This review is going to be short and sweet. I love the calf leather shoes Beckett Simonon sent me a couple years ago, which I wrote more about in-depth then. They’re some of the most comfortable dress shoes I own. So I was excited to give their suede a try, since I wear suede shoes virtually every day. I chose a pair of their sleek Bolton Chelsea boot in dark brown suede (for my policy on free products, gifts and reviews, see here).
If you like the look of them and would like to order, using this link and the code MM20 will get you 20% off your first order, and will earn me a commission as well.
The long and short of it is this: They’re great. The comfort is excellent, same as their shoes. The last shape and overall design is beautiful. The color of suede is a gorgeous, rich, chocolate brown with just the right warm undertones (no purplish or greenish cast). The quality of the suede is great, too. Their calf leather is fine, but I wasn’t blown away by it—a step or maybe two above the minimum acceptable for full-grain leather (they have since switched tanneries, I read, so perhaps newer models made since I got mine in 2018 are made of superior quality leather). But in the world of leather shoes, it’s widely known that a less expensive suede can be just as good as the higher-end hides just by virtue of how it’s processed.
Beckett Simonon advertises their suede as water-repellant. I haven’t worn these in rainy weather, but I have worn them when it’s been wet out. Water does indeed bead up on the surface, but in a steady rain or if you’re walking through very wet conditions, they’ll still get wet.
That doesn’t bother me, as I’m not one to baby suede when it comes to rain, or any other condition, frankly. If you’re hesitant, my advice is not to worry about it. Buy a suede eraser, like the one I have from Allen Edmonds, which will take out 90% of the stains you might get on them. For tougher stains, suede cleaner usually does the trick. I have expensive Saphir suede shampoo as well as less expensive Lincoln brand, and both do just fine. But the suede eraser does the majority of the work on all my suede shoes.
On the fit, these come up fairly high on the leg, which takes a little getting used to compared to a chukka. Look at the comparison in height to my Meermin chukkas, which hit right above my ankle. The elastic side panels mean they aren’t uncomfortable when you wear them, say, in the car when your foot’s at a declined angle. But it is noticeable. The opening at the top is narrow enough they won’t show underneath your trousers (unless your trouser opening is extremely narrow. The opening on all my trousers, such as the ones pictured throughout this post, is 16-inch in circumference).
The leather sole and sleek last on these gives away their primary intent as a dress boot. Beckett sells another Chelsea in a more rounded, roomier last, with a rubber sole and with a lower height that’s clearly more in the work boot vein.
If there’s one negative point I can say, it’s that the stitching in various places is inconsistent, like someone inexperienced on the machine was speeding up then slowing down, so you have varying widths of stitches. See that in the photo above around the elastic part? It’s such a small detail that when worn, you never notice, but that does show some of the attention to detail that’s a little lacking with Beckett Simonon.
What more can I say about these boots? I love them and have been wearing them every chance I get. The dark brown works well with dark denim and darker pairs of dress trousers—charcoal, mid-gray, navy. I’ve found that something in the mid-brown suede range is the most versatile for both light and dark—the chestnut suede Beckett makes would be perfect for that. But in my case, I already have several pairs of suede shoes in a mid-brown suede, so I specifically chose dark brown for that reason.
I am genuinely happy that Beckett Simonon exists—their shoes are an outstanding value, beautifully designed, and more comfortable than anybody I’ve tried.
Use my discount code MM20 for 20% off your first order from Beckett Simonon. You won’t regret it. And even if they’re not for you, they offer free returns, no questions asked. Here is the link to the Bolton suede Chelsea boot reviewed here.
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