The $25.00 Bass Chelsea Boot

Bass Amsterdam Ankle Boot – $25.25 (reg. $79.00)

Part of the Endless/Amazon extra 20% off summer sale.  No code needed.  Savings show at checkout.

These things need a good beating.  You know how leather that’s barely leather can look…  a little too smooth.  Out of the box there’s no noticeable odor, overly stiff feel to the uppers, or any sign that these are about to self destruct.  They actually feel halfway decent on your feet, but probably run about half a size too large from toe to heel, while running slightly small at the ankle opening where you insert your foot.

So if you’re somehow sporting a pair of cankles, these aren’t for you.  (A shore horn for anyone might be necessary.)

The shape of the upper and slightly tapered/rounded off toe isn’t half bad.  The Elastic siding, uh… stretches (as it should) and the sole is some kind of synthetic material with inlaid rubber panels.

For the last three years I’ve had a pair of Macy’s Alfani Side Zips (pictured below, second from left) that were purchased on sale for $45.  They’ve been beaten, barely taken care of, and they’ve held up extremely well.  They also looked more like real leather coming out of the box.  When compared with the old Alfanis side by side, it’s hard to believe the Bass could survive it to this “man those boots look like hell, but it’s an AWESOME hell” stage.

They certainly don’t look like they set you back $100 or more, but they’re also pretty impressive for $25.  Read that again.  Impressive… for $25.00. You can’t expect much for such a small investment, but you could (and probably should) save up for a pair of boots that’ll look a whole lot better.
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From Left:  Timberland Earthkeepers, Alfani Size Zip, Bass Chelsea, Sebago Beacon