Review: Beckett Simonon – Preston Chelsea Boot in Chestnut Suede
Get your office supplies ready because the Chelsea boot is a staple in offices around the world, they’ll also work in more casual settings too. Which means if you’re in the market for a versatile boot, a Chelsea is a great place to start.
Today I’m taking a look at the Preston Chelsea Boot by Beckett Simonon in a terrific chestnut coloured suede, it’s lighter brown than my other pair of Chelsea’s meaning it should give me a bit more variety and choice when putting together fits.
The Specs
| Brand | Beckett Simonon |
| Model | Preston Chelsea Boot |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Retail Price | $229USD |
| Size Reviewed | 9.5US |
| Fit | Half size up from dress shoe size, half size down from sneaker size |
| Upper Material | Water-Repellent Calfskin Suede |
| Sole | Rubber |
| Lining | Full grain leather |
| Construction | Blake Stitched |
| Made | Colombia |
| Extras | Dustbag, Insoles |
The Look
First of all I’d like to highlight the colour of this shoe, it’s hard to photograph and it’s really hard to nail down its colour in real life compared to its colour on digital screens.
When I first received the boots, I felt like they were a different colour to what’s shown on the Beckett Simonon website. I know shoe colours vary especially with suede and everyone’s perception of colour is different. But my pair are definitely darker than what’s on the company website. No biggie though, I don’t even think my photos are a true representation of the colour of the shoe, it’s as close as I could get. Not super dark brown, not tan, more of a dark caramel. All that being said, I still like it!
Let’s continue on, the suede is coarse. It’s the opposite of the fine, smooth suede on my Meermin boots and gives more of a rough appearance up close. From a distance you can’t really tell, but the closer you get the more you notice.
The silhouette of the shoe is nice, it’s well proportioned but more on the bulbous side than sleek side. If you’re looking for a SLP Wyatt Chelsea alternate, this is not it. The ankle opening is sized to help you put the boot on, and not for an ankle hugging aesthetic. No need for a double pull tab, a single pull tab at the back of the boot is plenty sufficient.
The rubber sole and stacked heel give a bit of height, but nothing dramatic. And the stitching around the shoe looked pretty decent, no complaints here.
The Feel
The suede looks how it feels, coarse. Not a huge negative, some will care, some won’t. I don’t.
On foot, the shoe is lined in leather which feels great. But I did find there was a bit more room in this pair of boots than my other pairs of Beckett Simonon shoes which are also in a size 9.5US. While the Dean Oxford, Gallagher Boot, Reid and Morgen sneakers felt more snug, the Preston Chelsea felt like there was a bit more wiggle room all around the shoe.
With socks on it’s fine, there’s the tiniest bit of heel slippage, but not so much to be concerned. If it gets any looser I might try putting an insole in. But after a few months of light wear, the fit hasn’t bothered me.
As mentioned before the ankle opening isn’t on the tight side, there’s a bit of room to move around. And the elastic panels do their job and make sure the opening doesn’t lose its shape.
Rubber soles are grippier than my other shoes with just leather soles, but that’s to be expected.
And lastly the break-in period was pretty non-existent, they were comfy out of the box. Unlike some other shoes, where it feels like you’re breaking them in for an eternity.
Is it Affordable?
When the Preston Chelsea is at the full price of $229USD, I’d probably start recommending Meermin instead. But Beckett Simonon regularly have sales and coupons for 20% off or more, so for a Chelsea boot under $190USD it’s definitely a deal.
If you work in an office that’s not so formal or just looking to up your boot game, it’s a great pair to grab. And don’t forget that they’re blake stitched too, which means you can resole them to give them even more life when the soles are worn down.
If you want 20% off the Beckett Simonon range, use our code EARL20.
Disclaimer: Shoes provided by Beckett Simonon for review, we paid to get them shipped to Australia. Some links in this review are affiliate links that help to keep this site running at no cost to you.
