This is the Red Wing Classic Chelsea Boot, it comes in Amber, Black, and Hawthorne colorways and each is made from S.B. Foot Tanning Company leather – a firm also based just down the road in Red Wing, Minnesota.
Chelsea boots like this have long been prized for both their comfort and for how easy they are to slip on and off. They’ve been worn by everyone from royalty to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and each new generation seems to embrace them anew.
Chelsea boots like this have long been prized for both their comfort and for how easy they are to slip on and off. They’ve been worn by everyone from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones, and each new generation seems to embrace them anew.
History Speedun: The Chelsea Boot
The Chelsea boot was first made in 1837 by Queen Victoria’s shoemaker, Joseph Sparkes Hall. Using Charles Goodyear’s newly developed vulcanised rubber, he added elastic side panels to a short leather boot, allowing it to be slipped on and off with ease. Hall promoted the design widely, noting that Queen Victoria herself wore them regularly, and the style quickly spread across Britain.
By the mid-19th century, the boots were worn for both walking and riding, their practical form suiting men and women alike. They remained fashionable into the early 20th century, where they became known as “paddock boots” thanks to their popularity among equestrians.
The name “Chelsea boot” emerged in the 1960s, when the style became closely associated with London’s King’s Road. Adopted by the mod scene, they soon carried cultural weight well beyond Britain. The Beatles famously commissioned pointed-toe, Cuban-heeled pairs from London makers Anello & Davide in 1961, creating the so-called “Beatle boot.” The Rolling Stones and other bands followed suit, making the Chelsea boot a symbol of the era’s world-leading music, style, and culture.
Since then, the boot has kept its place as a wardrobe staple. Its defining features, ankle-high profile, elasticated gussets, and clean lines, have changed little in nearly two hundred years.
The Red Wing Classic Chelsea Boot
The Red Wing Classic Chelsea Boot has an American-made leather upper, sourced from the S.B. Foot Tanning Company. This upper uses the Goodyear Welt construction method, meaning that the boots can be resoled in many years time when you’ve worn the original soles through.
The Red Wing Classic Chelsea Boot has an American-made leather upper, sourced from the S.B. Foot Tanning Company.
The soles are Red Wing Traction Tred, and the boots have Texon insoles that are said to soften and offer more comfort over time with regular use. As noted higher up, these boots come in Amber, Black, and Hawthorne colorways, and sizing ranges from 7 to 13, with both regular and wide foot options.
The boots are made in the USA and are available to buy on the official Red Wing store here, Red Wing also offers a repair service if you should happen to need it many years down the line.
Images courtesy of Red Wing
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