With so many choices out there, it's tough to find the right pair.
I knew that I wanted to pick up a pair of chelsea boots this year, but to be completely honest, I really didn't know where to start. As with most of us, we take the time to browse, shop, see recommendations and ideally make a choice. However for chelsea boots, I was confused over the many pairs, styles and brands offered, because I wanted to make a quality and versatile choice. After shopping for a while and still being indecisive, I decided to pull the trigger and pickup a pair that was durable, comfortable and timelessly stylish. Having tried on a few pairs, including Blundstones (comfortable but a little bulky for my liking) and a few suede pairs (kinda like this, but didn't wanna deal with suede care), I went for the GEOX pair.
Here's why.
They're a classic style, which was perfect for me, since I wanted to be able to wear them with a multitude of looks. A popular style these days is the suede chelsea boot, which is nice, don't get me wrong, but they're not quite as versatile as a leather pair. They're also much harder to maintain. Being a little lazy with shoe maintenance, a classic quality leather is the way to go. The style was great as well: the burnt brown leather was a bold colour that made the boot stand out, regardless of what I wore them with.
In comparison to other leather pairs, this pair also stood out to me because of the comfort and breathability aspects that came along with the boot. It wasn't like wearing a typical dress boot/shoe and having to deal with the lack of comfort when breaking into them - but they still had the flare of a dressier pair (full of rhymes today). When worn for longer periods of time, my feet didn't sweat or feel uncomfortable (could be my sock choice too). I was also head over heels when I found that they had waterproof soles! This feature becomes extremely crucial during those days where snow turns to slush or a simply day full of rain. I mean you could simply opt for a rain boot, but why not stay stylish and dry?
Overall they're a great choice regardless of your style. Whether you're a classic gentleman looking to add a versatile staple to your wardrobe or a casual guy that wants to step-up their style game without being too bold, these will work to keep your look well-rounded and timeless. My only critique is the opening of the shoe. It can be a little tight squeezing your foot in at first, considering the lace-less style of the chelsea boot (could be that my feet are wider and slightly larger), but to be fair it's not entirely this particular boot's fault. And hey, you don't have to ever worry about laces being undone and taking them off is a rather easy process.
Photos are courtesy of the talented Thirmizi Samsoodeen. Check out his amazing work @distorted.lens