2024's Best Boots for Under $200

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* Full article with more picks: stridewise.com/best-boots-und...
* Some videos I mentioned:
- How CF Stead makes the world's best suede: • Not Delicate: How CF S...
- 30 Years of LL Bean Boots: • The LL Bean Boot Guide...
- Which boots can be resoled? stridewise.com/which-boots-ca...
A good boot is a durable boot is a resoleable boot, in my opinion, but I respect that a resole costs at least a hundred bucks and when your upper threshold is $200, you probably aren't looking for something that is resoleable. So in this video I broke down the best boots for under $200 by category: resoleable, sort of resoleable, and not resoleable (but still pretty good). Let me know what you think I missed!
LINKS to products:
- Thursday Captain boot: stridewise.com/thursday-capta...
- BLKBRD Shoemaker: stridewise.com/blkbrd-shoemaker/
- Jim Green: stridewise.com/african-ranger...
- Golden Fox Boondocker: amzn.to/4arJYHd
- LL Bean Boot: stridewise.com/ll-bean-duck-b...
- Clarks' Desert Boot: stridewise.com/clarks-desert-...
- All-Weather Waterproof Duck Boot: prf.hn/l/Vxgmo8j
- Lems Waterproof Boulder boot: www.lemsshoes.com/collections...
- Ariat's Wexford Chelsea: stridewise.com/ariat-wexford/
- Timberland's Premium Waterproof: fave.co/3o8ZyUM
- New Republic's Sonoma: fave.co/3HcykEq
- Bruno Marc?? amzn.to/3UfK4w9
00:00 What is a 'best boot'?
01:01 Thursday Boot Company's Captain
01:34 BLKBRD Shoemaker
02:15 Vaer Watches Discount Code
03:18 Jim Green's African Ranger
04:20 Golden Fox's Boondocker
05:05 LL Bean Boot
05:45 Clarks' Desert Boot
06:45 All-Weather Waterproof Duck Boot
07:35 Lems Waterproof Boulder Boot
08:05 Ariat's Wexford
08:47 Timberland's Premium Waterproof Boot
09:46 New Republic's Sonoma
10:21 Maybe Bruno Marc?
10:40 Wrapping Up

[@Stridewise]

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[@wompa70]

You laughing at the Bruno Marc is hilarious.

[@Stridewise]

hahah the brand keeps emailing me asking them to promote them and i'm like dude there's no way these are that good - but it's true they ARE the cheapest thing that looks like a boot!

[@drewby618]

@@Stridewiseabout a year ago, I bought a pair of Bruno Marc sneakers. I needed something to wear with shorts that looked nicer than my Brooks running shoes but I didn’t want to spend too much on them. I honestly couldn’t be happier with the purchase. Can’t speak to their boots, but they do have at least one okay shoe

[@levone8958]

When I wasnt doing very well financially I bought a pair of their shoes. Now that I own several pairs of $2-300 boots, in comparison I think it is not even close. But for the price? I think they make wonderful products which do look good. Not a bad option for someone on a budget.

[@mikeisgettinupset]

Jim Green for the win!!! Should have also included their Vellies and Shoellies for under 200 bucks.

[@Stridewise]

Could have made this “best Jim green boots under $200”

[@mikeisgettinupset]

@@Stridewise Jim Green could use the positive exposure.

[@tonydragon784]

​@@Stridewise There's a high chance you could get Gareth or his brother for a interview, they've stepped up their KZbin presence

[@Beariam24]

I have The Jim Green barefoot and been wearing pretty much every day 2 months and they are so comfortable and extremely well Made. They are still breaking in and getting better everyday. Highly recommended

[@welshrecon]

How's the sizing on them compared to say converse chucks?

[@Beariam24]

@@welshrecon I wouldn’t know sorry. Never had a pair. It’s difficult to compare to a sneaker 👟 completely different.

[@welshrecon]

@@Beariam24 no worries bro appreciate the repy

[@petersilecchio4417]

Thank You for doing this Video. Very Helpful.

[@AggBaddie]

Thank you for this video I thoroughly enjoyed it

[@Stridewise]

I'm so glad!

[@MahBok78]

It's still mud season where I live so I've been wearing my bean boots alot more lately. Those & my Thursday Heroes are the rotation until the weather drys up a bit.

[@cowcrapper]

Glad you brought up BLKBRD, I recently got the Dixon boot in their pullup black leather... and the quality is insanely good, most especially for the price.

[@Stridewise]

I'm visiting their workshop this month!!

[@Crackers2549]

Another excellent video my man….! Still wearing my Alden’s, love em… Greg

[@Stridewise]

Right on!

[@jonlouis2582]

Great video, and highly entertaining as always. I respect the fact that you included Timbs and LL Bean boots in spite how you feel about them. Next time I'm in the market I will try the BLKBRD boots, I have a lot of respect for Indian leatherwork.

[@Stridewise]

Glad you enjoyed! I'm visiting blkbrd this month, I'm excited

[@thehunt226]

Well, instead of Clarks Desert Boots, my take would be the Veldskoen boot, way better leather and better construction. Oterwise, great writeup!

[@marlenakauer5262]

Can definitely vouch for the Lems boots! Got those for my wife after I got her a pair of Thursdays and she thought they were uncomfortable. Ended up selling those, but she loves her lems! I almost got myself a pair too. Nice round up, Nick!

[@Stridewise]

Thanks! Glad to have some validation on the Lems boots!

[@unattributed1641]

I have several pairs of Thursday's and Jim Greens. If you like the wife/round your box of the African Rangers it might also be worth considering Jim Greens Vellie's as an alternative to Clark's Bushwhackers. They are built more like the AR's, and are re-solable at $129.

[@unattributed1641]

Yikes... I hate auto-incorrect!!! Should say "If you like the wife/round toe box..." above.

[@unattributed1641]

ARRRG.... WIDE not WIFE.

[@YouCanChangeYourWorldToday]

Jim Green 🐸🥾

[@dahpython7764]

any boot suggestions for black leathered boots ? I have some doc marterns but I know the quality and craftsmanship isn't fully there.

[@richardwright4456]

Will you do a video on heritage looks for the summer months....

[@Stridewise]

I've done heritage shorts before kzbin.info/www/bejne/noi1nqlthdKfgKc but the "heritage" angle doesn't get as many clicks as just talking broadly about "boots" and "jeans". maybe i could change it to "sustainable fabrics" and see if that draws folks in!

[@Coffeedav]

Great video, surprisingly decent spread. Ano bump

[@Stridewise]

hey thanks man. yeah i usually do resoleable boots but took the opportunity to highlight others

[@K_j_M]

Loads of cobblers will resole Timbos now. Just grind the old unit off and glue on a new Vibram. Same rule will apply to many cemented soles

[@kitcraft9516]

Fwiw check your local boot shops (if you have any). My local shop has Bull Run and Thorogood Mocs for $189. It is a "sale" price, but it has been that price for quite a long time now. Anyway, I have about half of the boots on this list and sadly they are all too narrow for my 4E foot. The BFAR is on my radar, and I hope it ends up being wide enough considering it is a 3E + barefoot last with a stich down construction. Good video as always, thank you for sharing.

[@Stridewise]

glad you liked this one dude! yeah i know a lot of boots are often on sale but I've got to do these things based off the RRP. I just posted a new wide footed boots vid you might like kzbin.info5ueRdL7-r7U

[@SurprisedChurros-zk1qu]

You should have done a Beckett Simenon, which always has some model on sale for $169.

[@Stridewise]

I couldn’t find any for under $200 even with my 20% off code. Did I miss one? (Sale prices don’t count)

[@AndresOssa]

I have a pair of Clarks Desert Boots resoled with a Vibram sole(glued though) they're strong. Very happy.

[@Stridewise]

yeah just because they can't be resoled doesn't mean they're not better than cemented shoes haha

[@striderwolf687]

Great vid! Thanks for the 2024 update! My on qualm with Thursdays is quality control… I’ve ordered 9 pairs from them. 4 had the sole splitting away on the toe from the uppers when new unfortunately and the sizing on the other 4 was the issue as even within the same pair the left and right were off. Juxtaposed with Red Wing who got my size, the right fit and out the door in 30 minutes. Thursday has awesome options and price, it’s just Russian roulette with $200 each time I try them. I so want it to work out though!

[@whereRbearsTeeth]

Why would you keep buying them then??…

[@striderwolf687]

@@whereRbearsTeeth right! I stopped and went to Red Wing. Unfortunately I was stuck with the shoes bought through Thursday and could only exchange and then get partial credit vs. a full refund :(. Amazon took 3 pairs back that had the sole splitting off. I never purchased again. I believed all the vids on value, great purchase an ld durability and thought it was just luck on the bad pairs and fit.

[@whereRbearsTeeth]

@@striderwolf687 Thursday boots are junk. These KZbinrs get paid to promote them. The worst part is, these guys are knowledgeable about boots and they know they are junk, but they still promote them because they are getting paid to do it. Pretty pitiful, but that’s how this KZbin “content creator” nonsense works. You have to be smart enough to see through the BS.

[@striderwolf687]

@@whereRbearsTeeth Thanks! I moved on to Red Wings and Drew’s Boots after years of sub $100 dollars boots. I honestly thought for $200 and all the reviews on Amazon and vids Thursdays were a good entry point. Thanks for the info! Guess it wasn’t a fluke!

[@Stridewise]

I'm not saying you should expect the same product from thursday as you would from red wing or viberg, I am saying they're the best value boots

[@7eSens17]

Could you pls do a video on boots above 400$ don't see much about historical renowned brands (C&J, EG, Alden, Aubercy, Corthay, Vass,Santoni,...) or independent shoemakers (fukuda, shirakashi, Vilalta, Bemer, Meccarrielo...). That would be great!

[@Stridewise]

you're pitching "the best expensive boots", eh? well it won't get as many eyes as this one but it could be a fun project

[@meiko_kaji]

Surprised you didn’t consider Nisolo. Extremely comfortable, resoleable. They’re hand made in Brazil but have a store in the west village. They’re on sale under $200 often. Best Chelseas by a mile for comfort. i tossed my clunky Thursday’s.

[@Stridewise]

Oh they’re on the article! Had to stop the video at some point but they’re in there, but I can’t put them here based on sale price so I could only post their chukka, I think its called daytripper

[@meiko_kaji]

@@Stridewisecheers. Makes sense. They also have a $500 now and you get 10 pairs over 5 years. Fantastic deal.

[@Joa287]

What about the Golden Fox Overlord Service Boot? It's supposed to be more premium than the Boondocker and still under $200.

[@Stridewise]

I guess I could but the Boondocker's best known. Like this also could have just been a list of Thursday boots but I wanted to keep it moving

[@twistingterrain7748]

Love my Bean Boots

[@bluecrewfan88]

Is the Thursday Legend waterproof? It's the same price as Ariats.

[@Stridewise]

Not waterproof, no. They're perfectly puddleproof/rain ready, but not technically waterproof - usually a boot is either waterproof or resoleable, so you pick one or the other in this case

[@robertbelote5273]

I got to say if you're looking at that wheat Timberland ,just go check out Thursday. They out Timbed the Timbs.

[@Stridewise]

Are you talking about the Hero?

[@robertbelote5273]

@@Stridewise yes

[@dulifuli00]

Evwn though I absolutely love the look, I have never worn a more uncomfortable boot then the Timberlands. 😢

[@Highland_Paddy]

I think you skipped a couple work boot brands that may be rival the Timbers or surpass for longevity, but then maybe about the same for longevity and likely not insulated? I guess we always have to go back to the Use Case Scenario that depends upon the type of work for the nature of the style and how much they need to last, blah, blah...

[@Highland_Paddy]

Also likely to find some versions of combat boots and hiking boots at places like Big-5 still? Haven't looked in a while.

[@AdamJones381]

It is unbelievable that the Thursday boot price hasn't changed, would be interested what the margin is? I wonder for boots under $200, is it worth having them resoled? From my perspective, I don't think so.

[@sodomizingyourmom]

They’re pieces of shit with an enormous margin to pay for that enormous marketing budget.

[@Stridewise]

Yeah it's an interesting question, it's worth remembering that people often get attached to their boots as companions, and they get attached to the patina they've earned, so even for boots like this they'll resole. But another notable factor is that if they're stitched/resoleable they're just less likely to come apart from the sole than cemented boots, so even if you're not planning to resole it can be worth it for the longevity

[@StolenAlias]

Thursday is a brand that you buy once or twice and get resoled once and then move on to something better. A $160 Thursday stitchdown chukka would cost around $120-150 at the least if you want trustworthy consistent work. So that’s obviously not worth it.

[@nathansanford7716]

@@Stridewise They’re really not less likely to come apart. If you look at the tbc sub, there’s multiple people with their soles crumbling. My last resole cost around $150. I think people should really look at not buying Thursday boots as a $200 discount on something decent. Just because they have a welt, doesn’t mean they’re better than something that doesn’t have a welt, but might be more durable or have better leather. Do people actually care about how the sole is attached if the rest of the boot is poor quality?

[@jobro524]

Best Factory Seconds Please

[@Stridewise]

This might help! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHnPmZZ-hbCYiZI

[@frankrice1253]

GH Bass scout mid lace $168

[@Bryen12]

jim green ranger ❤❤❤

[@jan-Juta]

Surprised no Meermin mention, they're some of the best in the game for sub-200 resoleables made with traditional materials.

[@Stridewise]

No they're not under 200! But they have a lot under 250 and someone just suggested I do a video on that, which seems almost too niche but I might as well do that

[@welshrecon]

I'm seriously not paying 350 quid for a pair of redwings. Absolute silliness.

[@thrashsis5412]

I don't like boots that are 6 inches high. After sitting down the bottom of the jeans sometime gets stuck in the boot

[@Stridewise]

I find that happens a lot with Chelseas (skinny ankles) but not with lace ups. But maybe you're more of a chukka guy

[@Bayou987]

This may be the video that brought me here in 2020…shit was it 2019? Anyway I’ve been a legit fan ever since. Thanks for doing this Nick.

[@Stridewise]

Bayou! I'm so glad you're still here my man! Thanks for sticking around

[@coyote4936]

The timberland rap waterproof boots are hideous

[@thebestofeverything369]

Nice boot for me under 200$

[@N7Tigger]

Next year you should go to under $250 so you can include actually good boots other than Thursday and Jim Green.

[@Stridewise]

Yeah good idea! I never thought of doing an under $250 video but it'd be a good chance to talk more about Meermin.

[@markstonis8827]

Thoughts on the Urban Wolf Club boots? Custom made in Mexico, GYW, and basically every style is $150

[@wallyg77]

Try Bruno Marc and lemme know how it goes 😂😂😂😂😂 🙅‍♂️🙅‍♂️🙅‍♂️🙅‍♂️🙅‍♂️

[@Stridewise]

Haha they're so cheap that they have a big audience, that video WOULD get views...

[@wallyg77]

@@Stridewise 😅

[@wjy2ap]

Did you actually say "the b**** is waterproof"??? 8:32

[@Stridewise]

yeah it always makes me laugh

[@AngusBeef0]

Keen work boots under 200 is better boot than Timbs.

[@timvibes]

HEYDUDE Branson Chelsea boots are under $100. They may be cemented and probably not real leather and not long lasting, but they have exceptional underfoot cushion as running sneakers. Most boots don't give this level of underfoot cushion. But yes, they are kinda ugly looking. Comfort over fashion in this case for sure!

[@TheSatchrox]

😂