The quintessentially British Chelsea boots are a mid-height boot with elastic gussets on either side, named after their popularity on the Kings Road in Chelsea in the 1960’s.
The style was originally derived from riding boots and the earliest Chelsea boots were designed by Queen Victoria’s footwear maker, J. Sparkes-Hall, who patented them in 1851.
The key characteristics of a Chelsea boot are the ankle height shape, 2-piece construction and elasticated side gusset that eliminates the need for laces.
The boot has a central seam that runs up the middle of the boot from toe to ankle and became synonymous with bands of the 60’s era, particularly The Beatles who commissioned a version with a Cuban heel (borrowed from the South American gaucho cowboys) which became recognised and marketed as a “Beatle Boot“.
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