Fashionable rain boots: Splash through the rain in style

You’re dressed to the nines and ready to sashay down the streets with your killer ensemble: a crisp collared shirt adorned with pink layered beads, dark wash skinny jeans, and black high heels.

As you walk out the door, a loud rumble echoes followed by rain drops pouring down with a fury.

You dash back inside your house and change into a shirt and jacket. Then you bring out your trusty umbrella and rubber flip flops, ready to brave the rain.

Your impromptu fashion show just went down the drain.

Rain always puts a damper on every woman’s fashion sense.

Just imagine the puddles you have to walk through, the mud splotches on your clothes, and the mushy bottoms of your pants. You’d surely want to dress down as much as possible.

But good friends Em Somera and Esel de Sagun did not let the Philippines’ moody weather rain on their fashion parade.

Instead, they found a way for fashionistas to stay stylish in the rain.

Enter the rain boots

Tired of their soaked pants and ruined shoes, Em and Esel searched for fashionable rain boots they can splash around with outdoors.

Em said, “If one thinks about it, it is but natural that the Philippines should have rainy day options as it rains almost half the time in our country. I believe that being well-equipped in the rain will reduce the laziness and negative connotations with gloomy weather."

A quick search online led Em to discover Plueys, a brand of colorful rain boots embellished with graphic prints and bold designs.

Seeing a business opportunity, Em and Esel put up BrightCloud, Inc. in November 2007 to distribute Plueys in Manila.

The two friends found a new reason to love the rain and were inspired to go on a mission: “We want to make the Manila rainy streetscape a colorful and fashionable one. We believe that rain is never an excuse to dress down or to slow down; instead, it is the perfect reason to add cheer to one’s wardrobe and attitude."

Plueys 101

Pluey is a play on the French word “pluie" which means rain. It was created by a lady from Hong Kong who got tired of traipsing around in soggy shoes and put a funky twist to the plain and boring rubber boots.

Each boot measures around 13.5 inches high and has a one inch heel. Made with durable rubber that can withstand wading in mud and flood, the boots are lined with cotton to keep your feet clean and dry. They also have a treaded rubber sole for maximum traction on wet streets.

But the main draw for Pluey boots are the designs that will make you stand out from the flip flopping crowd.

The latest collection of Plueys takes you to the style cities around the globe.



Phenomenal boots

Priced at P2299 per pair, Plueys target the A, B and upper C market. Em said their customers are mostly college students, young professionals and hip young moms.

“Not all women can pull off Plueys. The confident go-getter is the type of female that Plueys attract. Our market is very young, cosmopolitan and trendy, and internet-savvy," she said.

And the trendsetting rain boots did attract the style-conscious Pinays, a lot of them. Em shared how they encountered a “shock" when they first joined the Rockwell Urban Bazaar in 2007.

“The response to printed rain boots was phenomenal. People came in droves and our stocks were literally all over the floor! Our initial trial stock of 250 rain boots was sold out in just three days, with approximately 100 pending orders afterwards," Em recalled.

Em and Esel’s fledgling company recouped their initial investment in a few weeks. Being a seasonal product, Pluey sales usually peak from June to October.

Em also got help to spread the rainboot love with one-of-a-kind retail stores such as Luna in Serendra and Whipped Tea Couture in Makati.

An excuse to wear boots

Though boots are more common in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, they can still be wearable for Filipinas.

“Before Plueys, the Filipino has always been ill-equipped for rain--we had no other footwear alternative for rain but flimsy flip-flops! Moreover, we know that the Filipina is becoming more and more fashion-forward and experimental in terms of dressing. Girls would use any excuse to wear boots and the rain is a perfectly valid one," Em said.

But more than being fashion forward, wearing rain boots means being safety – conscious too.

Boots provide full coverage for your feet and protect them from skin infections or diseases floating in murky flood waters.

If you’re wearing jeans, the knee-high coverage also protects your legs from getting soaked or getting splotched with dirty water.

The treaded soles also help make you slip – proof when you have to walk on muddy ground or through puddles.

Nothing ensures though, that you won’t attract attention when you’re wearing fashionable rain boots. With such eye-catching designs, expect some stares while you're walking down the street.

At least, you can say they’re fashionably functional.

“Plueys provide a balance of both function and fashion -- our boots do not only alleviate the hassle of traveling during the rain, but they also inspire the wearer to look forward to the rain," shared Em.

So the next time, you wake up to the sound of rain, dress your best and slip into a pair of funky rain boots.

You may just learn to love this country’s fickle weather because now you can strut and splash through the rainy streets in style. Photos from Plueys Manila