sole with Helly Hansen’s trademark siping cut traction outsole for increased grip and C-Zone for cushioning.
All in all a very capable boot that should inspire confidence not matter what the conditions.
I’ve worn these boots solidly for a few weeks now and they just get more and more comfortable.
They had their first proper test on a two day kayak in and around Poole Harbour.
They were tall enough to be able to launch the kayak in a reasonable depth and still flexible enough to conform to the footbox and pedals without creasing or feeling uncomfortable. Very quickly I had forgotten I had them on and didn’t think of my feet at all during the day as they were warm and dry.
After a few hours, they still felt good and, whilst this may not have been the role they were designed for, I think that if they perform here, they’ll perform equally as well onboard a dinghy or yacht.
We’ll return to these at the end of the season on to see how they coped over the summer but I have high hopes.