About the Author: Adam Terry is a thirtysomething salesman in the heating and manufacturing industry. He enjoys bourbon, boots, sneakers, denim, and working on his dad bod father figure.
For many guys, chukka boots are considered an essential shoe and a staple in their closet. Truly a Jack of all trades, chukka boots are incredibly versatile and can be dressed up or down to achieve a wide range of style goals. Today we’re taking a look at the Thursday Boot Co. Scout chukkas. Thursday is well known for their entry level, budget friendly boots, but can they deliver something that’s stylish, comfortable, and durable for less than $150? Let’s find out.
Thursday’s Scout chukka in Cognac suede.
No burnishing or other funny business with this color.
Surprisingly elegant and versatile. Easier to dress up than a chunkier desert boot.
My pair of Scout chukka boots in velvety smooth cognac suede was ordered around lunch time on a Wednesday. They shipped out via UPS Ground the next business day and were delivered on that Saturday. Sometimes it pays to be somewhat centrally located near the main UPS hub!
FYI: Thursday Boot Co. offers free basic outgoing shipping on all orders over $50. They also offer free returns within 30 days for all first-quality items in unworn, re-sellable condition. Some items, like final sale goods and “seconds” are not eligible for returns or exchanges. Simple!
Score: 5/5 Stars – Easy ordering, quick shipping, and simple no-hassle returns. A+
Nothing too fancy about the unboxing, but also nothing to really complain about.
This pair arrived in the standard Thursday Boot Co. boot box that looks an awfully lot like the one that Huckberry uses for their in-house Rhodes boot line. If I were a betting man, I’d wager that both brands (who produce footwear in Le³n, Mexico) are using a similar factory or supplier, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Inside the box each boot was stuffed with tissue paper and a cardboard shaft collar thingy before being wrapped in a clear plastic bag. A single layer of black tissue paper covered the boots. There were no other accessories included. Normally, I’m the one to bemoan the lack of extras during an unboxing like this. However, it’s hard to complain about the unboxing experience when these boots cost less than $150 to your door.
Score: 5/5 Stars – For the price, this unboxing experience meets my expectations.
Fresh out of the box, I’m really impressed with the overall aesthetic of these Scout boots. They are a lot nicer than I expected for under 150 bones and they are surprisingly elegant. On the style spectrum, this boot design leans closer to the smart casual or business casual side of the graph. Thanks to the taller shaft height and slimmer profile, these chukkas are going to elevate your outfit more than a pair of more casual chukkas from Clarks or Astorflex. Pair these with a smart casual party outfit for a dinner date or rock them with chinos and a polo for office wear.
Crafted with WeatherSafe suede, “a blended solution of waterproof and hydrophobic
compounds to help prevent water from penetrating the leather.”
The upper is crafted from Thursday’s WeatherSafe suede, which seems to be a budget-friendly version of Charles F. Stead’s superior Repello suede. The nap of this particular suede is soft, supple, and short, but it still offers a lot of visual character through its texture. Personally, I find that a shorter nap like this is easier to keep clean; an inexpensive suede brush can help keep it looking fresh. This cognac color is fantastic. It is a warm brown shade that reminds me of things like brown sugar, bourbon, and fresh dirt. This color will pair well with a ton of clothing options, especially those in the “Earthy” tones like blues, greens, browns, and greys.
Up close with the suede, stitching, and welt.
As you know, leather is a natural and porous material and is not naturally waterproof. If you’ve ever worn a new pair of leather shoes out and about, only to be caught in a surprise rain shower, you have probably seen the after effects of watermarks or spots covering your shoes. However, there have been a ton of advancements on this front and lots of modern leathers and suedes are highly water resistant. These hides are “hot stuffed” with a unique blend of fats, oils, and/or chemicals during the tanning process, which then penetrate deep into the structure of the hide. Unlike the aftermarket spray-on waterproofers, the hydrophobic compounds baked into the leather won’t wear away over time or need a touch up. This is not a surface treatment.
The round laces are decent and thread through two blind metal eyelets on the inside of each facing, which helps to keep this design very streamlined. The stitching is neat and tidy throughout the uppers and there are no noticeable issues with the leather panels themselves.
Blind metal eyelets on the inside of each facing
Fully lined with soft glove leather.
Looking inside, these boots are fully lined in soft glove leather. Yep, this runs from heel to toe. While this leather isn’t as buttery soft as the deerskin lining that handsewn brands like Quoddy and Rancourt use, it’s perfectly fine for everyday boots like these that can take a beating. Socked feet slide right in and the leather topped, multi-layer Poron foam insoles feel decent enough, too. Those insoles seem to be glued down to a fiberboard layer from what I can tell. Based on a cut-away video on YouTube, there are also a few layers of compressed cardboard and a steel shank hiding underneath before you get to a genuine leather midsole. You knew it was too good to be true, but Thursday’s designers skimp where they can to get costs down. Brands like Grant Stone and Parkhurst use nothing but genuine veg tan leather and cork for the insoles and fillers, but those brands offer boots that cost at least twice that of these Scouts. Some compromises are always made to reduce costs and these are some of the major ones. The durability level of the Scout chukkas takes a hit; cardboard and foam will wear out in time.
A replica Dainite sole provides lugs for traction while keeping the side profile of the boot clean looking.
The studded rubber outsole used on the Scout boots is almost an exact replica, or homage, of the classic Dainite sole used in higher quality footwear. The little studs add notable traction but help keep the side profile nice and clean, so you won’t find any toothy lugs peeking out here. It seems like the upper is stitched down to the midsole but not through the dense rubber outsole. I could be wrong here, but I’m inclined to think that this could be another cost saving measure. Looking at the stitches on the upper and the outsole, both have roughly five stitches per inch but they are different threads (loose fiber vs. twisted) and the outsole stitching is too neat to be done by a typical Blake or Goodyear welting machine. The heel stack is genuine leather and you can see nails peeking out from the holes in the rubber heel lift, so that’s a sigh of relief.
Score: 3/5 Stars – Design is surprisingly nice, materials are OK, but corners were cut.
In terms of fit and sizing, I recommend trying your true-to-size Brannock measurement. I tried this pair in a 10.5 and the length and width feel correct for my size 10.5 Brannock feet. With regards to the Scout chukka boots, they have a decently shaped last that seems to run true to size. The widest part of my foot lines up with the widest part of the boot and my heels are sitting in the back of the heel cup. I can tell that the smooth leather lining will cause some initial heel slip, but that should fade as the insoles sink in a bit, the heel cups collapse in, and the uppers break in and soften around your feet with wear. Overall, they fit true to size for me.
However, I notice two things that are a cause for concern for my own personal comfort. The toe box isn’t as large or voluminous as I had hoped. I can feel some discomfort and pressure on my fourth toes along the outer edge. Generally speaking, this means that the toe box isn’t tall enough or wide enough to allow ample space. The slippery leather lining is causing excess friction here, too. Additionally, my tall instep is causing the two facings of the boot to have too much space between them. When lacing the chukkas tight, I have about two and a half finger’s width between the facings, as compared to one finger’s width with most of my other boots. If Thursday offered a wider width, that could solve both birds with one buttery suede stone.
A handsome boot, but the toe box and instep won’t work for every guy.
Sizing is always a bit of a challenge as our feet are never simply flat, two dimensional objects. Everyone has uniquely shaped feet, and thus, what works for you might not work for me and vice versa. Comfort is highly subjective; you should try a pair at home and see what you think.
(Editor’s Note: FWIW, I (the Joe guy) found the pair of Scouts I purchased for myself to be surprisingly comfortable right out of the box. But as Dappered’s resident Captain Average at 5’10″/185/ with 10.5D feet which seem to fit in most shoes without issue, my foot shape/instep is different than Adam’s.)
For size reference, I am a 10.5 D on a Brannock device (heel to ball) and usually take a 10 D in most roomy dress shoes, including Alden’s Barrie last and Grant Stone’s Leo last. I take a 10.5 E in Allen Edmonds 65 last, as that last runs too narrow for me. I also take a 10.5 in Converse, Vans, and an 11 in most athletic sneakers from Adidas or Nike. Have a size question? Email us!
Score: 3/5 Stars – Initially fine, but a tapered toe box and low instep subtract comfort.
Overall, I was really impressed with the initial look and feel of the Thursday Boot Co. Scout chukka boots. They’re a step up in formality from your average pair of Clarks and will definitely look great with a wide range of smart casual outfits. While initial sizing/comfort was an issue for me, don’t let that tamper your interest. If you’re in the market for a smart, dressy pair of suede chukka boots, I recommend that you try a pair for yourself and see if they work for you. Keep in mind that these cost less than $150 to your door. Odds are you won’t get a lifetime of wear out of them, but maybe that’s OK? For the Average Joes among us (editor’s note II: YEAWWWW he means ME!!), these will be just fine. Cheers!
Avg. Score: 4/5 – Recommended, but be wary of materials and sizing/comfort issues.
Impressive, but wide-width guys are probably going to want to steer clear.
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