Rhodes Caliber Roper Review | A Wedge Sole Cowboy Boot?

Lately, I’ve become increasingly obsessed with Roper-style cowboy boots, and when I heard that Rhodes makes a wedge-soled offering called the Roper Boot Caliber, I had to try them out.

Rhodes is the in-house boot brand of Huckberry. They make everything from sleek Chelsea boots to rugged cowboy boots, but do the boots live up to the famous quality of Huckberry house brands like Flint and Tinder? That’s what I aim to find out.

In this review, we’ll cover how these wedge soled western boots are built, comfort, sizing, and whether or not the Rhodes Roper boots are worth it. But first, here is a quick pros and cons list for you to look over.

Pros & Cons: Rhodes Roper Boot

I write my reviews in a lot of detail, so here’s a quick summary of my thoughts.

Pros

• Great arch support
• Good value at this price point
• Very comfortable with a roomy toe box
• Good leather
• Resoleable Goodyear welt construciton

Cons

• No wide widths
• Very narrow shaft
• Runs a little wider than most Roper boots, so it might fit loose on narrow feet
• Non-removable synthetic insole (means you can’t change or replace the insole)

Rhodes Roper Caliber Construction

The Rhodes Roper Caliber isn’t your standard cowboy boot. They use heritage quality materials with a touch of modernity.

The Leather: Rhodes Roper Caliber

• Full-grain leather from LeFarc, and the Suede is from Alfamex tannery
• 3 leathers and colorways
• Durable easy to maintain suede

Rhodes offers the Roper boots in 3 colorways and leathers: my Mojave suede one, a full-grain Tobacco, and full-grain Hickory.

The full grain options come from the Lefarc tannery in León, Mexico. Lefarc has a reputation as perhaps the most sustainable tannery in Mexico. Lefarc makes leather for brands like Thursday Boot Company, Timberland, and Saddleback.

The Suede is from the Alfamex tannery, also in León, Mexico. Alfamex is a renowned expert in manufacturing suede and they’re known for creating the weatherproof suede for Thursday Boot Company. (Yep, Rhodes uses the same tanneries as Thursday.) Personally, I love the Mojave Suede leather in the Rhodes boots, it’s soft, supple, and cleans off easily with a horse hair brush.

The leather and lining on my boots’ shaft is 3.5mm thick, according to my leather calipers. The liner is 1mm, based on the Rose Anvil review of the heeled version of the Rhodes boots, so that puts the suede uppers at 2.5mm thick.

Boot Construction: Rhodes Roper Caliber

• Goodyear welted, you can have a cobbler attach a new sole

These are a Goodyear welted cowboy boot. That’s an old-fashioned way of making boots where the outsoles are attached to the leather uppers with a strip of leather (usually it’s leather) called a welt. This constuction makes it easy for a cobbler to replace the sole, so your boots will last much longer. It also makes them very water resistant.

Outsole: Rhodes Roper Caliber

• Polyurethane wedge sole with an aggressive tread
• Thin but durable outsole

This is a polyurethane wedge sole with an aggressive tread and superb traction. Polyurethane is the same material Thorogood uses on their wedge soles, and I didn’t find them as squishy as a blown rubber wedge sole, like those sold by Vibram.

And they’re definitely durable. The Rhodes Roper wedge sole is also much thinner than Vibram’s, which is probably why they went with a slightly more durable material for the outsole. This sole actually reminds me of the one used on Red Wing’s Weekender Chelsea.

Midsole: Rhodes Roper Caliber

• Thick leather midsole for added durability
• Comfortable EVA foam for additional shock absorption

Moving up from the outsole, they have a thick and robust-looking leather midsole, which is a nice touch on a boot at this price point, considering most of the more expensive Red Wing heritage boots don’t even have a leather midsole. Rhodes definitely wins some points on that one. (Though, toe be fair, Red Wings are made in the US.)

Now, we get to the more modern part of the boot’s construction. Traditionally, Goodyear welted boots have a layer of cork filler that fills in the void created by the welt in between the insole, lasting board, and midsole.

However, the Rhodes Roper Caliber uses a layer of EVA foam to fill in that void. EVA is a foam that’s used in light hiking boots and sneakers because it’s great at absorbing impact as you walk. It may not mold to your foot in the same way cork will, but it helps make boots comfortable right out of the box and it’s superior for shock absorption. Some traditionalists don’t like that, but a lot of customers prefer this kind of build.

Also, these don’t have a shank. But you don’t really need one with a wedge sole.

Leather Topped Foam Insole: Rhodes Roper Caliber

• Very comfortable, molds to your foot
• Not removable

The insole is the major weak spot and may be a deal breaker for some.

But there are upsides: the insole is a soft but not overly squishy Poron foam that’s topped with leather. It molded to my foot a bit and I can see my foot impression in it if I look inside the boot. Not only that, but it has the best arch support of any wedge sole boot I’ve worn.

The downside is that the insole isn’t removable. Oftentimes, Goodyear welted boots that don’t have a leather insole will have a fiberboard or foam-topped fiberboard insole and a synthetic removable insole over that.

On the Rhodes Roper Caliber it’s all one piece, which means if you don’t like the insole but love the look of the boots, you won’t be able to swap out insoles for something you like better.

The other downside is that synthetic insoles won’t last nearly as long as a veg-tanned leather insole, which means if the insole breaks down or becomes too uncomfortable, you won’t have the option of replacing it. A cobbler probably can, but that’s obviously more laborious than just being able to swap it out yourself.

Leather Lining: Rhodes Roper Caliber

The leather lining looks like it’s fairly good quality and is very soft and supple. I was a bit worried that it would make the boots hot, but they seemed to be pretty breathable, and my feet didn’t get super sweaty, considering it’s very hot here in Florida right now.

Heel Counter: Rhodes Roper Caliber

The heel counter cover on the inside of the boot is made from roughout leather to help keep your foot in place and minimize heel slip when walking. Having a rough out or suede counter cover in a pull-on boot is essential in my opinion because a smooth leather counter cover can have your heel sliding around all day, especially in laceless boots.

Sizing & Fit: Rhodes Roper Caliber

• Size up 0.5 from Brannock

Should you go true to size, up or down in size? Unlike a lot of similar boots, Huckberry actually recommends going up a half size from your Brannock size or a full size up for people with wide feet.

The boots only come in a D (“normal”) width, but they are a roomy and spacious D width, measuring 4 inches wide across the ball of the foot, which is a little wider than most Roper boots.

But note they very narrow shaft. The first time I tried them on, I thought I’d never get my foot inside and I worried I should have gone up a full size rather than half a size. But as soon as I got my foot into the boot, I knew going up a half size was the right call.

Break In: Rhodes Roper Caliber

• The shaft is a bit tight at first but fine after broken in
• Other than the upper, no break-in needed

After wearing them around for a bit, the shaft broke in enough to allow me to slide my foot into the boots and take them off fairly easily. If you have a boot jack, I’d recommend using it the first few times you’re getting out of these.

Once the leather breaks in, the boot feels a bit looser, which I don’t mind; however, some may think it feels sloppy. If you prefer a snug fit, then go true to size.

Just to be clear, there is zero break-in outside of the shaft. The boots are comfortable to wear all day, right out of the box. It’s just the shaft that needs to stretch a bit to allow you to get them on and off easily.

Is the Rhodes Roper Caliber Comfortable?

• Very comfortable, roomy toe box, cushy sole, and supportive

I personally find them extremely comfortable for all-day wear, and I’d wear these all the time. Between the soft interior lining, leather-topped foam insole, great arch support, and roomy toe box, it’s easy to slip the Rhodes Roper Caliber on and wear them all day without issue.

Can you wear the Rhodes Roper Caliber For Work?

• Not a workboot, no ASTM safety certs
• Fine for light work around the house and farm

The answer depends on where you’re working. I’m a sheet welder and I regularly review work boots. But the Rhodes Roper Caliber doesn’t offer a safety toe or any safety certifications, so it’s probably best to use it for yard work or farm work. They stand out, so they are bound to catch the attention of an observant safety guy at a job site.

Rhodes Roper Caliber Pricing

• $248

Coming in at $248 for both the wedge sole and riding heel versions, they are $3 more than Tecovas’ “The Knox” wedge sole boot and in line with the price of the Stockton, Tecovas’ entry-level Roper boot with a heel.

Note that at the time of writing this review, the Mojave Suede Caliber boot is on sale for $111.00. You honestly can’t beat that price for what the boot offers. To sum it up, the Rhodes Roper boots are competitively priced Western boots. Huckberry has sales a few times a year, so if you’re in no rush, wait for one.

Final Thoughts: Rhodes Roper Caliber Review

So, are the Rhodes Roper Boots worth it? I say yes! Especially when on sale. Despite the non-removable synthetic insole (my biggest gripe), I think you could get at least one resole out of these. They are built well, look good, shock absorbent, and are durable enough to use for light work if you have to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do the Rhodes Roper boots run true to size?

A: Huckberry recommends sizing up a ½ size for normal-width feet and up a full size for wide feet.

Q: Where is the Rhodes Roper Caliber made?

A: The Rhodes Roper Caliber is made in León Mexico.

Q: Can you resole the Rhodes Roper Caliber?

A: Yes you can! They are Goodyear welted which means any cobbler should be able to easily resole them.