The rise of the chunky boot
Peter Howarth on the return of the beefed-up shoe and where to find the most stylish versions
It’s a fair assumption that Nancy Sinatra’s boots, the ones that were made for walking, were women’s. And quite probably knee length, in black leather and with a decent-sized heel, given that she released the record in 1966. But the sentiment of her song — that said footwear was going to walk all over her feckless lover, probably metaphorically but who knows — is one that is entirely transferable across the genders. Because boots are tough. Boots are no-nonsense. And in spring 2023, boots for are back. For men.
Or to be more precise, a certain type of boot is back. According to James Fox of Northampton’s 144-year-old shoemaker Crockett & Jones, now the country’s largest maker of Goodyear-welted footwear, it’s the chunky boot that is gaining traction. “Back in 2018 we sold 500 pairs of our chunky rubber-soled boots, but last year we sold 9,500,” he says. Even smarter styles are getting the beefed-up treatment: “If men are going for tough-looking boots with denim or cords, then for tailoring it’s the dress boot. What’s also been interesting here is that for around ten years, from 2005 to 2015, our most popular style [of dress boot] had a chisel toe. But now it’s the more rounded toe that is working well. It’s a more gutsy, English look, in keeping with the tougher trend.”
In terms of materials, Fox explains how a grained leather can transform the look of a boot to make it appear more substantial. He also reveals that the stand-out success in recent years for Crockett & Jones has been something called “rough-out suede”. “It became popular when we were developing footwear for Ralph Lauren himself — for his collection. He was the one who came over to the factory and named it,” explains Fox. “It’s a suede that is impregnated with waxes for waterproofing, so it has a waxy feel like an original Barbour jacket. With wear it roughs up and gets that great casual, rugged feel.”
It’s possible that the boot revival is in part related to the trend for dressing up that we are seeing in menswear. If choosing a shoe over a trainer says you are someone who likes the idea of being seen as a sartorial grown-up, then choosing a boot over a shoe says you are a grown-up who likes to make an impression.
And at the recent menswear shows tailoring was very much back on the agenda. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana even held a press conference in which they extolled the virtues of going back to basics, which in their world means black suits, white shirts and… yes, leather boots.
Advertisement
Here it’s worth remembering that when Dolce & Gabbana first launched a menswear collection in 1990, it was remarkable because of the version of Italy it referenced — not the slick, double-breasted metropolitan look of the previous decade but something altogether more earthy, inspired by Sicily. Vests, flat caps and fishermen’s knits were the order of the day, complemented by black single-breasted suits with narrow trousers, suggesting Sunday-best rural churchgoing rather than Wall Street lunches. And the tailoring was matched with big boots. Today, the firm’s Bernini combat boot carries on that tradition.
The Italian brand Tod’s is also getting involved. Famous for the gommino driving shoe with rubber pebbles on the sole, it has recently launched a range of suede and leather ankle boots. The rubber pebbles make it onto their thick rubber soles too.
Even those who are habitually associated with more refined footwear are embracing the chunky-boot wave. Manolo Blahnik, perhaps best known for his women’s shoes that were the co-stars of Sex and the City, has also been a maker of super-elegant men’s footwear since the 1970s. These days there is even a store dedicated to this collection in Mayfair, a corner of London that is arguably the home of the British boot-wearing man.
And yet while Blahnik still offers the sleek, black burnished calf-leather Delsa Chelsea boot and the dandyish Sloane ankle boot with its tapered toe and inner side zip, both of which wouldn’t look amiss on a contemporary Beau Brummell, he has many more styles that channel a tougher look. There are the mid-calf Motoso biker boots and the Lugato and Campcho high-lacing military boots, for example; and the Calaurio, a hiking boot, complete with D-rings and speed hooks for the laces. There’s even a wool tartan and brown leather combo walking boot with a lugged rubber sole, the Yurdal.
The designer, who has been based in the UK for decades now, living (and often walking) in the countryside near Bath, was born in the Canary Islands. “I have always loved boots,” he says. “Don’t forget, I come from a very mountainous island and then I grew up in Switzerland, so boots are inherent to each of my collections. Particularly rugged boots. I adore exaggerated rubber soles and tough materials — a combination of practicality and elegance!”
It’s possible that the substantial boot might be the answer for men who have enjoyed the rise of casual dressing over the past few years but now want to smarten up a bit and shelve their trainers while still transmitting a vibe of out-of-office modernity. Because these boots do mean business, but in a non-corporate way. And they are tough as, well, old boots.
crockettandjones.com; dolceandgabbana.com; tods.com; manoloblahnik.com
