I realised a couple of weeks ago that what worked in Brighton absolutely did not work here in Vancouver. I’m talking about my boots. My lovely leather boots. Which I have happily stomped around in all weathers in England and been bone-dry — have failed at the first downpour here in the temperate rainforest climate of Vancouver. Wet socks. Cold feet. Urgh.

I asked on Twitter for Vancouver boot shots – so thanks to @WanderlustMegan for these scarlet wonders!

And Freddie the dog needs to be taken on a nice long walk at least once a day so I looked at what the locals were doing and realised I needed to put my reservations aside and get me a pair of rubber boots. Yup – the rubber boot is everywhere on the streets of Vancouver. From polka-dot cheapies from Walmart to designer block colour boots. They’re worn with jeans or dresses and it doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re on the beach or striding downtown. Rubber boots are where it’s at for the Vancouverites.

And rocking the classic Hunter – thanks to @cwistal

Me, I haven’t worn a pair of wellies since I was a kid, but I cracked two weeks ago when a particularly vicious three-day monsoon-like bout of weather made me regretfully retire my  beloved Brighton boots and head to West 4th street in Kitsilano to seek out anything that would keep me dry. The Vancouverites seem to love a Hunter boot – but I don’t see myself as either a Kate Moss or Middleton-type so I was looking for something else instead. And I found it.

Witness the mighty fitness of these rubber biker boots!

Biker ankle boots which are made from rubber. I knew I had something right when I was stopped twice in one day by breathless women demanding to know where I got them from. This has never happened to me before. Maybe I just needed to wear rubber boots…