Men need a lot of different shoes if they want to have a complete shoe collection. As a matter of fact, the right shoes for every occasion can mean you need to invest in a wide variety of kicks to ensure you always have the right footwear for the right moment. Whether it is function or fashion, the shoes are essential. Of course, because men don’t usually like spending the time picking out different shoes for every moment, there are some that bridge gaps. That is where men’s chukka boots come into play.
These shoes can go from Indiana Jones to James Bond: They can take you from the desert to the nighttime drinks and the mountain to the backyard barbecue. No matter what kind of man you are, you need a pair of these versatile boots. Here are the best men’s chukka boots for you to choose from in 2023.
Thursday Boots Scout Chukka
Thursday Boots is one of the fastest-growing leather retailers in the business. It promises high quality, honest prices, and of course, durability and style. The Scout is a perfect marriage between British style and American aesthetics with a studded outsole that works equally as well in the deep forests of the Pacific Northwest, as it does with your business casual chinos in the office.
Taft Chukka
Taft is a shoe brand known for some of the most unique and eye-catching designs on the market. It is certainly the place to go when you need something new and different to elevate your shoe collection.
It also knows how to keep it simple, as its chukka comes in four basic colors that dress up a pair of jeans and a T-shirt or dress down a casual sports coat. You haven’t felt comfort until you experience the stacked crepe rubber soles. If you could walk on a cloud, this is what it would feel like.
Clarks Desert Boot
Did you really think there was a chance that we would have a list of the best men’s chukka boots and not include the original? Here we are, 70 years later, and the Clarks Desert Boot is still on the short list of some of the most iconic shoes of all time in the men’s world. It is the original pioneer, the one that started it all; there really is no reason you shouldn’t already have a pair.
Church's Ryder 3
What’s the old adage? If you want flair, go Italian. If you want quality, go English. James Bond knows this (even though he may be slightly biased), so he chose to rock these chukka boots himself in Quantum of Solace. Although they still call these suede chukkas the original name of desert boots, they will give your collection an air of sophistication that others can’t hold a candle to, just like 007.
Rhodes Mason Chukka from Huckberry
Nothing says American like Huckberry, one of the few American-made companies that has kept nearly all its labor stateside. And of course, with that kind of commitment to Americana, you’ll have a fair amount of products with the rugged American feel, much like these suede chukkas from Rhodes.
These are designed to withstand the harshest of climates and environments, which America has its fair share of, so before you hit your road trips to the deserts of the Southwest or the mountains of Appalachia, grab your pair of these to keep you walking.
Quoddy Kennebec Chukka
Two things make the Kennebec Chukka the perfect fit for this list. The first is the moc toes, often preferred for people who are on their feet all day because of the comfort they create in the toe beds. These chukkas are designed after the moccasins (hence the “moc”) worn by Native Americans, so they are perfect for terrains.
The second is these shoes are nearly fully customizable. You can create your favorite boots from the leather to the soles, hardware, and laces in between. Keep in mind; they can fit a bit snugly, like most boots, until you break them in.
Allen Edmonds Chandler
It’s hard to make a list of the best of the best shoes in any style without adding in one of the kings of American-made footwear, Allen Edmonds. These Chandler Chukkas are a staple in its catalog and will be a staple in your collection as well. They will be perfect for whatever you make them. Rugged for the Midwest environment in which they are crafted or kept nice to wear with your dress denim and chinos at the office.
Johnston & Murphy Copeland Chukka
There are a handful of shoe brands that cross the threshold between high quality and an affordable price that make them accessible to all groups. While these may have a price tag that seems too good to be true, they will absolutely last you as long as any other brands charging twice the price.
The Copeland Chukka’s sheepskin lining and memory foam soles let you forget you’re wearing boots and feel more like you’re in your fuzzy slippers on your plush carpet at home.
There you have it, the best of the best of the chukkas, or if you are old fashioned, the desert boots. From the British soldiers in the deserts of Africa to the trenches of WWII, these boots have a rich history and deserve a spot in your collection.
