https://www.blundstone.com/

I bought a pair of blundstone boots several years ago that were my daily shoe for at least two years. They’re still great boots, but I now mostly only use them for yard work or wet weather. They’re great!

Whatever you get needs a storm welt. Make sure the tongues are gussetted. Factory waterproofing usually consists of a membrane inside the boots between the leather and the liner, like goretex or hydroguard. And buy a can of Huberd’s Shoe Grease. And apply that shit over everything. Pull the laces, coat every stitch in the shoe grease. Hit it with some heat to make the leather suck up the shoe grease. It’s a mix of pine tar and beeswax. It’ll make your shoes smell like a bonfire for an hour or two, but that stuff is the best shit there is for waterproofing (not water resistant) leather. I put an 8oz can on my boots every year and i stand in mud, sewer water, rain, 6" deep holes full of water etc for hours on end daily and my socks/feet stay dry. I’ve used tons of different waterproofing compounds trying to find a good waterproof work boot and huberds is the shit. It’ll waterproof non waterproof boots as long as it’s a Goodyear or storm welt.

Sorry I can’t recommend a brand of boot/shoe. I have bad feet, and being on my feet all day doing what I do, I wear Nicks and Whites only at this point and probably my won’t wear anything else ever again.

https://russellmoccasin.com/products/backcountry-premier-build-copy

These are very expensive, but if well maintained will last forever. They won’t be sweaty like a goretex boot, and while goretex will be more waterproof at first, the lining breaks down from abrasion and wear and becomes a non waterproof but still sweaty layer in your shoe. Leather is obviously non vegan (boo) but is a great shoe material.

Additionally it has a relatively thin sole which should be good for driving feel.

I second blundstones, super comfy, they look good enough to wear almost anywhere and I just had to retire mine after 3-4 years. They are basically a PNW wardrobe staple lol

ETA: you get about an inch of rise so shallow puddles are no problem. Ive stepped in deeper puddles without water soaking through at all, definitely wouldnt just stand in it tho

I have had great experiences with Oboz, but to be honest I’d say get a more breathable pair for now because the waterproof lining is always the first thing to go in a pair of shoes anyway so having them during the summer will mostly just wear them out and make your shoes a little swampier than they need to be.

edit: only applies if you can tolerate a few more days of rain across the next couple of weeks. I know parts of the PNW are in drought conditions and the fairly predictably “dry season” should be from now until octoberish

Merrells have been great, site shows 6 lightweight waterproof vegan boots but using a shopping search you can probably find a better deal elsewhere.