Ode to the Chelsea boot

Chelsea boots are some of my favorite shoes to wear during fall/ winter. Fall especially as they aren’t always the warmest shoe to wear given their thin sole and thin material. Yet, I will wear these shoes year round. They go with absolutely everything! From a good pair of jeans to a skirt of a dress: a good Chelsea boot will round out the outfit without adding too much of a statement (unless you want them to). I own 5 pairs of Chelsea booties and thought that by showing you those I could also explain why I love these shoes so much.

Ode to… the Chelsea boot

Now being the nerd that I am, I wanted to know where the name came from. Why is a Chelsea boot called a Chelsea boot? Well apparently it’s been around since the Victorian era, when it was invented. But it wasn’t until the 60s mod scene came around until the boot was resurrected and given the name we have today. It’s a unisex shoe that comes in many variations but today I’m sticking to the classic type: a plain narrow cut boot with an elasticated side.

H&M Chelsea boot with heel

My first ever pair of Chelsea boots was this heeled version by H&M. I no longer own these as I had worn these so much the soles completely wore out and they started to hurt while walking. H&M still do a similar style in a faux suede in their current collection. Since I knew I got so much wear out of these, I upgraded them for a pair by New Look at the beginning of fall, which I showed you in my fall fashion haul.

New Look Jodhpur style Chelsea boot

Since I loved my heeled booties so much, I also bought a flat pair. These are by New Look and have an added buckle detail crossing the elastic. This gives the shoe a slightly different feel and more reminiscent of a riding boot. I prefer to wear these with jeans as they are flat (I prefer a bit of a heel when I wear a skirt or a dress), but again these are well loved and have held up nicely. There is a huge scuff mark on the right toe as I wore these when someone’s suitcase knocked me off an escalator.

Asos brown Chelsea boot

Another classic pair, but this time in a different color. I don’t own too many brown shoes, especially not boots as I prefer black. However for spring/summer, I thought brown would be a better option, which is when you will be seeing me wear these. I like pairing these with a light wash denim and a blouse and wore these so much last year that I already had to have the heel resoled. If we’re talking versatility than this shoe definitely has it all. The color is just right, it goes with anything because it’s so neutral and it’s comfortable enough to walk around in all day.

H&M metallic Chelsea boot

But Chelsea boots aren’t limited to classic models. These now come in many different colors and textures. I’ve seen a lot of velvet Chelsea boots around now that that fabric has become more popular. It makes for more of a statement, which is why I don’t wear these silver shoes all that often. They definitely need the right outfit. An all black on for instance or a fun dress. I like how these are metallic, yet more muted, which makes them less in your face and a lot easier to wear.

H&M Leopard print Chelsea boot

Last but not least, my leopard print boots. I get comments all the time whenever I wear these. They are a true statement shoe. These work best with an otherwise plain outfit. For some reason I enjoy pairing these with a grey denim the most. Add a plain colored sweater on top and you have a simple, yet interesting outfit. Again this is a shoe that goes great with a plain black outfit as that truly makes them pop. These shoes aren’t for everyone, but if you like a bit of leopard they are a good addition to your wardrobe.

What do you think of Chelsea boots?