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Wingtip Boot Search: The Florsheim Hawley

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Florsheim Hawley Rubber Sole Wingtip Boot – $136icon* ($170)

Like a great Summer Suit, there’s something about a pair of sturdy and versatile wingtip boots in the fall.  Most have character to burn, and they can be dressed up with many of the rough textures we’ll see once the weather turns cooler.  Our search for the best affordable wingtip boots is on, and feel free to send in suggestions via styleip.
*Use code LINK20 for the 20% off.  Ships free since it’s over $100 but returns will cost a shipping fee.

Not to get too colloquial, but these are just a little thick in the britches.  Thicker than you’d think they’d be.

Still, there’s no shortage of positives.  The leather is the real deal, the color is perfect, and plenty of people (including perhaps a certain Canadian college student) will love the Goodyear welt rubber sole.  They’re incredibly good looking for the mix of durability, quality, and price.  But they risk looking out of place with anything more dressed up than a washed pair of chinos or cords.  Thick, tweed trousers?  Maybe.  Slim flannel dress pants?  Probably not.

The toe box is a little tall and you’d never use the word “elongated” to describe the toe.  (Click here for a visual comparison between the Hawley & U.O.’s $88 cognac boot)  It’s not steel toe fat nor Doc Martens bulky, but it’s sturdy enough that it risks looking out of balance with extra slim or dressed up attire.

No doubt these are attractive.  But these are more like a sharp Range Rover than the new Ferrari FF.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Best Wingtip Boot under $100 – Thanks to the color options, still the Florsheim Gaffney – $96.00 w/ LINK20
Best Dressed Up Wingtip Boot – Italian Made Ciro Lendini Wingtip Boot – $149.00

Comments

  1. Joe, I agree with your assessment of what pants to wear with these. Do you have any suggestions for caring for or polishing them??  For my fellow wide-footers, these boots come in wide sizes. 
    Thanks for the write-up Joe.

  2. are these ever so slightly burnished like the product photos would suggest? I can’t really tell from your pictures

  3. When you’re saying they’re on the wider side…are you wearing a wide size? Or is the regular itself wide? I’d like to keep these in mind in case they ever think about dropping below $100.

  4. Sure thing.  As far as caring for them, I think your standard cremes to keep the leather well moisturized and polishes for shine should work just fine.  Depends on what kind of patina you want them to take on.  The leather really is pretty damn good, so even beat up and barely cared for they’ll take on a good look.  (I think)

  5. They don’t look burnished to me, but instead the leather is pretty high quality so natural color variations, albeit slight, are probably going to happen throughout the uppers on these boots.

  8. Good to know, thanks. I’ve got one foot wider than the other and wide-ish (but not very wide) shoes are my easiest solution.

  11. How about the AE Fifth Street, AE Bayfield, or Red Wing Iron Ranger? All three are made in USA, any one will last a lifetime.

  12. I just got my pair of these in the mail the other day and I love them.  As was much discussed, I hated the sole of the Gaffney, and think these are worth the bump in price (I got them for 136).  I bought them primarily to wear with jeans and chinos, but have slipped them on with some gray suit paints.  The boots maybe look a little out of place like this but I think it is an interesting look that can be pulled off.

    My favorite of the wingtip boot search by far

  16. I ordered a wide pair. Which I have not been able to find as a regular option for boots.
    But as Joe said, D is standard.

  17. if you’re just in the market for something multi-purpose with chinos for business casual or just casual bumming around, a night out with dark resin wash jeans, or lighter jean for bumming around, what’s more versatile – a boot like this? or a polished leather chukka? or a suede chukka / boot?

  19. For the “crazy horse” oiled leather, they only really need maintenance when they’re no longer water resistant. When that happens, wipe them clean with a slightly damp rag, allow to dry (no heat!), and apply something like Grasso (http://www.urad.com/DetailsListEng.cfm?ID=4) which will condition and waterproof the leather—remembering that a little goes a very long way!

  20. My pair (which I’m returning because the ankle is so large and one shoe has defects) seems to be slightly burnished around the edges.

  21. Kind of expensive (take 25% off for VAT outside of the EU), but a very high-quality black Grenson cap toe balmoral boot: http://www.thenaturalshoestore.com/index.php?m=catalogue&a=vw_prod&cat=1&sec=36&opr_oprid=443 Much less expensive than all comparable options.

  23. I think this boot would be pretty versatile. The leather is very nice, but it looks like it will also show some wear, so probably not best to wear with a suit. A polished leather chukka may be too dressy for what you’re looking for. Suede chukkas are going to be more casual, but still look sharp. I wouldn’t wear them to work, but for just casual gathering and hanging out, it would be perfect.

    I think this boot, which is a little more rugged looking than polished leather, and the suede chukkas would be your best bet. Between the two, it really just depends on individual taste, I think.

  24. I agree.  In your case, I would go for a sleek brown suede chukka.  Can work in all those situations (providing you’re not talking about snow).  If you need a winter boot where it snows, I would go with this or the hawley.

  27. any recommendations on a suede chukka and color – one that will is versatile?  i’ve got real trouble finding something.

  28. Not to step on Joe’s toes, as I’m sure we’d all love to see a post on this on Dappered, but over on The Art of Manliness they featured a great post on the subject a couple of years ago that I still reference: http://artofmanliness.com/2008/07/29/how-to-get-the-best-shoe-shine/

  29. How exactly would you say to size on these? I wear a 7 in Chuck Taylors and a 7.5 in Clarks Desert Boots…

  31. Yeah, I just have one wide foot and one narrow foot, so if I can find something a little on the wider side I can usually tighten the left a lot and make the right work. Narrow shoes will choke my wider foot to death.

  33. I’m going to throw out a suggestion: the Sebago Hamilton.
    Dappered ran an article recently on the similarly styled Sebago Brattle where they complimented the quality of the full-grain leather and especially recommended them in dark brown. (http://dappered.com/2011/09/the-splurge-sebagos-brattle-wingtip-in-dark-brown/)

    The Hamilton is basically the boot version of the Brattle. Same wingtip design (minus the toe perforations) and same stacked heel with a vibram rubber outsole. If you catch them today or tomorrow through the Last Call Neiman Marcus online sale, you can get them reduced from a retail price of price of $175 (from the Sebago site) down to about $98 or so. Seems like an absolute steal to me.

    Also the leather is the waterproof “Sebago Drysides” type, so I’m not sure how it compares to the Brattle. One site did describe the leather as full-grain though. Since I live in Canada and bought these for the winter, I’d definitely reccomend them for another Dappered reader: http://dappered.com/2011/09/casual-shoes-that-can-handle-canadian-weather/

  35. Thanks for the review on how they hold up! I just sent my order in maybe a half-hour ago, and I was wondering just how well they would hold up. You’ve assuaged my overly-pessimistic buyer’s remorse.

  36. I’m curious about your thoughts on Aldo boots.  They have several pair currently on sale, and I’d be interested in your review.