You've secured your ticket - and if Glastonbury is on the agenda, that's no mean feat. But now comes the packing and it’s a challenge unto itself.
Let’s start with the basics. If you’re heading to an overnight festival, you will need a tent. Decant your alcohol into plastic bottles, secure your festival fits and clear the pharmacy shelves of baby wipes. Other festival essentials include a camping backpack to transport the aforementioned and a power bank to stay juiced up. See our handy packing list for more information. Ear plugs are the most important purchase you can make if you’re hoping to get any shut-eye through the weekend.
But high up there too is your festival footwear. The perfect shoes to see you through the ever-changing British weather, keep you comfortable as you race from field to field, and enhance your outfit is tall order; a fine balance that’s not easily achieved.
You'll be on your feet all day so comfort is king but you also want to reflect your personal style and ensure that the finishing touch to your outfit enhances the carefully curated ensemble that took thought and planning to execute to perfection. The terrain must also be considered, whether it’s dusty farm floors or inevitable mud slides.
Lucky for us, the gorpcore is enduring and has brought the previously less desirable hiking silhouettes to the forefront of the fashion agenda. Camping chic is in and utilitarian, functional outdoor-wear is now an easy but practical style statement you’ll be pleased to tap into - not in the least for the dry comfort that this footwear provides.
Klarna‘s Shopping Index has seen sales for Wellington boots increase by 11 per cent compared with the same time last year. Wellies are synonymous with British festivals as you can never really guarantee a forecast of pure sunshine, even if BBC, Apple, Met Office and AccuWeather all promise golden rays.
The financial service company has also highlighted the cowboy trend that has seen a huge surge in popularity by 40 per cent. Go full whammy and match your cowboy boots to your cowboy hat. These hard-wearing shoes have style credentials and a slight heel but remain weather-resistant.
No matter what you decide, load up on Compeed just in case.
Shop the best festival footwear below
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Merrell Women’s Moab 3 GORE-TEX
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a shoe more comfortable than the Moab 3 from Merrell. A hiking brand by nature, the offering is designed to go the distance, ensuring as you walk from stage to stage, you are doing so in ultimate comfort and without fear of blisters, cuts or cramps.
These are rugged trail shoes so they’re ready for any terrain, whether you’re blessed with hard farmland or slippery mudslides. The shoe is made up of a breathable upper with a ready-for-anything GORE-TEX waterproof membrane. The icing on the cake? Merrell uses recycled materials.
Buy now £135.00, Amazon
Merry People Bobbi Wellington Boot // Black & Black
Wellies and festival season go hand in hand as the most practical footwear option for the mercurial British weather. But if you’re hoping to put a stylish twist on the shoe, look to Merry People and its Chelsea boot-esque silhouette that will fit seamlessly with your festival fit.
They are entirely waterproof, made of durable quality rubber and provide arch support to keep you comfortable and dry - so you can give your full focus to the headline act. Available in 16 colourways.
Buy now £84.95, Merry People
Hunter Women's Original Tall Gloss Wellington Boots
If you’ve not yet owned a pair of Hunter boots, you will have no doubt spotted them on street-style snaps from festivals around the country. The brand is a beloved celebrity favourite - worn by everyone from Meghan Markle to Sarah Jessica Parker and Gigi Hadid. The ubiquitous wellies have earned cult status, no doubt due to their premium construction. Buy now, and you’ll own them forever.
They’re made to withstand whatever the British summertime has to throw at them as well as throughout the winter thanks to their entirely waterproof exterior and signature Hunter Original tread pattern that’s suitable for all floor types.
Buy now £94.10, Amazon
Ariat Heritage R Toe Western Boot
For the last couple of summers, cowboy styles have taken over the fashion agenda. Whether paired with denim cut-offs or floral frocks, they bring a Wild West edge to the ensemble. Beyond a case of fashion over function, the tall design, hard-wearing construction and durable soles make them ideal for festival wear.
Ariat has some of the best ranch-ready styles complete with a striking stitch pattern, full-grain leather material and cushioned insole and fabric lining for comfort. There’s also a heel for a welcomed extra few inches in height.
Buy now £160.00, Ariat
Columbia Women's Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Amped Hiking Shoe
Gorpcore has elevated hiking apparel to fashion-forward heights so you need not sacrifice your style to opt for practicality in the footwear department. These hiking shoes from Columbia are every bit the perfect festival fit. They are created with advanced fabrics that are entirely seam-sealed so your socks stay dry throughout any unexpected rainfall.
There’s also cushioning for comfort and energy return so you can stay moving, racking up those steps as you go from tent to stage to portaloos and repeat. The colour combinations are seemingly endless.
Buy now £60.44, Amazon
Cat Intruder Waterproof Galosh
Prepare to cue the compliments with this striking festival-worthy footwear. It comes from Cat and is in the brand’s signature Intruder silhouette but they’re given a harder-working construction than typical fashion shoes with a waterproof upper and a textured, rubber mudguard. The deep tread soles will provide an extra element of height, while also ensuring you remain stable on your feet - even after a few beers.
Buy now £138.99, Amazon
Nike Air Force 1 '07
Taking a different tact from some of the more functional footwear in this list, if the forecast is showing beautiful sunshine for the duration of the festival, you may be looking for something that leans towards the fashion end of the shoe spectrum and the Nike Air Force 1 ‘07s are an easy win.
First and foremost, they go with everything. No matter the minimal or maximalist nature of your ensemble, the all-white or all-black iterations are shoe chameleons. The leather construction is also wipe clean so you can get them back to their pre-festival freshness once you’re home.
Buy now £109.99, Nike
DUNLOP Compass Flick Bell
While you may be opting for the Air Force 1s above due to the sunshine detailed from Met Office, you can never be too sure that the UK weather will play ball so bringing along a pair of inexpensive wellies is always a good idea. Dunlop is the brand you’ll spot across the festival field as a balance between purse-friendly, functional and minimalistic.
Buy now £9.95, Amazon
Dr Martens Sinclair Milled Nappa Leather Platform Boots
Be warned: you must break in your Dr Martens before prolonged wear. Take it from our personal experience, wearing a new pair of these shoes is a recipe for disaster and your feet will not thank you. Opt for these shoes in advance of your summer schedule and wear them in thoroughly. Once you’ve done so, they’ll be some of the most comfortable you’ll own - but it does take a few packets of Compeed to get there.
Buy now £190.00, Dr Martens
AllSaints Dellaware Pointed Leather Western Boots
Kick the festival season off with AllSaints, where the footwear has party time written all over it. Our choice is these Dellaware Pointed Leather Western Boots, which are made to be seen, whatever the occasion. Giddy up. Sizes available from 3 - 7.
Buy now £249.00, AllSaints
River Island cowboy boot in silver
Forget wellies, you will stand out among the grass in these striking silver cowboy boots from River Island.
Buy now £94.00, ASOS
Le Chameau Men's Vierzon Boot
Le Chameau has been making coveted rubber boots since 1927. The brand was founded in Normandy, France but has become a fixture on this side of the pond for its well-crafted designs that are built to last. These don’t come cheap but then again, you’ll probably never need to buy another pair again.
Buy now £160.00, Le Chameau
