Which brand of Chelsea Boots for around $300?

Many Chelsea boots do have rubber soles, including some from C&J, which are considerably more expensive. I have the Ashbury in the distressed leather, but I was looking for something very casual. I recall thinking the brown looked nice. The sole is a mini-lug though, so not very discreet. A Dainite sole will not look so obviously "rubber."

Look at this thread http://www.styleforum.net/t/324864/i-need-help-with-chelsea-boots

Here is an alternative i like a lot and well in range of your budget. A pair of Chelsea Boots from Septieme Largeur



http://www.septiemelargeur.fr/basile-gomme--forme-174-en-box-noir-p13975-fr.html

 

I second the Septieme Largeur. I have two pairs of their boots in different lasts (174 & 198).  The 174 last is a bit too pointy for me.  Take off 20% for the VAT.  

 

http://www.septiemelargeur.fr/basile---last-198--box-claf-p20975-en.html

RM Williams make a great casual chelsea boot. They may generally be leather-soled (I think one variant is rubber; most are leather) but it's amazingly durable leather. I've worn mine in seriously heavy rain, in snow, slush, mud and so on... and they always clean up well and then look great again. Remarkably solid.

 

I will say that I don't find them a pleasing match for non-casual looks. They're not the kind of chelsea you could wear mod-style with that kind of suit for example, in my opinion. You'll need something sleeker for that. But for denim, cords, even flannels, I'm certainly a fan.

They're in completely different segments according to me, if you are looking for good, moderately priced shoes then SL is really sharp. But RM is better quality. So if you can stretch your budget a bit, I think you should bet on a pair of RM. Personally I do not like the comfort model, i like my shoes to have a flat leather sole.

I just dont like the " comfort" in the sole. You can buy the craftsman without the comfort feature

I buy mine from http://www.bootsonline.com.au/

Dubbel Post
Edited by Jim Profit - 1/27/13 at 3:37pm

I have both the Kangaroo Craftsman and the regular Yearling Craftsman and If you will use the shoes in casual contexts, I think you should buy it in Chestnut and with a Chisel toe. I also like the Yearling upper more than the Kangaroo. Really nice shoes, you villl not regret your buy.