The Beginner’s Guide to Engineer Boots: How to Wear Them & Best Brands

The engineer boot originated in the dirty world of Depression-era industrial job sites where workers needed tough boots for sometimes dangerous, sometimes fire-adjacent jobs.

A compelling hybrid of minimalist and over the top, it can be hard for the average guy to know where to start with wearing engineer boots: the tall and wide shaft, prominent buckles, and aggressive heels make them stand out, but when worn right they’re a great embodiment of American toughness and low-key style.

To get tips on how to wear and buy these underrated work boots, we met up with Albert Last-name-redacted, a.k.a. Instagram’s Upstate Guy Style, who brought a few of his favorite pairs from his eight-engineer-boot collection to explain why they’re his favorite boots.

Key Features of Engineer Boots

• Tall shaft (typically 10-12 inches)
• No laces
• Plain toe
• Buckles at the ankle and top of the shaft
• Chunky, durable construction

The Contested History of the Engineer Boot

The tall shaft, buckle-secure opening, and logger heels worked great if you were outside surveying in the wilderness, working in a factory, or on a construction site.

Here is where folks would normally tell you the engineer boot was created for coal-shoveling engineers working on old timey trains who needed tall and secure boots to keep burning embers from tumbling into their socks. But that might be apocryphal.

The History of Wesco & Chippewa’s Engineering Boots

The engineer boot emerged in the United States between 1937 and 1939, initially produced by companies like Wesco and Chippewa for industrial workers — possibly for men in the railroad industry.

Others say they were more likely made for anyone needing tough work boots, and the locomotive angle has been exaggerated. Hard evidence supporting the railroad origin is limited, especially since diesel trains started replacing coal-fired ones in the late 1920s.

Roberta Shoemaker, CEO of Wesco Boots, is on the record stating that Wesco’s engineer boots originated in shipyards to protect welders from sparks. Which, we suppose, isn’t that far off from the protect-railroad-workers-from-coals story.

Early ads from the 1940 Sears catalog targeted the boots at motorcycle riders and the “toughest engineering jobs.” During the post-World War II anti-establishment era, the engineer style gained popularity in motorcycle clubs and 1950s pop culture as symbols of rebellion. James Dean and Marlon Brando famously wore them with their leather jackets in the 1950s to embody the badass greaser archetype.

Though their use as work boots declined in the 1970s — to be fair, they’re not the lightest or most flexible design — heritage brands like Red Wing and Wesco kept the engineer boot alive, making this an iconic piece of Americana alongside denim jeans and leather jackets.

Like jeans and leather jackets, the engineer boots’ origins were in manual labor, but they spread to become a part of classic, casual style.

How to Wear Engineer Boots

• The trick is to wear wide enough pants or narrow enough boots that the trousers cover the shaft, hiding the boot’s flashiness
• Wesco’s Mr Lou model is considered best for fitting under tapered pants
• If you want to show off the style you can cuff your jeans higher, but don’t tuck them into the boot
• Jeans, a white t-shirt, and a denim, leather, or canvas jacket is a simple template that works.
• Try wool trousers and a black turtleneck for a more daring look.

Are they too much? Maybe for some people.

“You do have to get used to a little bit of commentary, especially if you wear them like Brando with a black leather jacket,” says Albert. “You’ll go down the street and people are like, ‘Oh, are you in a production of Grease?’ But you get used to them and you fall in love with them. They’re my favorite boot.”

Here’s something to remember: if you’re wearing trousers that cover the shaft, engineer boots don’t look all that different from a pair of Chelsea boots. The real difference with dressier laceless boots like Chelseas and jodhpurs is that engineers are firmly casual boots. That gives them a unique position in the world of boots.

Wearing Engineer Boots and Denim

A lot of guys like to wear cuffed jeans with engineer boots. You can cuff them high enough to show the first buckle, like Albert prefers, or keep the cuffs low for a more subtle look.

Blue jeans, a white t-shirt or a flannel, and a casual jacket — up top we see Albert making denim, leather, and suede jackets work effortlessly. Engineer boots do offer a great opportunity for wearing denim on denim if you’ve been looking for one. (We prefer leather or waxed canvas jackets over the Canadian Tuxedo look but that’s just us.)

Wearers of the straight leg and the wide leg styles can take to engineer boots without issue, but if you prefer more tapered jeans, you’ll have trouble with a lot of models.

The solution is Wesco’s Mister Lou.

“Wesco invented a boot specifically for the more tapered jean that a lot of people have been preferring in recent years,” says Albert. “They don’t look it, but the shaft is considerably narrower than other models. I measured my Brave Star jeans at a seven-and-a-half-inch leg opening and the Mister Lou works no problem.”

Can You Dress Up Engineer Boots?

Wondering if you can take engineer boots to a less casual level? A good way to dress them up in a way that’s still faithful to the tough, vintage vibe is wool flannel trousers. (We’re fans of these Wide Legged Pleated Trousers from Proper Cloth.)

“A pair of wool pants paired with a black turtleneck, to me, that’s the easiest thing to wear with a pair of engineers,” says Albert. “They kind of go with everything except, like, smart chinos or a suit and tie. They’re probably not going to work at a bank.”

So these famously tough boots can be worn casually and you might be surprised to know they also have their place in a not-too-slim-fitting smart casual fit. But they can’t get much dressier than that.

Advantages of Engineer Boots Over Other Laceless Boots

• More rugged and casual than Chelsea or Jodhpur boots
• Better for grimy city environments without looking like work boots
• More secure fit due to buckles
• Can be made with thicker, more durable leathers
• More chunky, hard-wearing style compared to other laceless boots; better suited to looser fits

If you want laceless boots, you’re not looking for something Western, but you want to lean into Americana, then it’s hard to go past engineer boots. Unlike the British-borne Chelsea or Indian jodhpur, engineers have solidly American work boot DNA.

“The engineer boot is great because it gives you a certain look, but it’s not the kind of boot that you have to baby. And if you’re living in a city like New York, you’re going to put your boots through the wringer,” says Albert.

The functional and watertight construction of engineer boots makes them perfect for enduring dirt, mud, and slush. They’re less bulbous and more versatile than chunky work boot like a moc toe.

“If you’re buying an expensive pair of jodhpurs or Chelsea boots, that’s going to be great for going to a bar or something,” he says. “But if you’re going to literally be leaving at eight in the morning, spending the day out, going out and hitting the bars late at night, this is going to take you through the whole day.”

Sizing & Fitting Engineer Boots

• Try in-store if possible; laceless footwear is tricky.
• Some initial heel slippage is okay, as the leather will mould to your foot’s shape with wear.
• Do not buy them if they’re very uncomfortable.
• Leather boots will stretch a little in the width, but not the length

“It definitely should not touch the front of your toe, but you should feel it grip your foot at the sides,” says Albert. “They won’t stretch in the length but they’ll stretch a little in the width, so you don’t want your foot wobbling around in there on day one.”

As laceless boots, engineers are a little tough to size right, but they have an advantage over other laceless models like Chelseas because the buckle adjusts the fit at the ankle.

They also differ to Chelseas in that the leather is usually a lot thicker, so they’ll take time to soften and shape to your foot.

“Most brands advise you to go size down by half a size,” says Albert. “But if you have a high instep like I do, well, I’ve always ordered true to size for engineers.”

It’s obviously best to try them on in person if possible, but that won’t be possible for a lot of guys since your average boot store won’t sell them. So try to take some measurements of your feet and shop from a brand that can communicate with you about sizing.

Best Engineer Boot Brands

They’re not as popular as service boots, moc toes, and Chelseas, but enough guys wear them that there’s a pretty widely agreed upon list of worthwhile engineer boots to try, many of which are from Japanese brands.

Wesco Engineer Boots

“Wesco is a highly recommended choice for a first engineer boot,” said Albert. “For guys with less wide-leg jeans, Wesco’s Mister Lou might be the perfect fit, as these boots will fit under most pants. With a leg opening of seven and a half inches, it’s easy to get them on, even with tighter pants.”

Albert added that Wesco has other models like the Boss, which are not narrow at the top and are about 100 bucks less than the coveted Mister Lou. But, of course, the American-made Mister Lou will fit under any pants so they’re the best bet for you no matter what style you rock.

Wesco boots are made in the U.S. using American leather, like Horween’s Chromexcel from Chicago.

Wescos are also less expensive than other brands, though they’re still pricey, running between $670 and $800 for the stock Mister Lou and starting at $541 for the stock Boss. You can customize the Boss by changing the leather, heel, sole, and just about anything else on the boot.

If you’re lucky, you can sometimes find them in stock at online stores like Standard & Strange without needing to wait. If you order from Wesco directly you’ll be able to customize them to your liking, but you’ll be waiting months and months (and months) for them to arrive.

Attractions Engineer Boots

Attractions is Japanese brand that’s known for their engineers made with thick horse butt leather. Their teacore tannage is very popular.

“They were jet black when I bought them four months ago, and now there’s teacore coming through everywhere on them, which means that it was brown underneath,” Albert explains. “They’re painted black with the intention that the more you wear them, the brown comes through.”

The fit and comfort of Attractions Engineer Boots are well-regarded by enthusiasts, and Jake at Almost Vintage Style gave a thorough breakdown in the video he did with us on the best Japanese boot brands.

“It’s a very lustrous, beautiful black, it’s thick, and if you go online and find pictures of how these are worn they are amazing, very dramatic,” Jake said.

“These really did fit and mold my foot really really well,” Albert said. “But, I will admit they were very hard to get on at first because they don’t have pull tabs.”

To make this easier as the boot is breaking in, he employs the old trick of putting a cloth or plastic bag over your foot to help it glide into the boot — then you whip the bag out once you’re settled. After a month of wear, the boots became easy to put on without the struggle.

Clinch Engineer Boots (by Brass Tokyo)

Clinch Engineer Boots, produced by Brass Tokyo, has garnered an cult-like following among boot enthusiasts.

“When they put them on sale at Standard & Strange, people are lining up online at nine A.M. and they’re sold out by nine-oh-one,” said Albert. “I happened to be in the store the day they arrived, and I couldn’t resist them.”

The exceptional workmanship is a key factor in their appeal.

“Minoru Matsuura is the owner and designer of Clinch, and he really took a lot of time to design these in a certain way,” says Jake. “They don’t really crease on the vamp, they roll more than crease, and that’s very specifically designed. It’s the most beautiful Engineer last that you can get. Nice and flat.”

They’re made with vegetable tanned horsehide, have sewn-in pull tabs (to Albert’s delight), and they really stand out by being hand welted and hand lasted, like the finest old fashioned boots from Indonesia or, well, anywhere.

“I never forget the first time I put these on. The very first time they were so snug that I had to get help pulling them off,” said Albert. “A week later they felt too loose, and then the third week they felt just right!”

Due to their high price point — more than twice as expensive as Wesco — these aren’t recommended for people who are new to the engineer boot scene.

More Common Engineer Boots: Red Wing and Chippewa

All these boots we mentioned so far cost at least $600 and often twice that amount. The simple fact is that there aren’t many places that make them cheaper.

Red Wing

The best known affordable engineer boots are from Red Wing and Chippewa. The bad news: they didn’t sell so well and they were discontinued. The good news: plenty of them were sold before they left the market and it’s not too hard for the patient man to find a used pair on eBay.

Or you can go shopping in Japan, where Red Wing stores are likely to stock them among their many Japanese exclusives.

Chippewa Engineer Boots

Chippewa, the brand that’s often credited with making the original engineer boot, stopped production.

Finding a pair is a bit difficult, but they do pop up on eBay and the occasional deadstock is available in mostly small sizes. For example, at the time of writing (and almost certainly not when you’re reading) a pair of size 5s are available at Boot Barn.

Wrapping Up

Who should buy Engineer boots? Honestly, these aren’t typically bought by beginners who are just graduating from sneakers. But if your wardrobe has plenty of classic and casual looks with an abundance of denim, leather, wool, and canvas, you might be surprised how easily engineer boots fit into your style.

And if you don’t? Every man needs a reason to buy some wool trousers and a leather jacket!