Chukka chukka choo choo

October 14, 2012 2:39 PM

Men's boots. I want something classy, understated, and durable that will stand up to snow and bike pedals. Under $200 if possible.

I need to be able to tromp around in the snow on occasion, with a narrow enough tip I can get it into the toe straps on my bike, and tough enough soles to not get messed up by the pedals.

Desert/chukka style boots seem to be very popular right now, and I generally like how they look, but I feel like they might not be tall enough for serious weather.

I like these boots from Pikolinos but I'm not really familiar with the brand -- does anyone have experience with it?

I see Frye recommended a lot but I'm not crazy about the distressed/weathered/antiqued/cowboy look they tend to have.

posted by theodolite to clothing, beauty, & fashion (15 answers total)

Blundstone's work for me!
posted by Snazzy67 at 2:47 PM on October 14, 2012 [3 favorites]

I wear black Timberland Pros. Steel toed, not garish, waterproof, insulated. About $150.
posted by ellF at 2:52 PM on October 14, 2012

Blundstone's work for me!

Absolutely the best shoes I've ever had. I had the ankle boot for a few years as a casual dress shoe. Then, I ended up doing construction demolition in them for six months. I shined them up, and they're presentable again.

My next shoe purchase will be two new pairs in both black and brown. I can actually say that their shoes are the most satisfying purchases I've ever made, and I'll leave it at that.

You might want to order several liners because the shoes will outlast those.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:01 PM on October 14, 2012

I'm female, but Blundstones were far too wide for my narrow-ish foot. Pikolinos are lovely, but in my experience not the sturdiest of footware. Red Wing makes (rather pricey) shoes that might suit your specifications.
posted by tidecat at 3:50 PM on October 14, 2012

Blundstones were far too wide

I have a wide foot, so that probably contributes to my satisfaction.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:26 PM on October 14, 2012

Do you want insulated and/or waterproof boots?

I'm in roughly the same 'boot' as you having just moved from the UK to Chicago and know that I need some real winter boots for the first time in 8 years since I moved form Canada to the UK.

I find it really matters weather you are going to take the boots off once you are inside or not and what kind of temperatures you will be exposing yourself too.

Insulated are good for outdoor winter boots but are awful once inside.

I have no idea about the recent crop on red wing and such and am looking forward to hearing how people wear them in this thread. Heavy socks?
posted by srboisvert at 5:24 PM on October 14, 2012

Yeah, when I wanted Blundstones and they were too wide, I settled on Clark's version (similar), which suited me for several years.
posted by rhizome at 5:28 PM on October 14, 2012

This size 10-standard-footed lady loves me some Blundstones!! I actually think they're quite fashionable. I like to wear them with skinny jeans and sometimes ridiculous leg warmers. YMMV. Mine are going on three years old and still going strong.
posted by stray at 5:47 PM on October 14, 2012

Blundstone is misspelled on their web site.
posted by bongo_x at 6:24 PM on October 14, 2012

Danner makes good boots. A bit over your target, but look at these anyway.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:30 PM on October 14, 2012

I used to love blundstones. I wore them for close to 10 years. A few years back they moved production from Australia to China. The shoes manufactured in China are just not the same - the fit is different and they do not last as long. I purchased two pairs hoping it was a fluke, but it was not. I will be watching this thread because I am still looking for a replacement.
posted by phil at 7:55 PM on October 14, 2012

Another vote for Danner. These.
posted by RockyChrysler at 8:02 PM on October 14, 2012

I wore steel toed Red Wings through a northern rockies winter. Wear a pair of thick wool socks and they work great. Get the made in the USA ones as they hold up a ton better. My shop pair is going on 4 years of abuse and still holding up fine.
The problem I had with blundstones was that the elastic lets in water and cold. My red wings are pretty much waterproof with a bit of wax.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 8:14 PM on October 14, 2012

I have the Danner Jacks that MonkeyToes linked to. They are excellent boots, albeit a bit stiff at the beginning. Mine are just starting to break in nicely, though. I'd recommend a light-hiking sock with them for some added cushioning until they break in.

We haven't had snow yet, so I'm not sure how they'll handle that. The soles are definitely durable and the toe caps are pretty narrow, though I don't know if they'd fit in toe straps or not.
posted by Jacob G at 8:19 PM on October 14, 2012

I love mine to death, but Red Wings tend to have a round, broad tip. At the very least you will have to adjust your toe straps.

Those Pikolinos do look nice, but judging by the picture the leather isn't going to withstand a whole lot and anything with a zipper is going to be less than useless in the snow.
posted by Sourisnoire at 5:35 AM on October 15, 2012