Out of the desert

Named after a polo term that in turn means to stroll in Hindi, we knew that we were in for a history lesson when we put the Chukka Boot to you in our Spring/Summer survey.

And we were not wrong. It turns out that the “Chukka” was a lightweight favourite for the British Army in India and used for pretty much anything. Including Polo. Makes sense so far.

And yes, you’ll forever associate them with tantrums as a child wearing Clark's Desert Boots, but we promise you that they - and you - have come a long way since.

Before we delve into the details take a look for yourself.

Chukkas started making their way out of the barracks and into our wardrobes in the ‘40s, and by the ‘50s there were all sorts of “desert boots”.

The features would be swapped about but in essence they were all Chukkas with the distinctive rounded toe, raw-edged finish and 2 or 3 eyelets.

So whether you were taking Mrs Robinson to a bar in California or getting chucked out of one in Brighton you were likely to have something that looked like Chukkas on your feet at the time.

With so much pedigree to go on we turned to you as always before putting one foot in front of the other. Here’s what you wanted:

1 - Solid build

2 - Leather that lasts

3 - Comfortable to wear

Sounds reasonable, so we got busy making a pair of Chukkas that would do you justice.

Given we’re more likely to be braving wet pavements than sand dunes, we opted for Itshide 100% natural rubber soles. We secured these with a Goodyear Stormwelt for durability. A combo that’s so dependable that it’s rapidly becoming an Asphalte signature. For those that don’t know, this legendary welt is made in a way that keeps your feet as warm and dry as possible with contrast stitching that’s full of character.

1,000 of you that took part in our survey had the idea of adding inserts on the upper and heel for strength. So we tested it out and it worked really well, nice one. Not wanting to turn up to the party empty-handed though we went one further and secured all seams with a triple stitch.

We balanced out the hard-wearing features with elevated details to bring a bit more finesse to this well-travelled icon like a soft leather lining, 2 pairs of eyelets.

We cut a very neat raw-edge finish just above the ankle and added a heel strap so that you can pull them on easily without damaging them over time. The spirit of the Chukkas is alive and kicking.

For those of you that are familiar with our Chelsea Boots or have seen our latest Derbys, you’ll have heard of Zabri.

They’re one of Italy’s finest leather suppliers based in Tuscany. The suede we went for is coated with a 3M water-resistant treatment that also fights off any day-to-day marks. That’s one less thing to worry about when after-work drinks get out of hand.

Final detail: the stitching on the welt is waxed to make it tight, watertight.

As with all the items that we make, the Chukkas went to the independent lab SMT to be tested for quality and durability. They scored it at 4/5 in the 10,000 flex-test to evaluate the calf suede’s ability to bend without cracking. Not bad.

We also recommend that you give them an extra water-proofing before you take them out for the first time all the same, and from time to time after that to make sure you stay friends.

The Chukka's simple contours are the perfect billboard for suede's texture and colour. And on that front, you went for 3 different shades of the Fall. In the words of John Peel "always different, always the same".

Dark Brown, labrador-esque.

Chestnut, a deep shade that will conker your wardrobe.

Camel, the original, but this time stain-resistant.

All our Chukkas come with brown laces and contrasting off-white stitching around the outsole.

Preorders run for 6 days only, starting next Tuesday 2nd February, so we suggest you put your foot in the door if you’re keen and sign up here to get notified when the chukka’s on.

Check our the size guide before you bag our first-ever pair of Chukka Boots for 199€.

You can click right below to get notified and if you have any question just chuck them in the comment box below or reach us on our international IG page.