Step into winter with the Vibram® rubber sole

Although the days (and nights) might be getting cold and damp, it doesn’t mean that your style has to suffer.

It can be tricky to keep looking sharp when you have to think about ensuring that your favourite pair of dress shoes is going to withstand the wind and rain whilst keeping you comfortable no matter how long your day is.

Rubber Sole Dress Shoes

Whether you need to look dapper for that important meeting, want to head out after work for a meal with the special person in your life, or have an awards dinner to attend, sore feet and bad weather do not mean that you have to sacrifice your style.

Style: Camden Wholecut Oxford Rubber Sole Oxblood 

The good news is that we have the solution for you. Our Vibram® rubber sole dress shoes and Chelsea boots not only look great, they are comfortable, protect your feet from the weather, and also give you a better grip in wet conditions.

Style: Eastwood Chelsea Boot Rubber Sole Black

The Allure of Wholecut Oxfords

One of our customers’ favourites is the wholecuts oxfords. Classic, flawless, refined, and luxurious, they are the perfect choice for a job interview, that important event, or to give you a bit of swagger on an evening out. They are understated yet elegant and a great choice for a range of different situations.

Style: Benson Wholecut Oxford Black and Olive Green

Our Wholecut shoes are made from a single piece of luxurious leather, stitched at the back of the shoe, giving them their streamlined, sleek look. It is believed that Wholecut Oxford shoes were first worn in the 19 th Century – the ultimate classic! The Wholecut Oxford shoe is now a firm favourite for men who want to look fantastic, whatever the occasion.

Style: Ellington Wholecut Oxford Brogue Aubergine and Benson Wholecut Oxford Oxblood

Our Benson Wholecut Oxfords are every man’s best friend, carefully crafted and oozing quality, and available in a range of ten colours including brown, black, oxblood, olive green, and scarlet, but also in  seven custom patinas – giving you the opportunity to make your shoes pop in your own way.

Style: Benson Wholecut Oxford Blue and Benson Custom Patina Wholecut Oxford Tan

The Timeless Elegance of Chelsea Boots

Another firm favourite amongst our most stylish of customers is the Chelsea boots. Favoured amongst the coolest people in society, and especially fitting for a smart-casual or more relaxed occasion, men’s Chelsea boots are what you’ve always been looking for.

Style: Eastwood Chelsea Boot Black and Grey Suede

These are your go-to for anything from a few drinks in a bar, a night out at the cinema, or for a standard day in the office. They can be dressed up or dressed down, and, frankly, are the boot that every man needs to have. Is the occasion too casual for dress shoes and too smart for trainers? Chelsea boots are your man.

Style: Eastwood Chelsea Boot Oxblood and Tan Suede

Chelsea boots have been popular for years, and our wide collection perfectly reflects this. Ours are named the Eastwood, Stirling, Manhattan, and the Milan, each with its own distinctive look. We offer men’s Chelsea boots in oxblood, light tan, black, brown, and blue leather. We also have a range of suede Chelsea boots in grey, navy blue, tan, dark brown, black, sand, brown, and burgundy.

Style: Eastwood Chelsea Boot Brown and Burgundy Suede

Introducing…. Vibram® Rubber Soles

Thomas Bird has a new kid on the block – the Vibram® rubber soles. These rubber soles are made to the highest quality, fitted to our most popular luxurious leather and suede shoes. The rubber sole shoes are designed for comfort and durability, ideal if you are heading out in wet weather, if you have a long day in the office, or just a busy day out and about.

Style: Eastwood Chelsea Boot Rubber Sole Oxblood and Soho Oxford Brogue Wholecut Black

We have taken some of our customers’ favourite styles and swapped our classic leather sole for our new Vibram® rubber sole. Our Oxford wholecuts and Chelsea boots are the chosen ones and these shoes with rubber soles are designed to keep you comfortable regardless of how long you will be wearing them – ideal for a day in the office, a long commute, and then a walk home in the rain. Or maybe a few drinks straight from work with your friends. Never before have you been able to look
great whilst feeling comfortable.

Style: Soho Wholecut Oxford Brogue Rubber Sole Brown and Benson Wholecut Oxford Plum

Rubber Sole Dress Shoes

Our rubber sole shoes and Chelsea Boots are available in two main sole types – Leather with rubber insert and Vibram® studded, each giving a slightly different look and feel. To introduce our new rubber sole dress shoes and boots, we have adorned them with new  names.

The Camden is a Benson style – a classic wholecut Oxford shoe, and available in black and Oxblood. An excellent option for looking sharp yet staying comfortable.

Style: Camden Wholecut Oxford Rubber Sole Oxblood and Black

Our Soho shoe uses our brogue Ellington style – a more individual and expressive look whilst remaining classy and smart. These are available in black and brown colours.

Style: Soho Wholecut Oxford Brogue Rubber Sole Brown and Black

What will last longer a rubber or leather sole for dress shoes?

As a rule of thumb, rubber is a much more durable material than leather sole shoes. As you can see from the sole comparison above, our shoes and boots generally have a leather sole with rubber inserts. This adds to the lifespan of the sole, especially for those who do a lot of walking and on their feet all day. The rubber insert can also be easily replaced by your local cobbler.  

Rubber Sole Chelsea Boots

The Eastwood shoe is our rubber soled Chelsea boot for more relaxed days. You can get them in black, brown, oxblood, and brown suede. The Eastwood Chelsea Boot is the most popular choice our of four Chelsea Boot styles we offer here at Thomas Bird.

See also Manhattan Chelsea Boot, Stirling Brogue Chelsea Boot and our new Milan Chelsea Boot. We chose Eastwood as it's a fan favourite and versatile to go with almost any look, so we decided to extend the range with the new Vibram® rubber sole.

We are excited to show how our new collection of top quality rubber sole dress shoes and Chelsea boots can enhance your life, bringing you a durable and comfortable shoe, whilst maintaining the highest of standards when it comes to style that we know that you have.

Whether you are looking for a pair of dress shoes to wear all day at work or on a busy, damp weekend, our rubber sole Chelsea boots and dress shoes are the perfect solution. Take a look at the new additions to our collection to see for yourself – your feet will thank you for it!

Chelsea Boots rubber or leather sole?

Depending on the amount of walking you're going to do in your Chelsea boots helps to determine which type of sole you should get. For those who are on their feet all day, doing tens of thousands of steps a day, or perhaps a lot of walking in the city with the rough ground surface then the new virbam rubber sole Chelsea boot is the one to go for. It'll prevent you slipping on the wet floor and ultimately last longer than leather sole shoes.

The new Vibram® rubber soles will certainly extend the life of your new dress shoes or Chelsea boots, but they aren't for everyone, so have a good think before making your decision.

Thanks for reading our blog, check out some more photos below of our new rubber sole collection. Or if you want to browse our full collection then check out our inspiration page for both shoes and boots.