A Tale of Two Boots: The Chippewa Cordovan Service Boot

As you may have noticed, we are fans of good boots. When I was offered the opportunity to try a pair of Chippewa boots, I jumped at the chance. I went for something classic and established; the 6-inch Chippewa Cordovan Service Boot fit the bill perfectly. This is my testimonial after a few months of wearing them.

Initial Impressions Were Positive

Straight out of the box, I was surprised how smart they looked. The shape and profile was much dressier than I had expected from a boot based on military issue gear. I was also immediately impressed with the look and feel of the leather. The full grain cowhide has a deep chocolate colour, which is what the “Cordovan” refers to. It is oil-pull, meaning through wear the leather will patina beautifully. It is early days with this particular pair but I can already see the potential coming through.

The First Few Days Wearing the Chippewa Cordovan Service Boot Was Smooth Sailing

Normally, with a pair of new boots, I will first wear them around the house, then take short walks, and only after a decent amount of break in time will I spend the whole day in them. It saves a lot of pain and blisters. With the Chippewa’s, I instantly felt that this would not be necessary. The cordovan leather is much softer and suppler than any other boot in this price bracket I have tried so far. There was literally no break in period.

Although I do see the fact that there is no break in period as a big plus point, the suppleness of the leather leaves me missing that “locked in” feeling I have come to appreciate in boots. But, as I will discuss later, this may be one of the boots greatest assets for people transitioning from trainers to good boots.

Issues Occur – On the Other Foot, A Different Boot

Although it was not instantly noticeable, there was a marked difference from the right boot to the left. As I said, the boots were instantly comfortable. But where the right felt like an old friend, the left had some initial teething troubles. Like many boots in similar styles, the tongue is connected most of the way to the top. There is a little extra leather that folds back on itself to allow entry. I can’t say precisely what the trouble was, maybe this part was cut too big, or sewn in askew, but there certainly was a little too much leather there.

Not a big problem at first, but after a long day I had some pretty sizable blisters on the top of my foot. A first from any boots. The leather has now bedded in and it is less of a problem.

Again on the left, at the top of the boot the leather is doubled back on itself to add some comfort. On the left side this has not been finished properly and the stitching is coming loose and the leather is unraveling. Something I will have to get fixed in the near future.

On page two, I take a closer look at the details of the boots, including the special eyelet construction, which may be its Achilles’ heel