Eastwood
Chelsea Boot Black Vibram

Hand finished Black patina

Black looks fantastic with blue or black jeans, also chinos, and even a suit. We also have them in other colours, including oxblood, brown, blue and tan, also suede including grey and tan. The colour is very rich and deep. It has been built up in layers and then waxed and polished to protect and enhance the finish.

Full grain calf leather

They are hand crafted in Italy, using the finest, full grain calf leather. They have an elegant, clean, sophisticated pattern, very nice lines. It's a beautiful piece of leather. The toe is slightly longer than some other brands, which is typically Italian, and is nicely rounded. For many the convenience of chelsea boots is that there are no laces. They're the boot version of a step in loafer. There is an attractive sweeping line from the toe to the ankle We achieve this with our special blocking process, a very skilful process, using a roller to smooth and shape the leather. The result is a clean, sweeping line with no creases.

Craftsmanship/attention to detail

There is a twin elastic gusset, with a nice shape, not square or rectangular. We use a high quality elastic which should keep its elasticity for many years. There is a leather strip from the heel all the way up. It incorporates a strong nylon pull loop, that adds strength, which is important when you pull the boots on. The shaft height which us from the top of the heel to the top of the boot is about 15cm or 6 inches. So if you are sitting, your socks won't normally be visible. The boots provide excellent support around the ankle. It's important to have a carefully shaped last. We based this design on a lot of testing and feedback - so it's generally seen as a very great fitting boot.

There is a nicely rounded top line, with no raw edges, as we taper or ‘skyve’ the edge, then fold the leather and stitch it. Looking inside, we see the Thomas Bird branding, embossed into a piece of calf leather, foam backed for added comfort. The boot has a full calf leather lining. This helps absorb moisture and prolong the life of the boot. And we use a genuine full leather insole. Inside the heel, we use suede to stop your heel slipping. What you can’t see are the stiffeners between the calf upper and lining. There is one in the toe and another at the back, around the heel. These are important to keep the shoe looking good as it ages, and we use longer, high quality stiffeners to achieve this.

Stitched Vibram rubber sole

The sole is stitched onto the upper with a traditional Italian method called blake stitching. Th is an in-channel, lock stitching technique, so even if one stitch was worn the others will still be locked securely in place. And being stitched the sole can be replaced when it eventually wears. But to extend the sole’s life, we use a rubber insert for added wear and better grip.