In Review: The Billy Reid Kieran Horse Leather Boot

Billy Reid Kieran Horse Leather Boot – $349 ($495)

NOTE: These were just going for $280 during the most recent extra 20% off sale items code. Might be worth sitting tight for another one of those to roll around.

Sure, you could just buy a pair of JC Penney’s Stafford Gunner cap toes… for a fifth of the price. And while the Gunner’s are a bargain, look solid, and hold up well for the price, these Billy Reid boots look, feel, and will probably wear five times better.

And that’s sayin’ something, being that there’s no shortage of love for Stafford Boots on this website.

Sleeker profile, especially at the toe, and a textured (waxed?) feeling leather.

These are a bit of an odd duck, yet they’re an odd duck that a good percentage might fall in love with. They seem to be the mid-point between Huckberry’s Rancourt & Co. Collaberation, and the new Allen Edmonds First Avenue boot… all while being less expensive than either. Still not cheap though, but if you can snag em’ during an extra 20% – 25% off sale items code, the quality and looks will be a bargain for that price.

Simple cap toe. More aerodynamic than the Gunner, but still not pointy.

The uppers are made of Horse Leather, but it’s not the incredibly smooth, shockingly shiny Shell Cordovan most picture when they think of horse leather. This stuff has some texture to it. It might be a roughed out, low nap waxed suede? Maybe?

Slight, matte texture instead of high shine shell.

The uppers are flexible and comfortable right out of the box, and when used in crappy weather conditions, these things performed real well. Rain and sleet seemed to more slide off instead of stick to the uppers (thus, the theory that they might be a waxed suede). Admittedly though, not many of us want to tromp around in terrible weather in $200+ boots, so I haven’t put them through any major paces yet. But, I’d rather wear these in bad weather than a standard calfskin boot.

They seem to hold up well in wet conditions? Please excuse the rain droplets.

Another nice design element, especially for this time of year, is the Vibram “gumlite” sole. It’s impressively grippy. So much so that when I accidentally dragged a foot on our office’s carpeted surface I almost went ass over teakettle. That foot came to a dead stop which led to me losing my balance and just about hitting the floor.

Low profile, impressive traction. Velcro-like grip.

Made in Italy. Overall quality seems awesome, and they’re the kind of sleek boot you won’t have to worry about babying. Only the black option comes in this textured horse leather, while the medium brown is smooth calfskin. Wear them with jeans. Often. And maybe with that flannel suit you’ve got stashed in your closet for the coldest of days.