UPDATE: For some reason the price on these jumped six bucks (from $244 to $250) after this post posted. Maybe it was an exchange rate thing?
NOTE: Huckberry offers free shipping at $98, so if you order through them, these ship and return for free in the contiguous U.S.
Finally. The Ro Sanders Hi-Top Chukkas… have come BACK… to the United States of America.
For the longest time you couldn’t get a pair of these made in the UK, super-comfortable, mega-versatile chukkas without taking a major risk with overseas shipping. Ordering direct through Sanders is great, but they go for around $270* direct through the brand… PLUS you’d be on the hook for international returns. Meaning if they show up, don’t work out, and you have to ship them back… you could be out-of-pocket to the tune of $80ish total in outbound and return shipping charges.
Huckberry to the the rescue, with their with free (contiguous) US shipping at $98, and free returns.
Polo Snuff and Dirty Buck suede.
Huck just started stocking Polo Snuff Suede (shown at the very top of the post), as well as the “Dirty Buck” suede. Those seem to be the two most popular colors, with Polo Snuff being #1, and dirty buck looking awesome in spring/summer/fall.
Nice shape. Not work boot clunky, not elf-shoe pointy.
The Sanders “Playboy” chukka’s history has been intertwined with the entertainment industry for decades. Prior to their appearance in the James Bond movie Spectre, the Sanders “Playboy” chukka was associated with American actor and style icon, Steve McQueen. McQueen wore the Sanders chukkas in some of his most famous films, including The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullitt. Not only did McQueen wear the Sanders chukkas on screen, but he was often seen wearing them off set.
Soft, rich, polo snuff suede.
Since then, they have been worn by just about anybody wanting to emulate his “King of Cool” style–including Daniel Craig and the costume designers of the most recent Bond movies. The chukkas are legit. They really strike a mean balance between casual cool stylishness and comfort.
The bumper crepe sole.
The signature look of these boots is the crepe bumper sole. Crepe soles are made of coagulated rubber and are very soft and comfortable. You almost get a “bouncy” feeling when you walk in these boots. Let me just say, these things are surprisingly comfortable the minute you put them on. On the first wear there was absolutely zero break-in necessary. I could (theoretically) chase bad guys from the get-go. Although you’ll want to be a bit careful on wet, smooth surfaces, as crepe of all kinds can hydroplane.
Made in England.
For sizing, most seem to suggest sizing up half a size. That’s also the official word from Huckberry. Yet the Joe guy who runs the website you’re reading right now has usually gone with a 9.5 UK / 10.5 US for his normally 10.5 D feet, and he’s been just fine going true to size. YMMV of course.
They’ve been featured multiple times in our Chinos Chukkas Polo series.
The one knock you might get with the Sanders chukka is that they are not Goodyear welted. Rather, the crepe bumper sole is bonded (pun intended) onto the upper. This might turn off some but one benefit the Sanders chukka has is that the sole is a one-piece unit that prevents separation of the heel area, which can sometimes occur with crepe soles. Generally speaking, these are well-constructed shoes befitting English shoemaking.
And now you can purchase them stateside, thanks to the smart stockists at Huckberry.
Big thanks to Carlon H., the creator of The Shoe Enthusiast, an Instagram and Youtube channel, for writing our original review of the Sanders Hi-Top Chukka. That’s where a lot of the words and pics in this post came from.
That’s all.
Carry on.
* Final price when ordering direct through Sanders fluctuates depending on exchange rates since EU/UK VAT gets deducted for US customers, but then a €40 international shipping charge gets added back on since we’re overseas. Confusing, right? That’s another advantage to Huckberry now carrying them. They’re $244, they ship free, they return for free. Simple.
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