It’s been a while since a new trend made my heart beat fast. And this, my friends, is one of them: All hail the chunky, high-shaft boot.
I don’t, however, have a solid name for this trend. In order to find what I was looking for, I tried to Google everything from ‘long shaft platform boot’ to ‘lug sole chelsea boot taller’ before finally settling on the (dubious) winner: chunky, high-shaft boot.
jacket (xs) | levis (27) – more sizes at Zappos | boots
Whatever. If a Chelsea boot and some chunky Mary Janes from the ’90s had a baby…and then she grew up…you’d get…this boot?
(Oof — that’s literally the best I’ve got. Bottega Veneta simply calls them ‘lug boots‘.)
ANYWAY! ONWARD!
I had planned to do a whole styled post on these boots…maybe a video…but the darn things keep selling out from under me. So let me just get this in front of your eyes in the quickest possible fashion and I PROMISE you this trend is a good one.
Why? Two reasons, real quick:
- Those old skinny jeans that you are kiiiinda getting sick of? These boots give them NEW LIFE.
- Those cropped jeans that you can never find boots for? YUP. THESE.
Trend Alert: Chunky, High-Shaft Boots
I’ve been in the process of ordering a bunch of these boots to try (for that video I keep promising), and *most* have come in by now. Where applicable, I included a few fit notes & thoughts below.
1. Vagabond Shoemakers Cosmo 2.0 Chelsea Boot
I’m beyond obsessed. These boots are comfortable, and, while they are on the heavier side, they are NOT nearly as heavy as my Doc Martens. The footbed is wider, too, so it’s easy to wear thick socks with them. Almost sold out everywhere, but the retailer says that more are ‘coming soon’. This is the pair I currently own.
Shop at Nordstrom | Urban Outfitters
2. Free People Brooks Chelsea Boots
Obsessed with this color….but these boots also come in black, gray and dark brown. I just received the light gray…and they’re pretty gorgeous. Fit is very TTS, and comfortable. The shaft is the highest of the boots I’ve tried, but fits snug to your leg.
Shop at Free People | Zappos | Nordstrom
3. Mango Leather High-Leg Boots
Is Mango the new Zara? They’ve been KILLING it lately with some pretty spot-on pieces. These boots, for example, look a heck of a lot like the splurge-worthy ones from Legres (#7 below). And this is a really good brown.
4. Vagabond Shoemakers Tara Chelsea Boot
I also tried this pair recently. It’s really good on, and has a really comfortable footbed, but I found the boot to run a tiny bit narrow.
Shop at Nordstrom | Zappos | Amazon
5. Fly London Lede Bootie
I’ve been intrigued by these boots ever since Linzi included them in her comfort shoe post. I know Linz swears by Fly London for all-day comfort…so I have high hopes for these. (Also available in a really pretty brown.)
6. Aqua Hype Pull On Booties
Oh hey, Bloomingdale’s! These Aqua boots are basically perfect: exactly on-trend, good reviews and under $200.
7. Legres Leather Chelsea Boot
These are the boots started my obsession. True to form, that means they’re also $700. But they are also available in a seriously gorgeous army green/khaki color….
Shop at Matches Fashion | Bergdorf Goodman
Shop All The Chunky, High-Shaft Boots I’ve Found Thus Far
These boots are selling out like crazy, but I tried my best to find a few additional pairs…I think these boots are the next big thing, for sure. And when they also solve some wardrobe issues AND they’re practical AND a little badass? Count. Me. In.
xo,
S
PS: This one’s for the pinners…
Damn it! I saw the article and clicked on it all ready to be like “NOPE, that trend isn’t for me, moving on” aaaand now I “need” a pair.
I get this. Welcome to my brain.
Hilarious… I had a pair of these back in college in the (yep) 90’s. Probably got rid of ’em maybe a year or two ago because who thought they’d return to style?! Oh well. As they say, if you were old enough to wear the trend the first time around, perhaps skip it this time. Hah!
Sooo…I kind of like how they look on you. When I see them on their own, it’s all the Frankenstein vibes for me, but…on you, not so much. Now I’m intrigued…
Right? The boots on their own aren’t necessarily anything special, but on? I really, REALLY like them. Also, I can more easily get on board with practical things that solve wardrobe issues so maybe I just WANT them to be cute. 🙂
I too searched hi and low and could not make a decision. I was really was obsessed with the style of the Ganni boots and the rubber deterred me. The Doc’s I had in college and I thought I needed something more sophisticated. I also bought the Vagabond boot from Nordstrom and love it! Stood in line to vote for an hour and they were so comfy. They definitely are a great value. The Vagabond are lightweight, beautiful leather and great quality.
Fun! They look great on you! What do you think about the vagabond kenova? Similar but a little less chunky maybe?
Just realized the kenova comes in a few different styles. I like this one https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/vagabond-shoemakers-kenova-tall-chelsea-boot?category=SHOPBYBRAND&color=001&type=REGULAR&quantity=1
I like that one too. My only issue, however, is that the shaft isn’t *quite* as high. I really wanted one that would completely cover my leg under cropped jeans (god knows I have enough of those right now). The shaft height in the Kenova is 5.5″…compared to the shaft height in the ones I went with of 7.9″.
I wonder how these would be in a size 11–wait, I know, as mentioned above “Frankenstein”. Alas, almost everything looks cuter on a smaller foot. Fun trend though!!
Agreed with others, I think these look cute on but seeing them in the marketing photos gives me a visceral Frankenstein’s monster reaction! That said, lots of stuff looks terrible on the rack but beautiful on (see: every single Eileen Fisher item).
These kind of remind me of the Thursday Boot Company “knockout” boots I’ve been seeing all over social media for the past couple of years, so I clicked over to their site to check it out, and found THIS style, which is even closer: https://thursdayboots.com/products/womens-raider-boot-black-suede?collection=womens-boots
Slightly shorter shaft than the ones featured here at 6 inches, but as a shorter-legged person I’m wondering if that isn’t a good idea for me anyway…Has anyone tried boots from this company? They advertise themselves in the Everlane/Quince vein with “transparent pricing” and quality materials.
That makes sense! Strange though… on urban they list as 5.5”, but at nordies the shaft height says 7”! I decided to order them to try… 😊
Hey Shana, the link to the Levi’s goes to the boots. I have crossed over to the Levi’s dark side and need a black pair. I just ordered the Luxor Street pair😊. And info on this pair would be much appreciated.
Ahhhh sorry about that!! And yeah – I totally get it. I rarely wear anything else these days. https://shopstyle.it/l/bnRfO
The Vagabonds look like a really great alternative to Doc Martens. The shaft looks tighter and higher. Maybe this is the reason they don’t read costume-ish even with the oversize lug sole? Also, what do you think of the oxford version? I feel like they might be good for those of us who live in the South but still want to look like a slightly androgynous Cos model (because that apparently is what I am into this year)…
I have been eyeing the pair by Sam Edelman, I think its time to pull the trigger!
I read the title and thought, “No way. Not for me.” Now I have three pairs headed to my house! It’s been a long time since I have done that. Looking forward to the style tutorials as I cannot wrap my brain around how to wear these. But I know I will- they look PERFECT for all my cropped jeans.
Omg! The thing I never knew I needed is perfect! I was lucky enough to score the vagabond pair before they sold out. Thanks Shana, never, ever would have tried and I love them sooo much.
Ahhh! I just ordered the Vagabond Cosmos from Urban Outfitters in white…I had been considering the Docs Jadon in white but I think these may be a tad more refined. I’m also eager to try a new company…thanks Shana for the introduction to the style and the brand.