Common Projects Chelsea Boots Review

Common Projects Chelsea Boots Review

The classic Chelsea boot is a men’s timeless wardrobe staple, each and every season, high street stores and fashion houses will include at least one pair with their new collection. One such brand is Common Projects, market leaders with their minimalist style of sneakers. The American-Italian brands line of Chelsea boots already has a legion of fans, ready to snap up the newest designs.

I have owned the Common Projects Chelsea Boots In taupe for around 6 months, due to the unexpected hot summer in the UK, I haven’t had many chances to wear them! Fortunately, the temperature is dipping as we approach the Autumn season, I finally wore them out recently and took some extra close up shots, ready for the following review.

Buy Common Projects Chelsea Boots online at

Mr. Porter | END | SSENSE

Design & Shape

The Chelsea boot has a classic style which has rarely deviated since its original inception, yet despite this, many brands miss the mark in this area. If a design is destined to fail, it undoubtedly is down to one of the four following issues, bulky shape, rounded toe, overly wide leg opening or a mismatched colour on the elasticated gusset. Common projects have managed to avoid any of these dangerous pitfalls when creating their boots.

The shape is sleek and pleasing to the eye from any angle, including top-down (when many boots can look quite rounded in the toe area). The leg opening is quite slim, which is a huge benefit to fans of skinny jeans! I find that Chelsea boots with a too wide opening can cause the jeans to slip upwards and off the boot when walking (sometimes it can be a continuous battle, re-adjusting the hem of the jeans, only for it to slide back off again all too quickly). I am happy to report I have encountered no such problems with the CP boots, even after a full day of wear, I never once had to stop and re-adjust.

The boots have a unique design addition, the contrasting heel and sole is constructed from a solid rubber, something which is quite noticeable, even from a distance. However, I find that it only adds to the appeal of the boots, giving them extra character amongst the sea of rivals and competition. If I were to suggest a minor complaint, it would be in terms of maintenance. Trying to clean the sole will be mostly in vain, the rubberised effect seems to soak up any dirt and grime, leaving the area quite dark even after only one wear (many owners will not even consider this a negative, but I thought I should disclose my opinion).

Common Projects Chelsea Boots are available in various colours, some are seasonal whilst others are available all year round (if you can find them in stock!). For this review, I chose the taupe colour, which is a beautiful shade of soft brown, which I can pair with almost anything in my wardrobe (I do also own the warm grey pair, which manages to fill the gaps when my taupe is not a practical outfit match). As with their sneakers, the boots include the iconic printed number stamp on the outer side of each boot, which I consider a nice extra touch.

Wearability & Comfort

Because of their simple design, Chelsea boots can be easily worn with a large selection of different outfits. Casual with skinny jeans and either a T-Shirt or sweater, dressed up with a blazer or even a three-piece if you want to push the boat out. Although for me, the rubber sole may be a little too bold to wear with a suit.

Let’s move onto the comfort factor, this is one of the most important points when considering a premium pair of shoes and boots. In my Common Projects Achilles Sneakers Review, I pointed out that the brand is guilty of causing foot pain to many unsuspecting future owners. Because of my previous experience with their sneakers, I purchased these boots fully aware that my feet are likely to be in for a painful ride. I was actually quite shocked, even after heavy wear for long hours, what I believed to be a certainty, never arrived. On the contrary, these boots are one of my most comfortable pairs of shoes I own (especially in the designer price point), which is one of the main reasons I ended up buying a second pair. In this department, I can happily state that I cannot fault them at all.

Sizing

I went for my normal size of a 42 (UK 8) when ordering the boots (which is the same as the majority of my footwear). My very first time when slipping them on, they were very snug around my feet, felt very secure without being uncomfortable. Throughout the course of a day, I was still more than happy to keep wearing them. You could potentially order the next size up if you wanted a little extra space inside, but for me it was unnecessary.

Packaging

The box is spacious and shiny, practical to use whilst looking premium in its simple white colour. Naturally much larger than most of my other shoe boxes (to contain the size of the boots), so you will need to allow room if you keep your footwear boxed up (as I do). Inside, they have provided a generous amount of tissue paper, just enough to keep each boot safely separate from one another when packed away. Additionally, a simple white branded dust bag is included if you need that extra level of protection.

Value For Money

There is no doubt that these boots do come in at a fairly hefty price point, especially compared to many rival brands. As years progress, this is steadily increasing more and more. The big question is, are they worth it? In my opinion, yes. They are manufactured to an incredibly high standard (thanks to Italian craftsmanship), they look incredibly striking when worn and are extremely comfortable (this alone is worth the asking price in my opinion!). Another aspect to take into consideration, when purchasing premium footwear, it is only natural to take care of them, more than you would a pair of budget high street shoes. Because of this, it is inevitable that they will last you even longer. In the six months I have owned the boots, they have still held their structure and shape, so far they do not show any signs of premature ageing. In summary, I believe they are value for money, particularly if you treat them with loving care.

Conclusion

For my final verdict, I give these top marks in all areas. This is something that never usually happens, typical there is a flaw or set back of some kind which stops a pair of shoes or sneakers from getting a perfect score. However, with the Common Projects Chelsea Boots, I can only give them high praise and recommend them without hesitation! Grab yourself a pair as soon as possible!

 

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8 Comments

  1. CLAUDE KOFFI
    December 9, 2018 / 12:08 pm

    hello! Donc pour l achat de cette chaussures nous pouvons vraiment commander notre taille habituelle? Pas besoin de rajouter une taille ?

    • Adam
      Author
      December 10, 2018 / 9:00 pm

      Hi, yes I took my normal Common Projects size of UK 8 (EU 42) which is my usual shoe size in most designer shoes. Thanks!

  2. larry
    January 11, 2019 / 7:28 am

    What brand of jeans are you wearing? They look great!

  3. Hans
    March 1, 2019 / 7:38 am

    Hi,

    I was wondering if you could help me out with colours. Different websites do seem to name them differently and pictures aren’t very reliable. I love your taupe ones, but can you tell me if sand and tan are used interchangeably? Or are they different colours?

    Thank you, loved this review.

    • Adam
      Author
      March 4, 2019 / 12:01 am

      Hi Hans, thank you for your comment, really happy you love my review!

      In terms of colours, it is quite tricky! I too found various instances of different names used for what appeared to be different colours! I myself have ‘Taupe’ and ‘Warm Grey’ yet, I have seen the same colours invariably named different things …

      I would personally use End Clothing – https://www.endclothing.com/gb/brands/common-projects

      or Mr Porter – https://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/mens/designers/common_projects

      As their names and colour representation to be more accurate than most.

      Just had a quick look online and SSENSE and Matches both have ‘Tan’, yet both look completely different in photos … Is there a shop by you which stocks them so you can see in person?

      • Hans
        March 8, 2019 / 7:50 am

        Adam!

        Thank you for your reply. I have had good experiences in the past with both endclothing and mrporter, but would really like to see them in person. I think Selfridges and Harvey Nichols stock them so might have a look there as I am in London once a month.

        • Adam
          Author
          March 9, 2019 / 5:20 pm

          Hi Hans, good idea! Definitely worth seeing them in person! 🙂

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