[Disclosure: These shoes were provided to me by Beckett Simonon as part of their affiliate program, if you use my affiliate link I do make a percentage off of your purchase.]
As always, when purchasing from Beckett Simonon, use my code BRAD and get 20% off your purchase!
Hello everyone, I hope you had a great labor day as we start heading towards the fall/winter season what better way to start it than a review of a pair of boots! These boots aren't your typical, run of the mill, boots. These are what we call 'Jodhpur' boots. Jodhpur boots were originally introduced to the world in India with polo players wearing them as a riding boot. You may be familiar with the alternate version of a jodhpur boot: the Chelsea boot. Generally a jodhpur and chelsea boot will have nearly the same shape and last with one key detail: a jodhpur boot has straps and a buckle used to secure the ankle within the boot, whereas a chelsea boot utilizes elastic sides to secure the ankle.
Enough of the history of the jodhpur boot, let's get to the nitty-gritty of the review and see if you should buy them!
The Review
Beckett Simonon Douglas Jodhpur Boots
Price: $229
Construction: Blake Stitched
Size: 10.5US
Color: Oak
Direct Link (affiliate): https://www.beckettsimonon.com/collections/jodhpur-boots/products/douglas-jodhpur-boots-calfskin-leather-oak?rfsn=1727667.928b5&utm_source=refersion&utm_campaign=affiliate&variant=21520207970383
Starting with the overall packaging of the boots. They are packaged in a nice black box with the Beckett Simonon logo on the top embossed in gold. Each boot is wrapped in a nice, cloth dust bag. Included in the box is a booklet detailing a little bit about their company and how they work along with some of the artisans that make their boots.
The color of these boots is considered 'Oak' which is slightly darker than the tan version. I wasn't sure how I would like the color, but upon unboxing it I was pleasantly surprised because I absolutely love the color. It's the perfect medium brown color that goes great with many different trousers and colors.
The construction of these boots are the popular blake stitched which is one of the most popular choices for high quality shoe constructions. The shape is a very nice sleek boot that slopes nicely and tapers to the toe box. The width of the boot was perfect for me, sometimes boots can be a little snug on the sides, especially when it's a sleek last like a chelsea or jodhpur, but it balances sleekness while not sacrificing a nice width for your foot to rest as well.
Something you may be wondering about, and rightly so, is the comfort of these boots. I have only worn these on a few occasions thus far (but they will get plenty of wear this fall/winter), from what I have worn so far they were comfortable. Obviously a boot is not usually going to be as comfortable as say, an adidas pureboost sneaker, but it's not noticeably uncomfortable and if you find that most boots make your feet uncomfortable you can always size a half size up and grab a custom insole.
When reviewing a jodhpur boot I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the strap, which is what makes the boot. The strap is a criss-cross strap of leather that is sown into the boot on one side and wraps around the buckle around your ankle. The boots should feel fitted without the buckle tightened because the strap is strictly tightening the space around your ankle, not the base of your foot inside the boot. The opening of the boot remains quite slim which is great. I've tried on some jodhpur boots before and the opening can vary from too tight, to extremely wide. When you get a pair of jodhpur boots when the opening is too large it causes slim pants or trousers you wear to look a bit odd because of the contrast between the two widths.
Something that not all boots include, but I wish they did, is heel tabs. Boots are often a little bit harder to slip on because of their high structure so the inclusion of a heel tab on these jodhpurs makes it that much easier to slip these boots on. Although, I always recommend using a shoe horn to put all of your shoes on so you don't end up smashing the back of the shoe or boot down over time.
When it comes to figuring out the sizing of these boots, I would go with your natural size if not a half size up if you have a wide foot. These are some other brands that I wear and my sizes in them for reference:
Beckett Simonon: 10.5US
Mezlan: 10.5US
Nike/Adidas: 11US
Taft: 10.5US
Banana Republic: 10US - 10.5US
I hope that can help you distinguish which size may work for you. Now, please note that I have between 5-7 pairs of shoes/boots from Beckett Simonon and I wear 10.5US in all of them so the sizing is pretty consistent.
Overall, i'm really happy with these pair of boots. They're a style I have never tried before, but I am happy with how versatile they seem to be and of course the quality is great for the price, definitely on par with the rest of Beckett Simonon's shoes and boots. I daresay that if you are in the market for some jodhpur boots that these are going to be the best deal that you can get. As always, keep in mind that Beckett Simonon works on a group made to order basis so pay attention to the ship date when purchasing because they usually won't ship out for another 2 months or so from when you place your order. For those of us that are the instant gratification type (that's me) it isn't fun to wait for something you are anticipating, but the group order allows Beckett Simonon to keep their prices low so i'm willing to sacrifice for the great price and quality.
Thanks for joining me on this review, I hope if anything you learned more about jodhpur boots while reading. If you have any questions/comments then please reach out to me on here or on my social media accounts and I would be happy to try to answer any questions you may have!