Steal Alert: Made in Italy J. Crew MacAlister Desert Boots for $72

MacAlister Boots in Leather – $71.20 FINAL w/ SHOPSALE ($198)

NOTE: At post time sizes left include 8, 8.5, 9, 10, and 11.5. That could change fast though.

Not bad considering these are one of their items that got hit hardest by the (industry wide) price hikes we’ve seen this year, and during much of 2025 J. Crew seemed hesitant to put them on significant sale.

They’re a bestseller which J. Crew has been making for years. English leather uppers, natural crepe rubber sole, unstructured and casual without looking sloppy.

They’re still made in Italy (as of the personal pair ordered a couple months ago,) and they’re a real favorite for many of us.

There’s two catches though:

1. They’re final sale. No returns or exchanges. Thankfully the MacAlister has fit true to size since what feels like the beginning of time. The 10.5 pair seen at the very top of this post were ordered in September, and they fit my normally 10.5 D width feet just fine out of the box.
2. Crepe soles can slip easily on wet, slick surfaces. The texture & material combination seems to lead to surprise hydroplaning. Not just on MacAlisters, but most desert boots with natural crepe rubber soles. Not always, but sometimes. Winter just isn’t the best time of year for desert boots. Which isn’t surprising, as they’re called “desert” boots.

Full review here if you’d like it.

Code SHOPSALE is good for an additional 40% or 60% off final sale items (MacAlisters are getting the addit 60% off,) and it’s set to expire on Wednesday.

Sizes appear to be selling quick, but it appears they also went through a recent restock. It might be worth keeping an eye on if your size is sold out at post time, as it looks like this is all in flux as they (possibly?) get holiday returns in.

That’s all.

Carry on.