Rubber Soul. You won’t slip but you still might trip.
I’ve Been Per-SUEDE-ed.
- Thread starter johnniegold
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
- Thread starter
- #23
So… I just ordered a pair of these Bitflex Chelsea Boots in Dark Khaki by Astorflex.
Once again, Stuarts of London is the culprit. These boots are currently priced at $155 (free shipping) while they are retailing for $215 at Huckberry and $185 at EndClothing.
Now I have been wanting to add a Chelsea boot to my collection and this is a great gateway into this style of shoe.
As with the other Astorflex shoes that I’ve recently obtained (the Greenflex and the Cityflex), the Bitflex Chelsea has a rounder toe box which gives it a more casual appearance.
I definitely plan on adding some more Chelsea boots to my collection. Perhaps a foul-weather Chelsea with a Blundstone, Redback or I may even consider a Rossi boot.
I also would like to add a more formal Chelsea boot like the one offered by Sid Mashburn (which I’ve had my eye on for quite some time) or maybe even a
R.M. Williams boot.
But for now… the Bitflex suede boot is tracking.
When I get ‘em. You’ll see ‘em.
More suede… more crepe.
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I like the look and feel, but I have a hard time imagining a shoe I can't polish is still going to look good 15 years from now.
The blurb on Huckberry says that the Bitflex is one of the best kept secrets in men‘s footwear. I guess that the cat‘s out of the bag now. I look forward to reading your review.
Part of the secret is to have 14.99 years sitting on shoe trees. I have some shoes that are over 30 years old and they still look practically new.
As long as that elastic gusset doesn’t perish you are in good shape.
- Thread starter
- #27
Although you can’t polish them, you can shampoo them to keep them looking fresh.
How to Clean Suede Shoes
Learn the steps to rejuvenate, restore, and renew your suede shoes using Medaille d'Or's collection of suede cleaning products. Products used in this video: Saphir Gommadin Suede Eraser Saphir Omni Nettoyant Deluxe Shoe Polish Dauber Horn-Backed Suede Cleaning Brush Saphir Renovateur...
- Thread starter
- #28
For the price (even more so if/when on sale), I think Astorflex shoes provide a tremendous value. And providing a quality product at a fair price should never be kept a secret.
It appears to be the Achilles heel of this style of boot.
Although I have been on a suede tear lately, this particular acquisition is going a bit (flex) outside the (shoe) box for me as far as style goes (as well as the color, somewhat) since this boot is much different from the other pairs I’ve acquired, which made justifying its purchase (in my warped mind) that much easier.
-Abbe Normal
- Thread starter
- #29
I see Huckberry did just drop the price for the dark khaki Bitflex to $150 (I paid a finsky more but still a great price.)
The other colors offered are still priced at $215.
The other colors offered are still priced at $215.
- Thread starter
- #30
The Bitflex arrived today and I’m taking them out for a spin.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Nice!
I've been close to buying a pair of Chelsea boots a couple of times this year, but walk too many miles to have a boot which isn't laced and secure.
I've been close to buying a pair of Chelsea boots a couple of times this year, but walk too many miles to have a boot which isn't laced and secure.
- Thread starter
- #32
You can always add an insert if you feel the need a more secure fit.
So far, the Bitflex is very comfortable.
- Thread starter
- #33
After wearing the Bitflex Chelsea boot all day yesterday, I can report that they are comfortable as all get-out.
The Bitflex, being the third installment of my Astorflex trilogy, exhibit all the quality and comfort that I have come to expect from Astorflex so there are no surprises here.
As for style, the Bitflex is my first foray into the Chelsea boot. I have been eye-balling this style of boot for quite sometime now.
Most of the Chelsea boots that I have looked at over the years are more along the lines that one envisions when conjuring up images of this iconic boot.
The boots that were popularized by The Beatles and many other bands of the British Invasion that followed during the Swinging 60’s.
The style of Chelsea boot, in my mind’s eye, offers a classic, elegant and sophisticated silhouette that gently tapers to either a slightly-chiseled or slightly-rounded toe box, like the Sid Mashburn model pictured below:
Or the Craftsman model offered by R.M. Williams as seen here:
To be sure, the Bitflex boot is not this kind of Chelsea. As with the Greenflex desert-styled boot and the Cityflex derby-styled shoe, the Bitflex has a rounded, somewhat bulbous toe box which lends itself to a very casual, utilitarian type of shoe like a desert boot:
Greenflex
…. Or a casual suede derby:
Cityflex
The Bitflex falls more in line with a Blundstone-style of Chelsea (perhaps a tad less extreme) rather than the more sophisticated style of the Chelsea offered by C&J or RMW.
Blundstone’s “500” boot
Bitflex
The Bitflex is a great casual Chelsea boot that looks right home while stopping at your favorite roadside vegetable stand, taking a stroll through an apple orchard while picking up a bag full of Macouns or when you’re out just grabbing a Hefeweizen at your favorite hofbräuhaus.
That’s the kind of vibe I get from the Bitflex (and I love that ).
If you want that “I just narrowly escaped out the backdoor of The Ed Sullivan Theater to avoid a horde of screaming teen-aged girls and jumped into a limo” vibe then this is not your boot.
The Bitflex, being the third installment of my Astorflex trilogy, exhibit all the quality and comfort that I have come to expect from Astorflex so there are no surprises here.
As for style, the Bitflex is my first foray into the Chelsea boot. I have been eye-balling this style of boot for quite sometime now.
Most of the Chelsea boots that I have looked at over the years are more along the lines that one envisions when conjuring up images of this iconic boot.
The boots that were popularized by The Beatles and many other bands of the British Invasion that followed during the Swinging 60’s.
The style of Chelsea boot, in my mind’s eye, offers a classic, elegant and sophisticated silhouette that gently tapers to either a slightly-chiseled or slightly-rounded toe box, like the Sid Mashburn model pictured below:
Or the Craftsman model offered by R.M. Williams as seen here:
To be sure, the Bitflex boot is not this kind of Chelsea. As with the Greenflex desert-styled boot and the Cityflex derby-styled shoe, the Bitflex has a rounded, somewhat bulbous toe box which lends itself to a very casual, utilitarian type of shoe like a desert boot:
Greenflex
…. Or a casual suede derby:
Cityflex
The Bitflex falls more in line with a Blundstone-style of Chelsea (perhaps a tad less extreme) rather than the more sophisticated style of the Chelsea offered by C&J or RMW.
Blundstone’s “500” boot
Bitflex
The Bitflex is a great casual Chelsea boot that looks right home while stopping at your favorite roadside vegetable stand, taking a stroll through an apple orchard while picking up a bag full of Macouns or when you’re out just grabbing a Hefeweizen at your favorite hofbräuhaus.
That’s the kind of vibe I get from the Bitflex (and I love that
).If you want that “I just narrowly escaped out the backdoor of The Ed Sullivan Theater to avoid a horde of screaming teen-aged girls and jumped into a limo” vibe then this is not your boot.
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They look great. I like the less constrained style compared to the typical leather options. It seems as if Astorflex is a great combination of style, quality and price.
That image of Paul McCartney is a bit scary - I read somewhere recently that he is now 79.
That image of Paul McCartney is a bit scary - I read somewhere recently that he is now 79.
- Thread starter
- #35
The rounded toe box definitely provides plenty of room to for absolute comfort. No toes getting mashed up in that toe box. Even the Luther with it rounder toe box provides plenty of room compared to its cousin, the Hi Top, with its more tapered look.
I should look as good as he does now, “When I’m Sixty-Four”… whooo!
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AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I should have added this here some time ago, but I did eventually pick up a pair of suede boots. Not Chelsea though. I wanted laces.
Not your typical crepe sole either. These Hotter Rowan boots were a ridiculously cheap end-of-line purchase, and have the same sole as my Hotter Harbour deck shoes. Extremely comfortable. If I remember correctly, I clocked up a few miles in them, on the day they were received. Zero break in required.
Not your typical crepe sole either. These Hotter Rowan boots were a ridiculously cheap end-of-line purchase, and have the same sole as my Hotter Harbour deck shoes. Extremely comfortable. If I remember correctly, I clocked up a few miles in them, on the day they were received. Zero break in required.
- Thread starter
- #37
Snow?!! Suede!!!
NOOOO!!!
Oh. It’s only B&B messing with my head. Those sons of badgers.
NOOOO!!!
Oh. It’s only B&B messing with my head. Those sons of badgers.
Snow today so that means salting the forums tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #39
The Suede Parade continues.
Over these last several months I have been on the lookout for the Dukeflex chukka in Dark Chestnut by Astorflex. It has been sold out (or at least in that color) for many months now.
EndClothing, Stuart’s of London, Huckberry, Garmentory, The Sporting Lodge, Country Attire, all turned up nothing.
I did find one stockist that did have it, an interesting Norwegian company called “Care of Carl”.
However, they do not ship to the US (but I did receive a prompt and courteous response to my inquiry).
So I continued to search it and kept coming up empty.
Until now….
This morning, after the usual NY Times mini x-word, Spelling Bee and now…. Wordle, I then conducted my usual search for a pair of size 11.0 Rod Lavers by adidas and like Yukon Cornelius, I came up with….
Then, I entered my next search for the Dukeflex chukka and after mining a couple of websites, I came across ModeSens that said it was in stock.
Not the first time I’ve seen “in stock” but usually that means they have only Billy Barty or Bob Lanier sizes in stock.
Nevertheless, I exercise my due diligence and pledge to leave no shoe unturned and guess what?
ModeSens redirected me to Atterley and there they were, the right style, the right color and the right size (and 10% off. ) and there were two pair in stock but now…
Snapped up a pair of these in a hurry.
They are similar to the Crosby chukka by Drake’s as worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in the new 007 movie, “No Time To Die”.
Drake’s wasted no time to try and capitalize on the recent surge in popularity of this boot due to its being worn by James Bond as seen on their website…
Aside from the Crosby’s popularity surging, so did its pricing. After the movie’s release, the cost of this boot increased by $50 to bring it to a whopping $445. What the heck!!!
I cannot “see” a discernible difference in styling between the Crosby (pictured above) and the Dukeflex (pictured below) aside from the Dukeflex being a split-toed mocc and the taper of the Crosby may be a tad more elegant. But hey… I’m not an international super spy so elegance be damned.
And being very familiar with the quality of Astorflex’ footwear, I’m quite sure these boots are finely-crafted, not to mention coming in under $200.
So when I get ‘em, you’ll see ‘em.
And in keeping with the Three Dog Night theme…
Ok now… where are those dang Rod Lavers?
Over these last several months I have been on the lookout for the Dukeflex chukka in Dark Chestnut by Astorflex. It has been sold out (or at least in that color) for many months now.
EndClothing, Stuart’s of London, Huckberry, Garmentory, The Sporting Lodge, Country Attire, all turned up nothing.
I did find one stockist that did have it, an interesting Norwegian company called “Care of Carl”.
However, they do not ship to the US (but I did receive a prompt and courteous response to my inquiry).
So I continued to search it and kept coming up empty.
Until now….
This morning, after the usual NY Times mini x-word, Spelling Bee and now…. Wordle, I then conducted my usual search for a pair of size 11.0 Rod Lavers by adidas and like Yukon Cornelius, I came up with….
Then, I entered my next search for the Dukeflex chukka and after mining a couple of websites, I came across ModeSens that said it was in stock.
Not the first time I’ve seen “in stock” but usually that means they have only Billy Barty or Bob Lanier sizes in stock.
Nevertheless, I exercise my due diligence and pledge to leave no shoe unturned and guess what?
ModeSens redirected me to Atterley and there they were, the right style, the right color and the right size (and 10% off.
) and there were two pair in stock but now…Snapped up a pair of these in a hurry.
They are similar to the Crosby chukka by Drake’s as worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in the new 007 movie, “No Time To Die”.
Drake’s wasted no time to try and capitalize on the recent surge in popularity of this boot due to its being worn by James Bond as seen on their website…
Aside from the Crosby’s popularity surging, so did its pricing. After the movie’s release, the cost of this boot increased by $50 to bring it to a whopping $445. What the heck!!!
I cannot “see” a discernible difference in styling between the Crosby (pictured above) and the Dukeflex (pictured below) aside from the Dukeflex being a split-toed mocc and the taper of the Crosby may be a tad more elegant. But hey… I’m not an international super spy so elegance be damned.
And being very familiar with the quality of Astorflex’ footwear, I’m quite sure these boots are finely-crafted, not to mention coming in under $200.
So when I get ‘em, you’ll see ‘em.
And in keeping with the Three Dog Night theme…
Ok now… where are those dang Rod Lavers?
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Very nice! The split toe looks good to me. As long as the two halves are properly bonded they should last a lifetime.
