Had several pairs since 1980, if your lucky you can find some brands that still do the chisel toe instead of the rounded toe ( i prefer chisel).
Desert Boots
- Thread starter johnniegold
- Start date
Sjælland Bio
Sjælland [shel-lahn] is our take on the classic desert boot and was the first style we designed over 40 years ago. Today, it is one of our most popular styles due to its simple yet timeless design.duckfeetusa.com
the double stitch edge is nice - a bit like a Whites boot. However the “jig saw puzzle piece“ toe looks awful IMO. I be afraid of getting stuck when walking. Clark’s were a bit more restrained on the toe width even though they pushed it a bit far sometimes. It’s a fine line between brittle sophistication and shattered dreams. This clearly crosses it.
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Don’t forget these guys!I get that. Certainly not a look I’m going for (but all the cool kids are doing it.)
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I think I’ll just stick to jeans and chinos.
Somehow I missed this thread and the Wallaby thread earlier.
I tend to want to get the original brand in such things, at least where the quality has held up to be somewhere in the ballpark, and own both Clarks DBs and Wallabies. I think both have a good classic casual look. At my age I do not find either to be very comfortable. Zero support. And that lacing system always seems loose, and they come untied very easily. The real gum soles are cushiony though. And it is good look.
I tend to want to get the original brand in such things, at least where the quality has held up to be somewhere in the ballpark, and own both Clarks DBs and Wallabies. I think both have a good classic casual look. At my age I do not find either to be very comfortable. Zero support. And that lacing system always seems loose, and they come untied very easily. The real gum soles are cushiony though. And it is good look.
- Thread starter
- #25
I like the look of these two “desert” boots.
The Greenflex by Astorflex
AND:
The Type 01 by Hutton.
I think it’s safe to say that the silhouette of the Type 01 is more in line with a traditional desert boot.
And while they both fall into the “chukka” category, I think the Hutton boot is a true desert boot, more in line with Nathan Clark’s version of the desert boot. (and no, Steve McQueen did not wear the Type 01 in “The Great Escape”. )
The Greenflex, OTOH, is more along the lines of a rugged suede chukka.
Not as refined as say the:
Alden chukka in snuff suede
and certainly doesn’t have the cosmopolitan sophistication of:
The Luther boot by Sanders.
Does the quality between the Greenflex and the Type 01 boot warrant the difference in cost?
Depending on where you bought the Greenflex, you could end up spending over $100 more for the 01.
Is the 01 that much better or is their backstory just that much better?
And you have to order the 01 from England. And if they don’t fit, you pay the freight to return them back over the pond.
Some, if not most, stateside retailers offer both free shipping and free returns for the Greenflex so you can buy with assurance and piece of mind that if the fit isn’t right, you can return/exchange them.
So... I guess the only answer, in true B&B-tradition, is...
Get Both.
(When the weather breaks, I may have to give the Astorflex a try.)
The Greenflex by Astorflex
AND:
The Type 01 by Hutton.
I think it’s safe to say that the silhouette of the Type 01 is more in line with a traditional desert boot.
And while they both fall into the “chukka” category, I think the Hutton boot is a true desert boot, more in line with Nathan Clark’s version of the desert boot. (and no, Steve McQueen did not wear the Type 01 in “The Great Escape”. )
The Greenflex, OTOH, is more along the lines of a rugged suede chukka.
Not as refined as say the:
Alden chukka in snuff suede
and certainly doesn’t have the cosmopolitan sophistication of:
The Luther boot by Sanders.
Does the quality between the Greenflex and the Type 01 boot warrant the difference in cost?
Depending on where you bought the Greenflex, you could end up spending over $100 more for the 01.
Is the 01 that much better or is their backstory just that much better?
And you have to order the 01 from England. And if they don’t fit, you pay the freight to return them back over the pond.
Some, if not most, stateside retailers offer both free shipping and free returns for the Greenflex so you can buy with assurance and piece of mind that if the fit isn’t right, you can return/exchange them.
So... I guess the only answer, in true B&B-tradition, is...
Get Both.
(When the weather breaks, I may have to give the Astorflex a try.)
The Hutton 01 shipping is 55 quid to the US! About $80 at current exchange rates (I doubt that they take Bitcoin). Their website is near useless in terms of finding out about color options and sizing details such as width. None of that bodes well if there are ANY issues downstream. Much as I like (prefer actually) the style of the Hutton, personally I’d look at alternatives. I’ll probably wait until I am in a B&M store and randomly find a pair that I like.
Any opinions on the advantage of purchasing the Clarks desert boots model made in Italy?
- Thread starter
- #28
I’m with you on that. Clark’s does closely mirror the Hutton’s style but just from the pics between the two, Hutton appears to be a better made boot.
I don’t necessarily have the same takeaway between Hutton and Astorflex boots (with the understanding that the comparison is based upon viewing them through a computer monitor).
And as some have already mentioned, the quality of Clark’s has declined somewhat.
After reading some of the reviews on Clark’s website it appears that the most common complaint is the durability of the soles (even though the complaints, for the most part, still praise the quality of leather upper).
But another common theme in many of the complaints is that “after a year of daily wear, the sole falls apart”.
To be fair, many shoes can’t withstand a year of everyday use let alone one with a crepe or light rubber soles
These pics are from the reviews from Clark’s website:
To be fair to Clark’s there were many pics from people who loved their CDBs and were thrilled with them.
Agreeing with @blantyre about the downside of shipping costs and the possibility of a return, it would appear that the Hutton Type 01 is out of the running.
Clark’s... they appear to be out of the running (although I don’t think they were ever really in the game.)
Now the Greenflex boot. The cost is substantially less than the Hutton boot and about the same as a pair of Clark’s (maybe $10 more).
The Greenflex boot appears to be well-constructed by a family-owned company located in Northern Italy and the reviews all seem to be pretty favorable.
And they can be purchased with both free shipping and free returns.
Hmmmm.... The Greenflex.
Anybody picking up what I’m putting down?
- Thread starter
- #29
Where did you find them? I only see a “Made in Italy” version of the Wallabee on their website.
My latest pair, only done a few hundred miles in them.
Picked these up in a local market for a tenner. Well spent.
Picked these up in a local market for a tenner. Well spent.
- Thread starter
- #32
Nice. What brand? I see 3 they have eyelets.
I was reading about them online. Apparently they run about $180.
For over a decade, the brand's iconic Desert Boots were made in countries including Vietnam and India, but recently the brand has focused on bringing production back to Europe. While Clarks is now manufacturing again in the UK, it is also building high-end versions of a few styles in Italy.Oct 26, 2018
I don't know if this is still the case.
Unfortunately, they closed UK production again after only a year or so. Not sure if Italian production is still going, or if that's done too. I haven't been able to find any information about Italian manufacture.
I love desert boots and have a few pairs. There are a couple of British companies making their own versions of them, including Mod Shoes and Delicious Junction, which seem to be good quality, both companies have their shoes made in Portugal.
- Thread starter
- #37
Thanks for that. The ones by DJ look interesting. The corded ones add a different look to this classic boot.
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Yeah I've been eying a pair of the corded Mod Shoes. The DJ Bullitt boots are calling me like a siren's song too.
- Thread starter
- #39
Make sure you post pics of both pair when you get them. 
Here are my two boot/shoe examples that fall into this category. One is a pair of Bullboxer chukka boots in dark brown and the other is a G.H. Bass & Co. chukka boot in desert.
I really lucked out on the Bass desert boots as they were priced at $15.99 in the local Salvation Army Store and I picked them up the day they were half priced at only $8!!! They looked brand-pankin' new and fit like a glove.
Tim
I really lucked out on the Bass desert boots as they were priced at $15.99 in the local Salvation Army Store and I picked them up the day they were half priced at only $8!!! They looked brand-pankin' new and fit like a glove.
Tim
