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15 Affordable Boot Brands For Men On A Budget

From high-street stalwarts to tried-and-tested specialists, these are the bootmakers who deliver genuine value for money.

Words by: Charlie Thomas

Alongside minimal sneakers and leather Derbies, boots are arguably the most important piece of footwear you have on your shoe rack. Depending on the style they can be rugged and durable, slotting into workwear and denim looks, or sleek and sophisticated, perfectly finishing off a suit or separates combination.

However, well-made boots tend to come with a hefty price tag, which reflects the hard work that goes into them – from sourcing the leather to stitching the soles. Affordable boots that retain the look and feel of the classics might be slightly harder to find then, but they’re out there if you search hard enough.

From high-street stalwarts to tried-and-tested specialists, these are the bootmakers you should consider if you’re on a budget. Note: we’ve excluded any fast-fashion brands here and only focused on those who deliver quality and genuine value for money. If you’re looking for cheap, throwaway boots then this isn’t the article for you.

Loake

For well-made British footwear, Loake is up there with the very best. Founded way back in 1880, the traditional shoemaker has the heritage to rival any of its Northamptonshire contemporaries, yet its collection remains extremely wallet-friendly, with the majority of designs coming in under £200/$200 (and even lower during sale season).

Expect boots made using traditional shoemaking techniques, including Goodyear-welted soles, and a range that runs the gamut from sleek, high-shine Chelsea boots through to rugged, commando-soled walking boots.

Clarks

It’s no secret that Clarks produces the most popular desert boots in the world. In fact, the British brand invented the style when it discovered it overseas during WWII before introducing it to the west in the 1950s.

Known for its simple construction, soft suede/leather upper and pliable crepe sole, they were the chosen boots of a generation in the 60s, when Mods adopted them as their footwear of choice alongside Italian suits, Vespa scooters and perfectly manicured hair.

Since then it’s been considered the ultimate smart casual boot, and one we return to time and time again. Loved as much for its classic style as its affordability, a Clarks Desert Boot is just as comfortable finishing off tailoring as it is a pair of jeans.

Although Clarks produces a number of other silhouettes – including the excellent Wallabee boot, as well as Chelsea and Derby styles – you’ll want a pair of its signature shoes. Especially when you can get hold of them for £100/$100.

Timberland

Timberland is best known for its iconic yellow 6″ boot, which has graced the feet of everyone from manual labourers to 90s hip hop stars. A bona-fide, all-time classic design, today the 6″ remains a quality option if you’re after a comfortable, durable and versatile boot you can wear with everything from jeans and puffer jackets to relaxed-fit chinos and gilets.

However, it would do the US brand a disservice to say that’s all it offers. Its range also includes hybrid hiking styles, chukkas and Chelseas – all of which boast Timberland’s rugged build quality and accessible price points.

Merrell

Thanks to the rise of gorpcore and utilitarian fashion, there are more hiking boot brands on the market than ever before. But when it comes to quality, price and style, Merrell is hard to beat.

The outdoor specialist offers all manner of versatile, practical boots, ranging from high-top waterproof Gore-Tex designs through to low-tops crafted from treated suede.

No matter which silhouette you opt for, they will look just as good with relaxed jeans and a streetwear hoodie in the city as they do with performance trousers and shell jackets on the side of a mountain.

UGG

Think of UGG boots and the first thing that will likely pop into your head are those awful sheepskin versions which had their heyday in the noughties. But the Australian brand has since repaired its reputation thanks to a new design-led approach to its footwear.

UGG now produces a wide range of well-made, rugged leather boots inspired by the Oz outback, which are perfect for wearing on the weekend with raw selvedge denim, work shirts and other utilitarian outerwear.

The build quality is superb, the materials top notch, and the comfort (which it always did well) unrivalled. What more could you want? The price points sit slightly higher than many others on this list, but you can still get hold of most lines for under £180/$180.

Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens’ iconic eight-eyelet boots have long been a hallmark of counterculture style, having been adopted by style tribes as wide-ranging as skinheads, psychobilly and scooter boys over the generations. Today, they continue to be a choice for outsiders and alternative dressers that want to make a statement.

Yet with a high percentage of its collection still made in Northamptonshire using traditional shoemaking techniques, the Doctor is more than just edgy design. Its range now spans everything from Chelsea and chukka boots through to utility and tactical silhouettes, each featuring premium-quality leather and suede uppers sitting atop the DM’s trademark AirWalk sole, for unrivalled comfort.

Prices start from around £110/$110, ensuring Dr. Martens remains a boot of the people.

Wolverine

Wolverine is one of the original work boot brands, having been founded over 135 years ago by G.A. Krause in Rockfort, Michigan, which remains the company’s home to this day. It originally found fame with blue collar workers thanks to its legendary 1,000 Mile Boot, which offered – you guessed it – 1,000 miles of wear.

Today the US brand is democratising worker boots, offering high quality Moc Toe and Cap Toe designs that give Red Wing et al. a run for their money at under half the price. Engineered for comfort and purposefully built to tackle challenges workers face on a daily basis, these boots not only look the part but are built to last. An investment you won’t regret making.

Jones Bootmaker

A staple of the British high street for generations, is should come as no surprise that a company named Jones Bootmaker is renowned for its boots. The brand has been around since 1857, when it was known predominantly for its tall leather Oxfords.

Fast forward to today and it still produces excellent quality leather shoes and boots, with everything from smarter styles through to more casual designs featuring very accessible price points.

Next

Next may be better known for its affordable men’s tailoring and ever-changing line-up of casualwear, but it should garner a lot more attention for its shoe collection than it does.

The brand’s classic designs are bettered only by its affordable prices, which belie the quality on offer. The majority of its boots range is crafted from 100% leather or suede and spans everything from smart Chelseas through to laid-back hikers.

John Lewis

When you consider that John Lewis is a premium department store that stocks high-end designer brands like Paul Smith, Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren, it’s surprising that its in-house footwear collection is so affordable. You can expect everything from black suede Chelseas and rugged, commando-soled Derbies to leather chukkas and performance hiking boots, all for under £80/$80.

That’s before you even get to the seasonal sales, where prices are often discounted up to 50%. For well-made leather boots on a budget, JL should be your first port of call.

Kickers

Kickers has always played a huge part in British culture. Anyone that’s gone through the UK school system will attest to the fact that Kickers were the shoe of choice from the youngest of ages – somehow our eight-year-old selves recognised the quality and classic styling even back then.

Not much has changed today, with the British brand still pumping out great-quality footwear, regardless of whether you’re in education or not.

The brand’s boots have gone through something of a renaissance of late, with iconic styles like the Kick Hi and Daltrey Chuk receiving contemporary updates in the form of new leather and suede uppers sitting atop their signature chunky rubber soles.

Dune

A mainstay on British high streets since 1992, when it started with a small concession on London’s Oxford Street, Dune has built its name on the back of its affordable, classic designs.

The brand always makes use of soft, premium-quality leathers and suedes, cutting them into shapes ranging from chukka boots to smart casual Derbies.

The ideal place to start if you want to experiment with a new style, Dune offers a range of timeless silhouettes alongside more fashion-forward options featuring detailing such as side zips and padded ankles.

Hush Puppies

Alongside Kickers, Hush Puppies are widely thought of as children’s shoes, but you shouldn’t sleep on it’s men’s designs.

While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend the entire collection, Hush Puppies’ desert and Chelsea boots are up there with the best on this list for the price. Both come with the brand’s signature cushion memory foam insole for exceptional comfort, as well as water-resistant suede uppers which are soft against the foot but durable too.

Solovair

It may not be quite as cheap as other names on this list, but Solovair offer superb value for money. That’s because its shoes have been made by hand exclusively in England since 1881. The brand was essentially Dr. Martens before it existed, producing the Docs shoes under licence from the 1950s.

When DM began to manufacture its own shoes overseas in the 80s, Solovair continued production in the UK, specialising in the finest chunky-soled boots found anywhere in the world. It carries on this tradition today with its classic 8-eyelet boot, as well as a whole host of other styles cut from the very best hides.

Solovair shoes are built to last and the company even offer a resoling service, which will extend the lifespan of your boots significantly. It’s arguably the most sustainable and cost-effective way of buying boots today.

Selected Homme

For well-crafted boots with a contemporary fashion edge, Selected Homme is hard to beat. The brand is ideal if you’re looking for chunkier styles in black leather or suede but don’t want to fork out for the more expensive, English-made shoemakers.

Its Chelsea silhouette is a particular highlight, coming with an on-trend rubber commando sole. Or try its Derby boots, which look far more expensive than they actually are.

Walk London

If it’s contemporary design you want, you could do worse than Walk London. The brand stocks everything from rubber-soled, mid-century-inspired hiking boots through to its signature ‘Hoxton’ model, a zip-up Cuban heel.

There’s also everything in between, from commando sole Chelseas to cap toe boots, all crafted from high-grade leathers and suede, with no style coming in over £130/$130.