Thursday Explorer Boots Review | For Serious Adventuring

Thursday Boot Company is a brand that has become well-known for durable footwear at industry-buckingly low prices. From timeless cap toes and Chelseas to more fashion forward styles like the Casa Moto, the brand offers a boots to suit every taste.

And if your flavor is combat boots? The Explorer Boot is a modern, streamlined take on this classic style. 

In this article, we will take a closer look at the Thursday Explorer Boots in Black Matte Leather and examine their features, design, and overall performance. With a high shaft height and ultra water resistant construction, the Explorer isn’t as versatile as their Captain or President, but it’ll definitely scratch the itch for guys who want a meaty, go-anywhere piece of casual footwear. 

Thursday’s Explorer Boot: The Pros and Cons

Got somewhere to be? Here’s a quick list of the pros and cons so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.

Pros

• Terrific value; no one else does resoleable boots of this quality at this pricepoint 
• Serious water resistance thanks to the Goodyear storm welt
• High shaft height to better keep out water and muck
• Resoleable construction
• Fairly lightweight due to Vibram commando sole
• 3 colorways available
• Very grippy
• Free shipping and returns

All Weather Beast

Thursday Boot Co. Explorer

A sleek take on the traditional American combat boot, this is an extra water resistant, extra outdoorsy boot that still works in urban environs.

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Cons

• No wide widths
• Not very versatile; this is a firmly outdoorsy, casual boot
• Takes a long time to put on and take off

Thursday Explorer Boot: The Look

• Nearly 9″ height
• Sleek, streamlined look
• Water repellent leather
• Meaty lug sole
• 4 rows of D ring eyelets above 5 rows of regular eyelets
• Storm welt for extra water resistance

The Explorer boots are built like tanks to provide long-lasting durability and protection. The Black Matte leather I picked mine up in is, well, what the name describes. Black and matte. It’s one of Thursday’s many “Rugged and Resilient” leathers that’s imbued with extra oils to keep it weatherproof and low maintenance; you probably won’t ever have to condition Rugged and Resilient leather, making it a good choice for guys who don’t want to agonize about the ins and outs of boot care.

Perhaps the most remarkable note is the slim, streamlined look, which makes it a unique entry in the combat boot genre. These will certainly satisfy guys who like the combat boot look: they’re tall, casual, outdoorsy, hardwearing, and have a meaty, grippy sole. But the flatter toe and less voluminous look gives them a more modern and subdued aesthetic than chunky, glossy Dr. Martens.

One of the standout features of the Explorer boots is the storm welt construction. Your average high quality boot is made with a Goodyear welt, which makes it easy to resole and very water resistant. Storm welts are an even more water resistant version because the welt curves up onto the upper — see that little “lip” running around the border with the sole? — and this further helps to keep water and muck sneaking into the interior. 

A great touch is that the Explorer is fully lined with soft glove leather, which adds to the comfort and craftsmanship while also beefing up the barrier between you and the rugged wilds you’re braving. Comfort is further enhanced with a padded collar, shock-absorbing memory foam insoles, and surprisingly lightweight Vibram sole. 

Comfort is further enhanced with a padded collar, shock-absorbing memory foam insoles, and surprisingly lightweight Vibram sole. 

Those are elements for comfort, but these are definitely all-terrain boots. The storm welt, high shaft, steel shank for balance and stability, and hugely grippy sole mean you can take this anywhere — except to the boardroom, because these just are not versatile boots.

That’s the main downside of the overall extraordinary Explorers: they’re firmly casual, but of course, that’s exactly what a lot of guys want. 

Thursday’s Explorer Boots Leather

• Rugged and Resilient leathers: Black Matte and Cedar
• Weathersafe Suede: Dark Olive

A great thing about Thursday’s popularity is the huge array of leathers their boots are able to come in, and while the Explorer doesn’t reach the Captain‘s heights of eighteen colorways, the Explorer comes in three hardwearing versions that should suit your palate.

We’ve covered the oil tanned Black Matte we picked up, part of the Rugged and Resilient line of extra hardy leathers that need virtually no care. (It’s the most popular leather for their Captain boot, too.) The Cedar colorway, slightly reminiscent of Timberland’s iconic Wheat Nubuck, has the same no-stress tannage, just in a different color.

Then there’s the Dark Olive Suede. Don’t be fooled by the “suede” in the title; this is one of Thursday’s WeatherSafe™ suedes, which repels water and needs zero care besides occasional brushing, just like a hardy smooth leather.

While suede has a deserved reputation for being hard to keep clean, the WeatherSafe line is imbued with a ton of waxes and oils that repel water. You know how oil sits on top of water in soup? It’s the same thing: oil and wax are hydrophobic, and if you incorporate it into suede the right way, it makes it virtually stainproof and waterproof while maintaining the luxe look of suede.

Check out our visit to Thursday’s tannery to learn more about how they make it. (The video was unsponsored, we just happened to be in Mexico and we stopped by!)

Thursday Explorer Boot Sole/Construction

• Shock-absorbing memory insoles
• Cork filling beneath insole for comfort and heat/moisture regulation
• Durable Vibram® Newflex outsoles
• Steel shank for stability
• Full leather lining

When it comes to the construction of the Thursday Explorer boot, the brand takes its cues from traditional bootmaking but adds some modern twists — which is perfectly in line for the brand. 

The insole: instead of vegetable tanned leather, which does a great job of conforming to the foot at the sacrifice of shock absorption, Thursday employs a shock-absorbing foam insole. When you wear a traditional boot like the Red Wing Iron Ranger, you’ll know what I mean: they’re comfy, but they feel like walking on hardwood. The foam insole adds a more sneaker-like quality to the boot, but the cork beneath the insole helps the fit conform to your foot over time, which is one of the most famous qualities of a good boot.  

Thursday’s insoles used to collapse and flatten with wear, but the latest iteration combined with the cork helps you to get the best of both worlds, old and new. 

A steel shank is also present, which is a must for any boot with a heel, especially one designed for hard wear. This sliver of steel helps stop the arch from collapsing and it provides stability and balance to the boot that helps to prevent foot pain from long hours on your feet. (This is something that becomes more noticeable in shankless footwear as you age.)

Finally, the sole is Vibram’s Newflex, which provides tremendous traction and grip on any surface. Interestingly, the Explorer weighs less than many of Thursday’s other boots because this sole has pockets of air in the rubber. The light weight is another bonus for the Explorer with regard to avoiding foot fatigue from all-day wear. 

Thursday Explorer Sizing/Fit

• Order a half size down from your true size
• No wide widths available

It’s important to measure your foot accurately before purchasing your Explorer boots. Your “true size” is what you want to work with, which you can find on a Brannock device at any shoe store. If you’re used to wearing sneakers, they tend to be a half size bigger than your true size. Most boots, including the Explorers, run large, meaning you size down half a size from your true size.

Most boots, including the Explorers, run large, meaning you size down half a size from your true size.

The boots will feel snug at first, but so long as they’re not painfully restrictive, don’t worry: the full grain leather and leather lining will stretch a tad to conform to your foot. Just know that unfortunately for wide-footed guys, there are no wide widths available at the time of writing. Sizing up, or ordering true to size, is the best bet if you’re an E width foot. If you’re any wider than that, you’re out of luck.

Thursday also offer free shipping and returns, so don’t stress too much if you’re concerned about getting the wrong size.

Thursday Explorer Price

• $249

The Explorer boot retail for $249, which is a very competitive price considering the materials, and construction, and the free shipping and returns.

We encourage you to look around the market, here. It’s true that most of Thursday’s boots are under $200, but given all the extra leather on this extra tall boot, combined with the more waterproof construction, we’re not complaining about an extra $50. You simply won’t find another boot of this quality for less.

We know, you might be thinking about the cheaper Dr. Martens, but they’re extremely hard to resole and you won’t get the longevity or durability, particularly given the (frankly) crummy quality of Dr. Martens leather. Thursday made sure to make a boot absolutely any cobbler can resole, meaning they can last you a good ten years.

All Weather Beast

Thursday Boot Co. Explorer

A sleek take on the traditional American combat boot, this is an extra water resistant, extra outdoorsy boot that still works in urban environs.

Check Best Price

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Wrapping Up: Are Thursday’s Explorer Boots Worth It?

Absolutely. Even if they couldn’t be resoled and would only last you as long many years as it took to wear through that giant sole, they’d still be worth it. The leather is great quality, the construction is the ideal balance of comfort and durability, the aesthetic is an ideal balance of modern and classic, and they’re extremely water resistant. They’re also just damn cool looking beaters. They can’t be dressed up, but there’s no better way to dress down.

It’s hard to overstate how rare it is to find boots of this quality at this pricepoint, but don’t take out word for it. Hunt around yourself and you’ll be convinced: The Explorer isn’t just a rare feat of style and durability, it’s one of the best value boots on the market.