Standing in the sushi line, a male student dawning simple sweats and sneakers asked his female friend, “What’s with all these boots?” On either side of him were girls wearing knee high rain boots, displaying the word ‘HUNTER’. His friend simply replied, “Uh, it’s raining. DUH!”

What this guy really meant to ask was, “What’s with these knee high, ultra tall, that no puddle around here would ever be a match for, Hunter boots?” I know a lot people are asking this, mainly the male population of the school as well as some girls still catching up on this latest trend. But seriously, where did they come from and how have they made the trend cut for UMass’ very lovely fashionistas?

Here’s a little Hunter history: Hunter boots are a U.K. made product that dates back to 1856, when Mr. Henry Lee Norris started a boot making company in Scotland. Being very successful, his boots were distributed to soldiers in WWI, WWII, and have had customers ranging form royals to farmers.

Their popularity now, may be due to the recent advertising they’ve received from various magazines including Glamour, Shape, InStyle, Vanity Fair and more. It may also be due to popular trend-setting celebrities rocking them, the most influential being Kate Moss, who after matching a black pair with some short shorts, started a whirlwind of absolute must-haves for the buyers in all the top department stores.

And now UMASS students are wearing them. Did Henry Lee intend for our scholarly yet stylish co-eds to be wearing them around our cold windy campus? Probably not. But that won’t diminish our liking towards them.

Spotted: A brunette female leaving the library wearing simple jeans, a jacket and wa-la! Hunters boots. It was a sunny out.

She said she had owned them for about three years and loved them, adding that they were definitely worth the price. The price you ask? The average price for an original tall Hunter Boot is $125 dollars.

What makes these rain boots so special? Well, their durability for one, their comfort, the fact that there’s a slim to none chance that anywhere from your knee down will get wet, AND they come in around 16 assorted solid colors making it simple to pair with most all outfit choices. They come in short and tall sizes as well as more detailed designs for the more daring.

One student, debating on which brand of boots to buy, regrettably, chose some Sperries boots. With an upcoming semester in London this spring, she is now realizing that a pair of Hunter boots would have been a perfect fit, seeing as how they derived from the area, and it’s a safe bet that Europe based students have been wearing these Hunters long before us.

Many girls seen walking around campus are pairing their Hunter’s with jeans, tights, or leggings, all of which make for a stylish and weatherproof outfit.

One professor said they were an example of a status symbol with their high price; something one can’t just buy at target. The lack of product availability at Target may be true but one should know that anyone could buy a new pair of Hunters in any style or color on EBay for as low as $19 dollars! If you like a classic brand, good quality, and a stylish boot, Hunter’s are definitely the way to go.

Stephanie Halks can be reached at [email protected].