They're not quite the symbol of Celtic Tiger excess that was the 4,000 Hermès handbag, but in times of recession a pair of designer wellies costing nearly 300 seems almost as extravagant.
Dozens of Ireland's well-heeled fashionistas have been scrambling to get on the waiting list for limited-edition Jimmy Choo rubber boots when they go on sale later this month.
"Luxurious" and "wellies" are two words that don't usually go together, but these are far from the standard issue worn by farmers across the country. Made of glossy black rubber they are embossed with the signature Jimmy Choo crocodile print. Manufactured by Hunter, the wellington brand favoured by the British royal family and some rock stars, the boots are lined with leopard print and bear a gold buckle as well as the Jimmy Choo logo.
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In the world of fashion, everything is relative. The 295 price tag for a pair of Jimmy Choo footwear will be seen as a bargain by some, considering the designer's teetering stilettos, made famous by the US
television show Sex and the City, usually cost between 500 and 900. The boots become available on June 22, just in time for the summer music festival season.
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Irish customers hoping to sport the footwear to events such as Electric Picnic, the boutique festival in Laois, are not guaranteed a pair of the limited-edition boots even if they have their name down. Initially the wellingtons were not going to be made available outside of the UK and US.
However, such was the demand from Irish customers that Brown Thomas began taking names from its loyal Jimmy Choo clients and passed them on directly to the UK headquarters, or told customers to apply on the designer website.