Chelsea Boots?

[Kodiak]

I've seen these on the Magnoli website and, no offense to the great clothier, I've been wondering if it'd be possible to find a pair somewhere else.

Any ideas?

 

[Orgetorix]

Allen Edmonds had a now-discontinued model, the Taunton, that is often available on Ebay.

 

[Smithy]

I'll put in my vote for the RM Williams offerings.

I live in them (the Blaxland model) and they are quite simply the best (and only) boots I'll wear. Beautifully made and supremely comfortable.

They are pricey-ish but well worth it. I wouldn't even consider another maker if it was my choice.

 

[Kodiak]

The ebay offering sounds intriguing... I'll have to take a look. I doubt my insanely small size is going to be available though...

Not to sound like a cheapskate, but does anybody know about something slightly lower on the price scale?

 

[Trenchfriend]

Anyone here knowing, how robust the Chelsea-boots from GANT are?

The department-store in my next bigger city got the "Max" Chelsea boots, with my correct size and the price-value is interesting!

 

[johnnycanuck]

I love my Blundstones. Not leather soles but they do last for yours. to get the classic Chelsea boot look you have to go for the Chisel toe models. FYI my last pair made it to seven years before blowing out the soles. They also have a manufacturers warranty if needed.
Johnny

 

[UnknownSuspect]

Couldn't comment on Gant chelsea boots as I haven't researched them nor had a chance to see them in person. I did a quick search and they do look quite affordable. It just becomes a question of whether it's worth putting down more dough for something that is more well-recognised and possibly better quality. The Max boots look like round toes and like Johnny says, I do prefer chiseltoe chelsea boots instead. I have had a pair of dark brown RM Williams chelseas (Comfort Craftsman model) for well over a year and they are solid while remaining comfortable. Recently I also bought a pair of black ones from Loake (Mitchum model) and these have a leather sole. They are scores cheaper than the RM Williams ones, but they look like they are worth well what I paid for them.

There seems to be some opinions that suggest buying black boots in smooth leather while brown boots can look good in both smooth leather and suede. All a matter of personal preference I guess but thought to mention it since I did see a Gant Max in black suede and I wasn't sure if you were considering it. Both of mine are in smooth leather as I think they just fare better in wetter conditions. Suede may need additional protection. For leather soles, I also take them to the cobbler to put a topy on after they have been worn a few times, which should minimise excessive wear to the soles.

 

[MisterCairo]

I am an Allen Edmonds fan.

I do not own a pair of these, but they have one model of Chelsea boot:

http://global.allenedmonds.com/shoe...t/SF7522.html?dwvar_SF7522_color=7523#start=3

 

[shadowrider]

When I was in high school the only footwear I would wear were DocMartens boots. Then I switched to Chelsea boots and only wore those for a few years.
Now I have a piar with Dainite soles. In my head they are more desirable than leather soles on Chelsea boots, for some reason.

 

[Edward]

Not a fan myself, but my dad has worn them on and off for years. Seems that pretty much any of the big names in footwear do their own version, so it's probably a matter of just looking for your favourite. They're certainly available in all price bands.

 

[tropicalbob]

I am an Allen Edmonds fan.

I do not own a pair of these, but they have one model of Chelsea boot:

http://global.allenedmonds.com/shoe...t/SF7522.html?dwvar_SF7522_color=7523#start=3

I've been eyeing these boots for some time and agonizing over the black vs. brown decision. Cheslsea boots were all the rage when I was in school back in the days of yore, largely because of their popularity with the bands of the British Invasion, chiefly the Beatles (the Beatle boot being an offspring of the Chelsea boot?) and the Stones = but always in black (I think of Frank Zappa's "Brown Shoes Don't Make It"). Proof of my ageing, I suppose, is my longing for those AE's in Walnut.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I love my Blundstones. Not leather soles but they do last for yours. to get the classic Chelsea boot look you have to go for the Chisel toe models. FYI my last pair made it to seven years before blowing out the soles. They also have a manufacturers warranty if needed.
Johnny

Interesting Johnny - I go through a pair of Blundstones in under a year- sole worn through, leather splitting. They were much better made 35 years ago, before they softened the look to make them more polite. I now alternate between 8 pairs of Rossi boots - still made in Australia unlike Blundstones.

 

[Edward]

I've been eyeing these boots for some time and agonizing over the black vs. brown decision. Cheslsea boots were all the rage when I was in school back in the days of yore, largely because of their popularity with the bands of the British Invasion, chiefly the Beatles (the Beatle boot being an offspring of the Chelsea boot?) and the Stones = but always in black (I think of Frank Zappa's "Brown Shoes Don't Make It"). Proof of my ageing, I suppose, is my longing for those AE's in Walnut.

The Beatle boot is basically the same concept as a Chelsea boot, i.e. an ankle-length boot design to pull on and fit snugly (thanks to the elastic panels on the side). Shape-wise, though, it has a long, pointed toe in the winkle-picker style, and where a Chelsea boot will have a regular heel like any shoe, the Beatle boot has a 1.5" (usually) Cuban heel. If anything, the Beatle Boot is more like a plainer version of a short cowboy boot. Typically they're ridiculously tight as well, requiring most people to go up a half to a full size. Sometimes they can look comically long (think: Little Titch), as they need to fit the full length of the foot in before it can narrow to such an extreme point.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Interesting Johnny - I go through a pair of Blundstones in under a year- sole worn through, leather splitting. They were much better made 35 years ago, before they softened the look to make them more polite. I now alternate between 8 pairs of Rossi boots - still made in Australia unlike Blundstones.

All my foot wear I never wear two days in a row. So its an every other day kind of thing. With my Blundstones they were all winter and into the spring so at least seven months of the year. I have thought about Rossi boots and Redback but I cant find them locally to try on. Australian sizing is odd for a Canadian and with a slip on boot you want the right size the first time. So Mail order is out with return shipping costs.
Johnny

 

[Grayland]

I'm a big Chelsea boot fan. I've had/have pairs from Blundstone, Rossi, RM Williams, and Crockett & Jones. I've noticed that my most recent Blundstones don't last as long. I've never had any leather issues, but two pairs of soles have literally disintegrated after several years of (not very) hard use - 1-2 days a week. Apparently this is an issue. Honestly, they are cheap enough that I can deal with that as they fit me well and are very comfortable. I bought Rossi loooking for a made in Australia boot and while they seemed to be of fine quality, they seemed to have a bit extra leather and didn't fit me as snugly as my Blundstones. They were comfortable but had wrinkles on top that I didn't like, and I tried to fill the extra space with a sole liner. I dropped them in a thrift store bin two days ago. The RM Williams are of very high quality and mine are the Craftsman model which are much more streamlined than the Blundstones or Rossi. The C&J are the 5 model which is a much more casual version with a Dainite sole. Needless to say that I'm a fan of Chelsea boots. I love them way they securely wrap your boot but don't feel restrictive.

 

[Seb Lucas]

All my foot wear I never wear two days in a row. So its an every other day kind of thing.
Johnny

Me too. Although I have a car, I walk everywhere on asphalt and concrete footpaths (sidewalks). I wear away one side of my heal and the area near the ball of my foot in a matter of months.

In the 1980's-90's Blunnies used to be tougher - I'm sure the sole was a harder synthetic material. Back then, if you wore them around town people would often freak out a little bit. "My God! Why are you wearing work boots? How awful!' How things changed.

I had RM Williams boots a couple of times over the past 30 years but they are not strong, the leather soles last about 3-6 months depending on my travels. And if you put a protector on them at $70 a pop, you need to replace this twice a year. May as well buy new, less ambitious work boots in my view.

Fortunately I've never really had a thing for boots or shoes so I'm happy to buy a couple of $80 pairs boots a year and keep them on my boot rotation.

 

[littlewing6283]

Big fan of chelseas as well but finding a pair is tough due to my hobbit feet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MisterCairo]

Apparently Blundstones are hot in Canada, we're the number three market in the world, and the Australian head office had to double check their sales figures because they seemed of the charts:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/breaking-down-the-blundstone-boom-1.4361947

 

[Stringmaster]

I don't know that the qualify as a Chelsea boot but since the discussion has gone here I just purchased a pair of Redback Great Barrier boots and I'm quite please with the quality. I was fortunate to have factory store locally so I got to try them on. I'm kind of a hard fit for this type of boot as my foot is on the narrow side, but I found these to be a little narrower than the Blundstone's I previously tried on, as well as a new import Red Wing "Worx" boot in a similar style. Those were both like standing in buckets. With the Redbacks I can fit them with a heavy sock, and now I'm trying them with a cheapy thin cushion insole placed under the stock removable insole--so far seems to be a good fit with a normal sock. No slippage, etc. I find the quality to be better than both the Blundstones and the Red Wings, but of course time with tell regarding the longevity. This is the model I got:
https://www.redbackboots.com/product/100
I also tried and liked the Bonsall model, but the Great Barriers were recommended for my needs (as a ranch type boot) as they are made of a higher quality, more water resistant leather, with fewer seams--so I ponied up the extra bucks.

 

[Trenchfriend]

One question:

Is the fit of Chelsea boots basically looser or tighter?? Do they move a little on your feet or not??

I need a soon answer. Thanks!!

EDIT:
Finished.