Chukka Boots for Men: What They Are and How to Wear Them

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A chukka boot is an ankle-high boot with two or three pairs of eyelets, open lacing, and an upper cut from two main pieces of leather or suede. It is less formal than a dress boot and more formal than a sneaker. Wear it with jeans, chinos, and business casual outfits. A brown suede chukka is the most useful first pair.

What Is a Chukka Boot?

Four features define a chukka:

• Ankle height. The top of the boot sits at or just above the ankle bone.
• Two or three pairs of eyelets. Fewer than a standard lace-up boot.
• Open lacing. The eyelet flaps are stitched on top of the front of the boot, as on a Derby shoe.
• A two-piece upper. One piece forms the front and tongue area. The other wraps around the heel and forms the sides, overlapping the front piece.

The toe is round and plain, with no cap or broguing. The name is usually traced to the chukker, a period of play in polo, though the exact origin is uncertain.

Chukka vs Desert Boot: What Is the Difference?

Every desert boot is a chukka. Not every chukka is a desert boot. A desert boot is an unlined suede chukka on a crepe rubber sole. Clarks popularized it in 1950 with the Clarks Desert Boot, which Nathan Clark based on boots worn by British officers in North Africa during the Second World War.

Clarks Desert BootView at AmazonAffiliate link

Crepe is soft natural rubber. It is comfortable and quiet, but it picks up dirt, wears faster than hard rubber, and can be slippery on wet, smooth surfaces.

Chukka vs Chelsea Boot

Choose a chukka if you have a high instep or want a boot for chinos. Choose a Chelsea for a cleaner line under tailored trousers. The Chelsea boots guide covers that style in full. For specific pairs, see the best Chelsea boots for men.

Types of Chukka Boots

Dainite is a British studded rubber sole. It is thin enough to look like a dress sole from the side and grips much better than leather in rain.

What to Wear with Chukka Boots

With jeans

Wear slim or straight jeans in dark or mid-blue denim. The hem should rest on the top of the boot or be cuffed once so the whole boot shows. Avoid wide or stacked hems that cover the eyelets. Brown suede with dark denim is the standard pairing. Add a knit, an Oxford shirt, or a field jacket.

With chinos

This is what the chukka does best. Tan or sand suede goes with navy and olive chinos. Brown suede goes with khaki, stone, navy, and gray. Keep some contrast between trouser and boot. Tan boots with tan chinos look washed out.

For business casual

Choose smooth leather or dark brown suede on a leather or Dainite sole. Wear them with wool trousers or pressed chinos, a collared shirt, and a blazer. Crepe-soled desert boots are fine in relaxed offices and too casual for conservative ones. See business casual shoes for the full list of what counts.

With a suit

It depends on the suit and the chukka. A slim, lined chukka in dark brown or black calf, or in shell cordovan, works with flannel, tweed, and other textured or casual suits in fall and winter. The trousers should be slim with little or no break. A suede desert boot does not work with a business suit, and no chukka belongs with a formal suit or a tuxedo. For dressier boots, see the dress boots guide and our best dress boots picks.

Which Color to Buy

Brown works with far more casual outfits than black. The reasons are set out in brown vs black dress shoes.

How Should Chukka Boots Fit?

• Length: about a thumb's width, roughly half an inch, between your longest toe and the end of the boot.
• Width: snug across the ball of the foot without pinching.
• Heel: a little lift when new is normal. A chukka has only two or three eyelets, so it holds the heel less firmly than a taller boot. Slip of more than about a quarter inch means the boot is too big.
• Instep: when laced, the two eyelet flaps should sit close together but not touch. If they meet, the boot is too roomy.

Unlined suede stretches. With no lining to hold its shape, soft suede gives in width over the first few weeks. Buy unlined chukkas snug. If you are between sizes, take the smaller one, as long as your toes are not touching the end. Lined leather chukkas stretch far less, so buy those to fit comfortably from the start.

Many chukkas are sized like dress shoes, which means about half a size smaller than your sneaker size. Check each maker's advice. Our dress shoe vs sneaker size guide explains the gap.

Construction: What to Look For

Desert boots are usually stitchdown construction: the upper is flared outward and stitched directly to the sole. Dress chukkas from welted shoemakers are usually Goodyear welted, which is heavier and more water resistant and can be resoled by most cobblers. Low-priced chukkas are often glued. The methods are compared in Goodyear welt vs Blake stitch vs cemented.

Well-Known Chukka Boots

Astorflex GreenflexView at AmazonAffiliate link

Start with the Clarks or Astorflex if you want a casual suede boot. Choose the Thursday or Meermin if you want a welted boot for the office. The Alden and Crockett & Jones are long-term purchases that can be resoled for years.

How to Care for Chukka Boots

Suede:

• Spray with a suede protector before the first wear and again each season.
• Brush with a suede brush after wear to lift dirt and raise the nap.
• Remove marks with a suede eraser. Let mud dry fully before you brush it off.
• If the boots get soaked, stuff them with paper and dry them away from heat.

Smooth leather:

• Brush off dirt after each wear.
• Condition every month or two, and polish with cream in a matching color.

All chukkas: use cedar shoe trees and give the boots a day of rest between wears. Crepe soles darken and collect grit, which is normal. Scrub the edges with a stiff brush. Full steps are in how to care for leather shoes.

Cedar Shoe TreesView at AmazonAffiliate link

Frequently Asked Questions