Jack Erwin Henry Suede Chukka – $175.00
Two pairs of eyelets. Suede uppers. Ankle high. They might have some similarities between them, but make no mistake, the Jack Erwin Henry is not a standard desert boot.
The Henry is much sleeker, with enough structure to keep it’s slim shape from buckling and rumpling, and built upon a slim blake-stitched, smooth leather outsole. Absolutely summer-suit worthy, yet will still look dynamite with jeans and a sharp polo.
For the last few years, Jack Erwin has been steadily creating American designed, European made, internet-sold shoes in that rare price range of the high $100s to low $200s. Seems like every few months a few new designs hit their website, and their spring collection features a few already released options, now available in suede, as well as these brand new Blake Stitched Chukkas. Worth noting is the fact that unlike their other stitched-sole shoes (they offer both Goodyear welt and Blake Stitched styles), the Henry clocks in at twenty bucks less than their previous, cheapest stitched offering.
They are unabashedly simple. The uppers are made from just three pieces of suede, (the vamp/tongue, the rear quarter, and a heel strip) which makes for a lot of solid, visual real-estate. No extra stitching or fancy-pants details means the materials are going to really stand out. And that’s a plus here, since the quality of the suede looks (and feels) quite nice. It’s soft & flexible, but the nap is restrained enough that the boots avoid that too-casual, shag-rug look.
The toes have a perfect, modern shape to them. Slim, slightly elongated, but no chisel. The blake construction means the uppers are stitched to the sole, but they’re still lightweight and slim from ground to suede. There’s no wide sizes available, and they are pretty slim through the toe box. Yet a slightly wide pair of feet (I wear mostly D widths, but am on the border) should get in without too much trouble.
Made in Spain, and they run a full size large. Got this test pair in a 9.5, and they fit like a 10.5 D on a slim last. Available in navy, a light tan “sand”, and the brown seen here which happens to have some reddish-tones depending on the light. As with every pair of Jack Erwins, these ship & return for free.
Enter here to win a pair of Jack Erwin Henry Chukkas in your chosen size and shade. One entry per person. Deadline for entry is 11:59 pm ET 4/9/15. Thanks to Jack Erwin for providing a pair of Henrys for giveaway.
Update: Congrats to C. Langton who won the drawing for the Jack Erwin Henrys!