Daily Times

After a high tide swept through Venice causing widespread devastation, plastic boots are everywhere. Offered in shades of neon orange, Barbie-doll pink and baby blue they are snatched up in droves by tourists anxious to avoid the universal annoyance of wet feet.

But the disposable boots, seen overflowing from rubbish bins this week as Venice was hit by record high waters, represent yet another environmental challenge for the city under siege, some say.

“This is the second pair I’ve bought in two days,” said French tourist, Gregory, 36, who said he was dismayed to see the colourful boots bobbing in the city’s swelling lagoon.

Sold for anywhere between 6-10 euros, the knee-high boots offer some immediate protection from the water, but tend to leak after prolonged use, tourists say. That means many are immediately discarded after a quick visit to flooded sites such as St Mark’s Square, which on Thursday was submerged yet again after a record tide on Tuesday.

“It’s really a shame they end up in the bin,” said French tourist Manon Gaudre, 22. “It’s a bit worrying… I’d think they should be pretty easy to recycle. I plan on keeping them, or at least not throw them away. Maybe I’ll give them to someone arriving at the airport.”