Boots and rainy days. Doesn't this sound like the title of the perfect fall Hallmark movie? I thought so too.
I've wanted these boots for quite some time for two reasons : fashion and practical.
Last year, my husband and I moved into our first house together. Owning a house also means maintaining it as well as the surroundings. I've always wanted to garden but never had the option to. Now that I can I want to take on a few projects. Our backyard is very much uneven and sometimes certain spots retain water. Gardening means getting dirty and wearing the proper attire. That's why the first thing that came to mind are rain boots. So here's to the practical reason. Now when it comes to the "fashionista" inside of me I was dying to add Hunter boots to my collection. These boots have flooded my Pinterest feed years ago and I kept wondering ever since what the big deal is. After all it's just plastic. And yeah it's just what it is: plastic. But I'd like to add that it is also expensive plastic. These boots as beautiful as they may be retail for 150$ before taxes. Yes just that... Now to each they're own when it comes to spending. I never judge how people decide to spend they're money. Now when it comes to my bank account, not everyone deserves my hard earned cash. But this is for another article...
I discovered the whole world replica world about a month ago which led me to the Taobao rabbit whole. Taobao is described as the Chinese Amazon. It is also very similar to Aliexpress. The website isn't translated so you have to run the automatic Google Translation when using it. It is quite confusing and I used a few Youtube tutorials to find my way around. To be honest I don't remember how I found these boots. But I can recommend using Google Translation to translate generic terms like "rain boots" in simplified chinese and then copy/paste. Don't type the name of the brands, it is useless. Just like on Aliexpress, sellers tend to hide the brands so the website doesn't flag them.
Some of you may wonder how I new that the item was going to be an exact replica. Well I didn't, I just went with the flow and decided to trust the process. Worst case scenario, I would still end up with glossy rain boots for a very decent price. Best case scenario I would provide an awesome review for you guys!
Timeline
April 14th : Place into basket and confirm purchase.
May 7th : Reception of the item.
Review
Price : 10/10
Authentic Tall Boots : $ 150.00
Authentic Tall Socks : $ 50.00
Shipping : Complementary
Total in USD : $ 200.00
Boots : ¥ 108.00
Socks : ¥ 42.00
Shipping : ¥ 193.00
Total in USD : +/- $ 50.00
I don't think I could have hoped for a better deal when it comes to these boots. I wish the shipping wasn't so insanely expensive compared to what I've spent on the items themselves but overall it is still worth it.
Quality : 10/10
When I reviewed the Pochette Métis I felt uneasy because I have actually never touched or worn an Authentic Louis Vuitton Monogram bag. For this review on the other hand I am much more comfortable giving my opinion. Before I discovered the whole replica world I have considered buying the authentic boots and tried them on at Neiman Marcus. I remember feeling as though they were maybe with quality material, I didn't quite understand the price tag. For me they are worth what I paid for the replicas. The authentic are well made, the design is interesting and the shape of the sole allows your foot to rest and walk comfortably but they are still plastic boots at the end of the day... Now when it comes to the replica I do not see one difference in quality. Trying the replica on was the same exact experience as trying the authentic. The only difference is that I ordered from Taobao half a size bigger than the one I tried in Neiman Marcus and I think it was a good idea.
Accuracy : 10/10
Like I said for the quality, the accuracy of these boots is insane. I would absolutely not be able to differentiate the authentic from the replicas. It is makes the whole thing even more mind blowing... Adding comparaison pictures would be irrelevant as the products are identical.
Satisfaction : 10/10
I am obviously absolutely satisfied with these boots. I am one hundred percent confident that I can walk outside, run errands, go to the beach and no one would call me out on them.
Website Communication : 1/10
I can't rate communication with the sellers as I haven't been in contact with any of them but I can rate the accessibility of the website. I have to say it was quite confusing and not a breeze to use. I had to do multiple research on Youtube to understand how to navigate the website. I also recommend using Google Chrome and activate the automatic translation of the page even though it won't fully translate all the pages.
Taobao links :
If you want to see the whole unboxing, here's the video :
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