When you’re looking for an all-around boot that’s timeless, comfortable, and goes with pretty much everything, it’s hard to beat a Chelsea. The elastic-sided style is said to have been invented by Queen Victoria’s shoemaker back in 1837, and became all the rage in England by the mid-1800s. I love this style of boot because … Read more
I love Chelsea boots. This might be because I’m Australian, a land that’s unusually predisposed to this laceless boot, but since I moved to Manhattan ten years ago my love of the Chelsea has only grown deeper. I mean, who wants to mess with laces if you don’t have to? In this review, we’re looking … Read more
Since the Big Work-From-Home Upset of 2020 our style and fashion choices have adapted to a more casual palette. Three-piece suits and oxford shoes are no longer a required part of daily life, replaced with more casual alternatives like polo shirts, khaki chinos, and even boots. But is there a boot that dresses up for … Read more
“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 … Read more
Besides the time-saving lacelessness, one of my favorite things about Chelsea boots is how many varieties exist on the market. You can have rugged work Chelseas like Blundstones and dressy suit boots like Carmina, but neither are all that versatile — and Chelseas that dress up typically cost well over $400. Enter my favorite Chelsea … Read more
Depending on your background, Chelsea boots might be stylish urban boots, rugged riding boots, or footwear for manual labor. Variants of the Chelsea boot have gone from the feet of royalty — they were originally designed as Queen Victoria’s walking boots — to the feet of Australian stockmen to the Beatles themselves, who popularized the … Read more
Could the world’s best Chelsea boot be Indonesian? I finally got my hands on one of the top contenders and filmed an unboxing for you — perhaps you could help me decide. Indonesia is an absolute hotbed of leather goods — even if most people don’t know it. Due in part to the nation’s history … Read more
Dressing up with boots can seem like a risky endeavor, but there are real benefits to picking boots over oxford shoes! Boots aren’t just for factory workers: they offer more support and stability than shoes and reduce the risk of foot pain and ankle sprains, regardless of where or how you’re wearing them. While some … Read more
It is surprising how many boot companies don’t offer wide options for their boots. It makes more sense when you realize that these businesses need to make new lasts — foot-shaped blocks of wood used to create the fit — when they want to offer wider sizes. Creating new lasts is incredibly laborious and expensive, … Read more
If anyone ever tells you that something’s bad quality because it’s made in China, you should direct them to Grant Stone. This truly unique company was founded by an American motocross athlete in 2016, and while their boots come to your door from their distribution center in Michigan (where the CEO, Wyatt Gilmore, now lives) … Read more