What is a man to do when faced with torrential rain, squelchy mud, deep snow, or that annoying middling slush? You open up your laptop, read this article on the best men’s duck boots, then get yourself a pair.

Of all the men’s boots, the duck boot has a special place in a man’s wardrobe (and heart) for its instantly recognizable aesthetic and supreme practical wet-weather capabilities. Before we dive into the best available on the world-wide-web at the moment, first, a little trip back to Maine in 1911.

It’s hunting season, and a man named Leon Leonwood Bean is out in the forests of Maine. On that day, like many before, he returned home with soggy feet. Only this time, he has an ingenious idea to boot (pun intended). His leather boots weren’t up to the task of waterproofing. But the logical alternative of fully rubberized boots lacked good fit, comfort, and style.

So he stitched the bottom half of a rubberized boot to the top half of a leather boot and invented the “Maine Hunting Shoe,” or “Maine Hiking Shoe.” It was later shortened to “The Bean Boot” and is now colloquially known as the men’s duck boots. 

There are various theories on its name. The grooved rubber looks like a duck’s bill. The heel lifts the sole off the floor in the same bar-of-soap shape as a duck’s body. The water-repellent brilliance of rubber mimics the duck’s natural amphibiousness. While the boot might not have transcended its nominal silliness, it is now a staple all-weather boot and has retained popularity since its 1912 debut.

From the exceptionally traditional to the modern, chic, and urbane, we have water-repelling men’s duck boots for the forests of Maine or the Michelin-starred restaurants of NYC. This round-up of soggy-terrain-beating-aquatic-aces will have you purring with excitement. Here are the best men’s duck boots.