We Like – The Chelsea Boot

From paddock boots for horse-riding in the 1830s to Stormtrooper boots in the Star Wars trilogy and rock and roll boots for the Beatles in their heyday the 1960s, the Chelsea Boot has a long history which can back them up as being the most versatile and stylish boot out there. The shoe was first designed by J. Sparkes-Hall, Queen Victoria’s bootmaker, to be sturdy, smart and sophisticated for the equestrian community, and so started British culture’s influence on the Cheslea boot and the Chelsea boot’s influence on British culture.

In the mid-1950s they were considered the ultimate leisure accessory by young, rich and lively twenty-somethings – known as the Chelsea Set – who frequented the leading clubs and bars in, you guessed it, Chelsea and Fulham. Their timelessness is cemented in the fact that this is still the case today. In the early 60s, Anello & Davide, London’s theatrical shoemakers, re-interpreted the design by introducing a boot that they named the Baba and fitted it with a Cuban heel. From this point on, the Chelsea boot entered the world of rock & roll and saw its popularity sky-rocketed. The reason for this sky-rocketing: The Beatles. Since John Lennon pulled on his first pair, the Chelsea boot has been favoured by everyone, from art students to jet-setting billionaires.

It’s simple. Every gent, whether traditionally inclined or up with everything modern, needs to own a pair. We’ve picked out three quality leather and suede designs that will last you many years.

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R.M. Williams – Comfort Craftsman, available online and at their Bond Street store rmwilliams.com

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Crockett & Jones – Chelsea 8, available from their Jermyn Street Store crockettandjones.com

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Saint Laurent – Suede Chelsea Boots, £560, available online at mrporter.com

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