Very nostalgic. I haven’t worn desert boots in decades but what I remember was super comfortable, and they look great with jeans. For just kicking around they really are like outdoor slippers.
Desert boots were never worn in WW2 by Commonwealth soldiers with consistency. It's some kind of a legend: the standard issued boots were the black pebble-grained Ammo Boots - which are still made by William Lennon if you want to review it eventually (WM is some kind of a low-key-White uk company). It's true that they were discovered by the Western world thanks to the soldiers, but regarding the combat issuing, they were more of a private purchase made by officers or very small units. Also, thanks for pointing out these are not "WINTER BOOTS", it's a concept quite hard to grasp for most of the people. I live in a very warm weather and they never bothered me but I always get the odd looks if I sport chukkas in hot seasons
There's multiple different variations of this boot, and depending on the price is where the source materials come from. The gentleman's gazette did an informational piece on these if you're interested
Monkey boots, Doc Martens, Clark’s Desert boots.... the classic footwear of 60s 70s and 80s British youth subcultures . From the land where ‘brutally hot asphalt’ doesn’t exist. These brands will always be fantastic
For a future video could you do a follow up with the made in Italy and England versions? I read they just reopened a plant in England. I've owned a Vietnamese made pair in Beeswax for a while and loved them and recently picked up a pair of Original Desert boots off of ebay. They were practically new and the orange stitching they had caught my eye. I discovered in the inside they were labeled made in England. Point is that they just feel of a higher quality. Great channel, I made sure to subscribe.
Thanks Victor! Yeah I really want to take a look at the Desert Welt some day and maybe compare it to Thursday's Scout, two solid Goodyear welted chukkas for under $200.
Great review, used to hear that Clarks makes great shoes, but never have the chance to try any yet. But I heard these boots are just legend. Hope could try one real soon
I think they are expensive for what they are, but they still look nice. They are definitely iconic, heritage from the 60s, George Harrison and Steve Mc QUeen. They look coo if you have a british style, but they can be more or less formal, You can go to a concert or put them with a smart look in the office. Very versatile.
I think they are cool looking, but when I tried them on in the store I found that they were very narrow. Clarks doesn't offer wide widths so I tried on the next size up which were too long and still too narrow. They look good on you.
Isn’t it funny how these get you so many compliments. Some of my cheaper boots - such as Dr Martens (my work boots) and Red Wing moc toe (that I gave to my Dad) - have gotten me loads of compliments. Yet some of my more expensive boots, such as the Snowdon, Skye and Russian Radnor by Crockett & Jones, seldom get compliments outside of hardcore shoe and boot lovers.
Do you think these are better than Thursday's Scout chukka? I have them and they look so much better than Clark's. I believe I paid 130 for my Thursday's too
sparater no I think Thursdays chukkas are miles better in quality. They’re just a tiny bit pricier ($150) but I should note that some varieties of Clark’s , like khaki leather, can fall all the way to $60/pair. So Clark’s is cheaper but Thursday better value
I have chukkas of this particular commonly seen style, but also 2 really good pairs of UK military pattern desert boots directly styled after the ones issued in WW2 to all british and UK forces. Clark's chukka boots are very nice indeed and quite comfortable for everyday use and wear, but being a military historian/reenactor, i prefer the "issued look". If anyone wants to see what i'm talking about just look up whatpriceglory or onlinemilitaria, online . they sell reproductions of the issued boots i speak of,plus others like ammo boots as well as U.S. G.I. boots.(i paid 65 bucks for my desert boots and they are great cause they can be resoled if need be).
Of course they can be worn with shorts. You can wear anything with shorts. You can wear black oxfords if you want to. Wear whatever you like. Make your own fashion rules.
I don't consider $130 to be cheap. Actually they retail for about $150 now. To me cheap is $50 or less. Granted they are not top grain leather with a Dainite sole, but they are very, very comfortable and they look nice for a casual boot and that has a lot to be said for it. I own a pair in black suede and they will never show dirt. The tops are rugged and they can be resoled should you one want to do that. They go great with jeans or chinos and lets face it, you don't buy these to go with a charcoal suit or any suit for that matter. I consider them a great addition to my wardrobe and they will get a lot of use from me. And Clark is the original desert boot and they know how to make em right. These are not junk by any means.
Clarks were & still are worn with suits . Many youth cultures in the UK & abroad wore them with trousers & suits [ Mods, skins, suedeheads & Jamaican rude boys ect ] . Trousers are cut above the ankle to show off the boots , still see people today wearing Clarks desert boots with suits here in the UK , grey tailored suit with black suede CDB, looks great .
Just got my third pair of Desert boot last week. The Clarks are what I wear these days (I wanted to get away from wearing running shoes all of the time). For more "formal" occasions, I wear Clarks Wallabees (an upgraded desert boot). I've been wearing Clarks shoes for more than 30 years. I find them to be stylish for my "look", and a good value for the money.
man i knew about the Bushacres and the Desert Welt but not the Wallabees, those are like moc toe Desert boots. Interesting! Glad you like them, Michael.
I Do prefer the Desert Trek model:) I’ve gotten 2 pairs of that particular model, a suede one (beigne) and a beeswax one (brown). So comfortable!!!! I wear them everyday to work!!!
Haha the one from Uniqlo? Mine is so shapeless (like the boots) I need a new one. Been looking at the Vesper from Mack Weldon but I don't like how meshy it is.
Great review. By that, I mean an honest overview of the pros and cons of the boot by someone who knows a bit about them. I like the look but decided they are not for me.
Thanks a bunch, Keefe! It's funny I've had some people say it's a positive review and others say this review talked them out of buying the shoes, which I think means I did my job.
Agreed, I watched the video because i was interested in getting a pair. The review was very well presented and informative. However, after watching, I dont think they're for me. Thank you.
Afrikaners in South Africa have been wearing these for centuries. We call them either velskoene (skin shoes) or, more correctly, veldskoene (field shoes). They are traditionally the footwear of farmers, and are very comfortable in stirrups - both as farmers and commandos, Afrikaners spent much time in the saddle. They were never meant to be stylish. They are made in both leather and suede.
Australians meet out at swimming pools right next to the sea, where they wear their speedos, their sand colored chukka boots, and drink lots of beer from small tiny glasses.
HEADS UP if you're ever in London get yourself to Blackmans on Cheshire st, just off Brick Lane in - you can get basically the same boot but for £20, cant go wrong!
I recently bought a new pair of suede Sanders Holborn Chukkas, but I also looked at the Church's Ryder lll, Loake Kempton and a couple of others. The Sanders are a G UK fit which is equivalent to a EE US width. The Sanders are a bit wide on me so I think I'm going to send them back. Not positive which boot I will buy, but if you have had any experience with quality suede chukkas, I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, Brian
Hey Brian, I'm afraid I'm not quite an expert in chukkas! I quite like Red Wing's and Thursdays, can't quite remember off the top of my head what their suede is like, though.
Because it the best chuka, following the Originals made in Egypt for North African troops especially Sas etc. I have 2 pairs and love them, well for summer, not really winter in Britain that's for sure. Oh and i wear mine with Jeans and Chinos all the time.
hi thanks for the video. What is your opinion about J Crew Kenton Men’s Leather Boots? may be you can say something about their quality and are they worthy to buy. May be review one day? Thanks
Haha here I thought this was a somewhat positive review! We all value different aspects differently, I guess. Glad I could have been helpful :) As many have suggested, the Bushacre is pretty much the same but with a sturdier sole if that's your main issue, though I can't see it in Oakwood suede amzn.to/2uBVZrP
I assumed the suede on clarks was simply synthetic suede, similar to what you would see on many skateboard shoes such as Vans. Are you sure it's real suede?
I have a pair. Made in Vietnam. They are not very comfy and way too expensive for what they are. And they are not waterproof which is very annoying in the Netherlands.
In my experience, the sand color is very versatile and can be worn with more formal chinos and say a herringbone sports jacket, as well as navy blue jeans.
I love this video but I think the only weird part is he wearing them with shorts I don't know why that rubs me the wrong way but besides that these boots are some of the most comfortable boots ever these are the ones that got me into boots had mine for 2 years
My fit wasn't perfect to be honest, you can see my pinky toes coming through the side of the shoe in the close ups. Fortunately the material was super soft so it wasn't a big deal.
Exactly like you said, I too get more questions and compliments about my Clarks Desert boots. I've worn the sand suede color for more than 20 years. Nothing looks letter with a pair of jeans than desert boots. Top-tip: Timberland insoles for and amazing feeling.
I appreciate the honest review. I had this boot on my "to get list" but the way you laid out the pros and cons made me realize I can pass on these boots. Nothing against them, they're just not for me. I'm new to your channel and I hope it continues to grow. Good stuff.
I was hoping for more history on the thing in WW2, if it was actually used in combat(doubt it but...) or was just a back at base shoe like how guys in Afghanistan bring stuff like crocs (we ain't as fashionable as the older folk) to wear on FOB when not in their boots. Wish they were cheaper, seems like the name adds more to the price than actual materials considering their materials are apparently lower quality than the originals. anoluck.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/tumblr_nyeu58xO5o1tlnonoo1_1280.jpg Not WW2 but makes me wonder.
Yeah it's surprising how much people love the history of these boots! They were made for soldiers during the Western Desert Campaign in North Africa in WW2, whether it was for casual or active use I guess I'm not totally sure but there are a lot of really indepth articles out there about them. Raphael made this video that spends a bit more time on the history: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-991S_mRpRd0.html Maybe the title I used for this video made it sound less like a review and more like a documentary!
I think if I do a "sequel" to this video it'll probably be the Desert Welt, although there does seem to be a lot of interest in a comparison of the Desert Boot and Wallabees so maybe I will write that up!
130$ to look like a bum. It's worth less then 60$. Very cheap look and they're slippery too which you forgot to mention. Wear them for less then a year.
The grip was nothing to write home about but I didn't have as many issues with it as I did with the aesthetics and weather resistance and so on. And the durability, of course - you're correct they're not particularly long lasting boots!
