Koio Fermo Boot Review | Finally, a Rugged But Fashionable Chelsea

“Rugged” and “chelsea” are two words you don’t often hear together, especially when you could also use the word “fashionable.” But those are the descriptors for this very cool, all-weather boot from Koio, a company best known for their luxury sneakers but who have branched out into boots in a pretty compelling way.

I’ve spent several weeks and a couple of rainstorms sloshing around while writing my Fermo boots. Even though they’re not Goodyear welted, they’re very water resistant and can be resoled. Indeed, I’ve done the work (the “hard yards,” as we say in Australia). These bad boys kept my toes dryer than the average Goodyear welted boot while being lighter and more flexible.

Suffice it to say: I’m very impressed with the Fermo.

Should You Buy the Koio Fermo Boots?

Got somewhere to be? Here’s a quick rundown of the pros and cons of this unusual new model.

Pros

• Sleek but practical
• Surprisingly water resistant
• Completely Italian made
• Great shock absorption
• Sustainable leather
• Grippy sole

Cons

• No half sizes or wide widths
• Less versatile than flat soled boots
• Memory foam insole can be controversial

Koio Fermo Design

• Sleek but functional and rugged
• Matte leather (brown or black)
• Chunky, grippy sole

While many of Koio’s sneakers have an ’80s vibe, their best-known footwear emphasizes minimalism. Maybe that’s because the founders are from Germany, and that area (and Scandinavia perhaps more so) is known for its minimalist design aesthetic.

I confess I didn’t love Koio’s first line of boots, but after a year or two of refining their approach, they’ve released two Chelseas that I really like: the dressy, leather-soled Trento and the Fermo, which is meant for rougher weather.

At first glance, this is a casual boot with a casual sole and casual leather. But I’m a massive fan of the fact that unlike some other casual, perhaps more work-focused Chelseas like Blundstone or Redback, the Fermo doesn’t have a bulbous toe or cheap, disposable construction.

Despite its toughness, it is quite sleek, so you get a nice balance of something that’s very weatherproof but slim enough to look great with more modern, tapered bottoms. The last has the kind of shape that most people want from their Chelseas, but with more functionality.

“Versatile” might not be quite the right word, given it’s not at all dressy, but it is fashionable while also practical.

Indeed, most Chelseas are, well, kind of dressy. This kind of footwear didn’t start out as a work boot; the first Chelsea was designed as a walking boot for Queen Victoria and then became more popular as The Beatles’ footwear of choice. It didn’t gain steam as a work boot until a bit later, particularly in Australia.

Personally, I really enjoy rugged materials with more modern fits. But I was pleasantly surprised when I wore these on a date last night with my very burly and casual deck jacket (the center image above) and found that the outfit worked great.

The luggy sole, in particular, does a good job of balancing the slimmer last and maintaining the casual air, a look that’s enhanced by the oily leather and the construction, which I’ll explore a little later.

Idrese Fermo Leather

• Tanned in Italy
• Imbued with oils and waxes for water resistance
• Matte appearance
• Certified for sustainability by Leather Working Group

The boot comes in brown (“Falcon”). or black, and both leathers . They all are really hard wearing because they’re very waxy and oiled. During its production, the hides are imbued with a variety of natural, water resistant ingredients to make the water and humidity stay on the outside and not penetrate the inside. Oil and wax are hydrophobic; think about how oil floats on top of water if you drop some into a glass.

Another bonus, is that containing a lot of oils and waxes adds a nice color variation in the leather. I think it really gives it cool highs and lows that confer real-world, all-weather benefits.

That does make for a very casual leather. It’s more matte and muted than something like box calf or a glossy dress leather. But you already know this is a casual boot from the sole, so no one’s going to be disappointed you can’t wear this with a suit.

Koio also has a big emphasis on sustainability that’s expressed in their choice of leather.

Most leather on earth is chrome tanned. And in badly run tanneries it can cause terrible damage to the environment and workers. But chrome tanning doesn’t have to be bad for the environment. There are ways to do it that don’t produce any chromium 6 pollution, which is the byproduct that causes so much damage.

I filmed a video at a tannery in Mexico that does cool things in this area. The take-home is that there’s an organization called the Leather Working Group that inspects and certifies tanneries with good environmental practices. All of Koio’s Italian leather carries that coveted LWG certification. So you can be confident you’re not contributing to the dreadful effects that chrome tanning might have from badly regulated tanneries.

Idrese Fermo Construction

• Blake stitched, but with a welt
• Very water resistant
• Lighter than a Goodyear welt
• Shock absorbing memory foam insole
• Leather midsole

The construction here is very interesting. Both of Koio’s Chelsea boots are Blake stitched, a construction method with a reputation for comfort and flexibility. However, it is also more difficult to resole and not great in wet weather.

But these stereotypes don’t always apply. For starters, Blake stitches are perfectly easy to resole. If you polled every cobbler in the country, you’d find there are more that have the machinery to resole a Goodyear welt than a Blake stitch. But many professionals can resole a boot like this — just call in advance to confirm they’ve got the equipment.

The other notion, that Blake stitches aren’t very water resistant really depends on how tightly stitched they are and how much the brand wants to focus on flexibility versus water resistance, that kind of thing.

The Fermo’s very dense stitching improves the water resistance, but the real standout is the combination of a welt and Blake stitch construction. To make a Blake stitch, the bootmaker attaches the sole directly to the upper. Most Blake stitch boots don’t have a welt. But Koio uses an L-shaped welt made from recycled leather that keeps the last closer to the sole and stops rain from getting in.

No, it’s not waterproof. Unless you’re legit standing in a puddle fishing, you don’t need waterproof boots. But I sloshed around in puddles with my Fermos out in a storm last week, and I was really surprised that the boots kept my socks perfectly dry.

I’ve never seen this kind of construction before, but it’s legit. Resoleable and water resistant, but as a Blake stitch it’s lighter and more flexible than a Goodyear welt. It’s wild stuff.

Idrese Fermo Sizing and Fit

• No half sizes or wide widths
• Size down if you’re between sizes
• Leather stretches a bit with wear

A bummer with this boot is that it doesn’t have half sizes or wide sizes, and I have an unfortunate shoe size: about 11.75 on a Brannock device. When a shoe is true to size I fit 11.5, but I’m an 11 in most boots — including the Fermo. If you’re a whole size order that, if you’re between sizes order the next size down.

A word of caution: these felt too tight when I got them, but the leather stretches and after a couple of days, they fit like a glove. Even with the slimmer last, don’t stress too much if they’re a bit tight from the get go.

Idrese Fermo Price

• $365

If you know much about boots, you’re probably not shocked by this price. For this kind of construction and materials, it’s about what you’d expect. Over $400 would be robbery, under $350 would be surprising, $365 is perfectly acceptable.

The Takeaway: Koio Fermo Boot Review

The Fermo is a rare boot: it’s sleek yet functional, fashionable yet practical, Blake stitched yet rainproof, flexible yet resoleable.

It’s definitely a casual boot, but it’s a nice way for a modern outfit to sport something very weatherproof without looking like you belong on a factory floor. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I’m rather trying to illustrate that this is both fashionable and tough —  very unusual for a Chelsea.

The downsides are no half sizes or wide sizes, but as someone who is normally a half size, I’m really impressed with how well this secures the heel in spite of that. It’s not an especially cheap boot, but it is an especially durable one. If you like resoleable boots made in a developed country, this really is an unremarkable price for a very remarkable boot that’ll take you anywhere you want to go. I love it.