Dappered | In Review: Huckberry Rhodes Tyler Chukkas

[Dappered | In Review: Huckberry Rhodes Tyler Chukkas]() --------------------------------------------------------------- - [In Review: Huckberry Rhodes Tyler Chukkas](#1) - [Most Wanted Affordable Style – May 2021](#2) - [The Best in Affordable Style from the Month that Was – April 2021](#3) [In Review: Huckberry Rhodes Tyler Chukkas](r/Dappered/~3/NgD-G4fA8xs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email) Posted: 12 May 2021 03:00 AM PDT Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head [here]( to learn more. [Huckberry Rhodes Tyler Chukka – $175]( About the Author: Adam Terry is a thirtysomething salesman in the HVAC and hydronics industry. He enjoys bourbon, boots, sneakers, raw denim, and working on his dad bod father figure. It’s chukka boot season! For me, chukka boots are the perfect “do everything” shoe. I tend to wear mine with “smart” business casual outfits, IE: Oxford or linen shirts paired with casual chinos or jeans. Depending on the level of formality you’re going for, you can easily dress chukkas up or down the style ladder as you see fit. Huckberry recently launched the Caliber Collection for their Rhodes boot line, adding new styles with wedge soles that are traditionally used on workwear and Americana or heritage style boots like Red Wing, Wolverine, Viberg, etc. Let’s see what these Tyler chukkas are all about. The scent of this leather lets you know it’s the real deal. The Adam Review Scale of Excellence (A.R.S.E.) - 5 – Excellent! No issues and highly recommended. - 4 – Good. Above average, but not perfect. - 3 – Average. Minor issues, might be good at the right price. - 2 – Fair. Below average due to defects, flaws, or imperfections. - 1 – Poor. Significant issues, not worth purchasing at any price. Waka! Waka! Waka! Details - Brand: Huckberry’s Rhodes - Style: Chukka boot - Size: 10.5 D US (~44 EU) - Last: N/A - Construction: 360° Goodyear Welt - Upper: Full-grain roughout cow leather - Lining: Half-lined and trimmed with vegetable tanned cow leather - Sole: Meramec PU tan wedge sole - Details: Leather-topped foam insole - Extras: N/A - Country of Origin: Leon, Mexico - Price: $175 USD Toe box and vamp is pretty smooth with a noticeable nap that’s not too unlike suede. Ordering/Delivery/Returns My pair of Tyler chukkas in “taupe” roughout leather was ordered on a Wednesday and they arrived on Saturday afternoon via UPS Ground. Nothing to complain about here! FYI: Huckberry has a 60-day return policy with free return shipping. Like most retailers, your footwear must be unworn and in resellable condition with no signs of try on wear or damage. Score: 5/5 Stars – Easy ordering, quick shipping, and a great return policy. A slightly sturdier and slightly larger box. Packaging/Unboxing I’ve said this before, but I really enjoy a good shoe box as it shows that there was thought put into the whole purchase and unboxing experience. Huckberry updated their packaging sometime last year and the new Rhodes footwear boxes are pretty great. Slightly more sturdy, slightly larger (for boots!), and comes with a carrying handle. That handle may come in handy because Huckberry still doesn’t include any shoe storage bags or other accessories with their boots. I understand Huckberry’s Rhodes lineup of boots and shoes are trying to meet that middle of the road price point, but come on! At least throw in some spare laces or some basic cloth shoe bags. If Gustin can do it with their less expensive sneakers, y’all can make this happen, too. I believe in you, Huckberry! My boots arrived wrapped in a single layer of tissue paper and each boot was stuffed with lots of tissue paper to help keep the boots in decent shape along their journey. Unfortunately, the left boot arrived with a flat spot dead center of the toe box that had to be brushed out with a suede brush. Score: 4/5 – Box is great, but Huckberry needs to update the wraps and throw in some laces/shoe bags. First Impressions Fresh out of the box, the scent of the vegetable tanned leather hit my brain like a cinderblock and yanked me back in time. Immediately, I was 10 years old again, standing in this little local cowboy boot store, gazing up at the wall full of rattlesnake, lizard, ostrich, gator, and other leather cowboy and roper boots. I can still faintly hear Alan Jackson on the radio telling me not to rock the jukebox, because he wants to hear some Jones. Suffice to say, this leather is LEGIT. My wife could smell them from the other room and she, too, immediately recognized that scent and even remembered the same store from when she was younger. Small world! Behold the roughout fuzz. Even though we’re dealing with a lightly waxed roughout leather, the toe box and vamp is pretty smooth with a noticeable nap that’s not too unlike suede. In contrast, the quarters and rears of both boots look fuzzy! Almost like you skinned (preferably stuffed) [Fozzie Bear]( and used his hide for footwear. I’m loving the texture and character of the uppers; they mesh really well with other distinct textures like denim and Oxford cloth shirts. Color wise, I’d rate these somewhere between “camel brown” and desert tan. It’s a very natural and earthy color that should be super versatile. As far as construction goes, all of the stitching is on point and the panels are well-placed. You can still see a bit of pencil marking in corners where the craftsperson laid out the panels before stitching everything. I hesitate to use the word complaint, but I’m not a huge fan of [the two-piece tongue](. It looks like it was an afterthought, or perhaps the factory doesn’t have the proper cutting die for a true one-piece vamp. At the end of the day, this is a very small aesthetic disagreement more so than a problem or issue. Interior shots, and also a comparison in how the leather looks different in sunshine and shade. The interiors are half-lined from the midfoot forward in vegetable tanned leather. The rear halves of the boots are unlined, except for a 0.75” wide strip of veg tan leather running around the opening and down to support the laces. Speaking of laces, I think these round, waxed cotton laces are superb. They traverse through blind metal eyelets for some extra support when you’re cinching those laces down. Finally, there are thin veg tan leather footbeds glued down on top of either stiff leather or fiberboard insoles. I can feel some kind of padding in there, too, but I can’t tell if it’s foam or cork hiding under there. Sadly, I can’t visually inspect those components without cranking up my bandsaw and cutting them in half. I don’t think Joe wants to financially support those types of reviews… or does he?! These Tyler chukkas sport bespoke Meramec “Caliber” wedge outsoles in a nice shade of sand brown. Meramec is the same company that supplies outsoles to brands like Thorogood, Carolina Boots, Rancourt, etc. Their Maxum-Lite ML308 material used for these chukkas is a rubber-like polyurethane that focuses on lightweight comfort and slip resistance. Those are great characteristics for boots like these, especially as we’re transitioning from Spring into Summer and the day’s weather is never predictable. I suspect these will be fairly durable over time. Score: 5/5 Stars – Great! Fantastic leather, solid construction, and Goodyear welted. Well done! Meramec “Caliber” wedge outsoles in a nice shade of sand brown. Comfort, Fit, and Sizing The Tyler chukkas run true to size, so go with your normal Brannock size. While the last looks slightly narrow from above, my pair in 10.5 fit pretty darn well fresh out of the box. I didn’t notice any spots that felt too tight or too loose. I will note that if you regularly need a wider fitting, you’re probably out of luck with these as Huckberry doesn’t offer anything other than a standard US average D width. For sizing reference, I am a 10.5 D/E on a Brannock device and usually take a 10 D in wider-fitting dress shoes, including Alden’s Barrie last and Grant Stone’s Leo last. I take a 10.5 E in Allen Edmonds 65 last, as that last runs too narrow for me. I also take a 10.5 in Vans and an 11 in most Adidas or Nike sneakers. Comfort is always subjective, but I do find these to be pretty comfortable. I probably wouldn’t wear them to a theme park for an all-day outing, but I wouldn’t hesitate to wear them to work or out to dinner and drinks with friends and family. Overall comfort is better than Clark’s Bushacre 2s, but less comfortable than the Bushacre 3s. There’s a bit of padding in the Tyler chukkas, but it’s not a full insole. Score: 5/5 Stars – Fits true-to-size and feels pretty comfortable overall. Not bad! On point stitching. Final Thoughts Overall, I’m a fan of these chukka boots from Huckberry’s new Rhodes: Caliber Collection. They fit well, they feel pretty comfortable around the house, and they seem to be made very well. The materials and craftsmanship are above average and I can imagine that these should last you many years of regular wear with proper maintenance and storage. Best of all, they’re recraftable so any competent shoe cobbler near you should be able to repair and replace pieces as they wear out. Personally, I’d love to give these a long term review to see how they break in and evolve in time. Check them out and let us know what you think! Cheers, y’all. Avg. Score: 4.5/5 Stars – Pretty good! Highly recommend checking these Huckberry Rhodes boots out. ff/Dappered?a=NgD-G4fA8xs:BXhZABKu5XA:yIl2AUoC8zA ff/Dappered?a=NgD-G4fA8xs:BXhZABKu5XA:qj6IDK7rITs ff/Dappered?a=NgD-G4fA8xs:BXhZABKu5XA:gIN9vFwOqvQ [Most Wanted Affordable Style – May 2021](r/Dappered/~3/hJxIqJhygdA/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email) Posted: 11 May 2021 02:00 PM PDT Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head [here]( to learn more. Whether you’re looking for gift ideas or a quick upgrade for yourself, expect these to come around about once a month. You’ll find new arrivals and old favorites, especially good deals, or maybe something pricey to keep an eye on for future sales. The potential best of the best, which you may or may not have seen already. Got a tip on something that deserves to end up in the monthly Most Wanted? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. [J. Crew Wallace & Barnes Slim-fit Chore Blazer in Cotton-Linen – $150]( [J. Crew Wallace & Barnes Slim-fit chore blazer in cotton-linen]( One of J. Crew’s best sellers and for good reason. Wear it as a spring/summer light jacket. Wear it as a super casual sportcoat. Wear it with everything and take it everywhere. Big fan of the new “skylark blue” shown above. Also available in navy as well as a “hillside green”. [Nodus Retrospect III – $475 (Coming Soon)]( [Nodus Retrospect III]( Oh man. Nodus took their popular Retrospect dive watch, made a few tweaks, and the third installment should be landing in the not too distant future. Check out that subtle gray dial. And the bigger crown. Available in a bunch of colors, and with either ceramic or stainless bezel inserts. 42mm diameter. Seiko automatic movement. Double-dome sapphire crystal. Assembled here in the states. [Canvas Wall Prints by replaceface – $62 and up]( [Canvas Wall Prints by replaceface]( I mean. Plenty of options here. Mr. T., Dave Grohl, Alan Rickman, and somehow, someway, [The Gallagher brothers]( look oddly perfect in period military dress and sepia tones. “Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball” (***cannonball flies overhead***) [Spier & Mackay FULL Canvas Suits – $598]( [Spier & Mackay FULL Canvas Suits]( A reach in terms of the budget, but getting a full canvas suit for under six hundred bucks is hard to do. Super 120s merino wool woven in England. 3-Roll-2 Button Closure. Unfinished sleeves so your tailor can make functioning surgeon’s style cuffs if you want them to. Sewn-in canvassing extends from the shoulders down the full length of the jacket, and the more you wear it, the more that canvas forms to your body. Kinda how the cork insoles of nice dress shoes starts to form to the owner’s individual foot shape and strike patterns over time. Fingers crossed for a sale from Spier. If memory serves, their full canvas suits HAVE gone up for discounts in the past, albeit infrequently. This is pretty fancy-pants. If you’re less fancy pants, [their base line $348 half-canvas suits]( are still the best bang-for-the-buck in the suiting game. [Banana Republic Authentic Supima Crew-Neck T-Shirt – $25ish]( ($34.50) [Banana Republic Authentic Supima Crew-Neck T-Shirt]( A new favorite. [Jason was right](. These are terrific. All pima cotton in a tight weave leaves the fabric and the wearer feeling (I think the word is) “crisp.” This is NOT some wispy tri-blend, slub, or overly squishy/smushy feeling tee. But it’s not a heavyweight beefy tee either. Just right. Pocket at the chest and vented seams are nice visual touches. Shown above is a machine washed and dried Medium on 5’10″/190, in the “sidewalk gray”. Didn’t seem to shrink for me in the wash. Apologies for the slight wrinkling. Sat in the dryer overnight. It’s actually pretty smooth in person/not in harsh direct sun. Bottom line: BR’s got a real winner on their hands here. [BONUS Super73-S2 Universal Electric Motorbike – $2,695]( [Super73-S2 Universal Electric Motorbike]( Can a moped be cool? It’s not gas. It’s electric. You plug it in to a standard wall socket. Sold (and shipped!) by Huckberry. Please wear a helmet. We can’t lose any readers. Don’t need you braining yourself on a tree once you get this thing. That said, I believe the noise you make when on this is: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Want more most wanted? [Click here]( for the top 5 most wanted lists from previous months. ff/Dappered?a=hJxIqJhygdA:pKkLcX0B4Nc:yIl2AUoC8zA ff/Dappered?a=hJxIqJhygdA:pKkLcX0B4Nc:qj6IDK7rITs ff/Dappered?a=hJxIqJhygdA:pKkLcX0B4Nc:gIN9vFwOqvQ [The Best in Affordable Style from the Month that Was – April 2021](r/Dappered/~3/P0o14GjMECw/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email) Posted: 11 May 2021 08:00 AM PDT Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head [here]( to learn more. A wise man once asked: [“What the hell just happened?”](And for good reason. There is value in looking back. It gives us all a good gauge as to what is good, and more importantly, what is not good, going forward. Sure, the “[clip show](” is mostly a cheap (affordable?) device to create new content out of already published stuff. But it’s also a good way to catch up in case you missed something. So [cue the flashback music](. Here’s the very best from the month that was… [Best Sale: Allen Edmonds Anniversary Sale (exp)]( [Allen Edmonds Shoes]( A lot of brands have been pretty quiet on the sales, codes, and promos front in the last month or two. Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s supply chains wobbling again. Maybe it’s just an anxious “pause” while everyone waits for someone, anyone, to say “yeah you can start to come back out and play again.” Who knows. But Allen Edmonds swam against the stream, [and ran one of their best sales in a good long while](. The prices this year were noticeably kinder than last. [Best Steal Alert: Ledbury Dress Shirts 50% off (expired)]( [Ledbury dress shirt]( Was totally floored that they included their mid-spread fine twills in this sale. It was short and sweet, but more than a few of us got an extra “best” shirt while this sale was running. Perfect for the upcoming outdoor get-together/wedding reception circuit… as long as those things do, in fact, happen still this year. [Most Surprising Sale: 25% off sitewide at Saddleback (exp)]( Just about fell out of the chair when this came across the wire. Saddleback doesn’t do many sales, and if they DO run something, it’s usually limited to a few items or the % off is something like 10% or 15%. They said they were moving warehouses, and thus, it was cheaper to move as much as they could on to their customers… instead of across the way to the new building. I don’t think they included any enormous unicorn pool floaties in the deal, but… [that dopp kit]( sure was. I dunno. Maybe inflatable unicorns aren’t on brand with Saddleback. Beats me. [Most optimistic post: 5 Suits that aren’t Navy or Charcoal (to welcome back dressing well)Â]( [Joe in a light grey suit]( Offices are starting to re-open, (safe) social plans are being made, and people are starting to shelve the sweatpants in favor of stuff that actually looks pretty sharp. If that’s you, consider suiting up. It’ll make you feel great. Promise. [And you’ve got more options than just navy and charcoal.]( [Best Annual Tradition: Polopalooza!]( [Men in polos]( It is now, firmly, polo season. And it’s a weirdly, pretty good(!) year for polos. There were even a few surprises this time around. Seems like there was something for everyone this year. Smooth cotton, slub, knits, tech… it’s all there. [Best New Arrival: Timex Q 1978 Reissue (review here)]( [Timex Q 1978]( Timex nailed it on all fronts here. The case, the crystal, the size, the dial. And it doesn’t even make the loud “TICK” sound many Timex watches are afflicted with. [Best Battle Royal: All the Clarks Desert Boot/Chukka Options]( [Clarks desert boots]( The Original Desert Boot and Bushacre 2 have been a staple in many a well dressed dude’s wardrobe for a while now. But then Clarks had to go and confuse the heck out of everything by introducing The Deseret Boot 2 and the Bushacre 3. Got all that? I was lost too. Thankfully, [our man Adam reviewed all four](, broke down the differences, and picked an overall winner. Full marks for the Anchorman themed alley photo shoot. No word if the Bushacre 3 killed anyone with a trident. [Longest Post: Spring Temptation, New Affordable Men’s Style Arrivals for 2021]( “What are you doing?” “Working.” “Your job is to hold flowers up to a camera behind a grocery store?” “Dreams do come true Mister.” [Best Post for those on a Budget: Target Goodfellow Round Up Spring 2021]( [Target Goodfellow and Co. menswear]( Remember a few years back when Target launched Goodfellow and more than a few of us were like “Ooh, I dunno, is Target gonna screw this up?” Not the first or last time we’ll be wrong. Tar-zhay does it again this year with their Goodfellow line. Big thanks to our guy Ryan (frequent Target shopper, being that he’s a young Dad) [for doing such a terrific job reviewing all this stuff.]( [Best New Series: Shorts, Sneakers, T-Shirt]( [Shorts, Sneakers, T-Shirt]( It’s a spin-off of [Chinos Chukkas Polo](. And it’s just getting started (episode #2 coming soon, promise). I was seriously worried that this idea would be a total dud, because of how foundational it is. It’s not complicated, it’s not difficult, but that’s also the point. I think. And after the last year+… maybe a few ideas for clean, casual, simple shorts and tee combos is in order. Thanks to everyone for the early positive feedback on this. Good to know there are others out there who believe that something as basic as a shorts/sneakers/tee outfit can still look good and be put together with intention. [Best Dressed Pet: Biggie Lebowski]( [Biggie Lebowski]( Biggie’s human is our man Michael, he of [the Weekend Reset](. It was Oscar Night. Biggie doesn’t mess around when it comes to Black Tie. [Most Awkward Pet: Pierre “helping” in a steal alert]( The [pet content]( has been doing [weirdly well]( on Instagram lately, so… when I was unsure on whether or not to pollute your feeds with a steal alert about Amazon house-brand puffers (because it ain’t puffer season anymore), I got our gray cat Pierre ([he of the sandwich]() to “help.” The results weren’t as cute as I was hoping. For real though, sometimes I hesitate on steal alerts. I don’t want to be all HEY IT’S THE KRAZZZZZAY KOUPON GUY AGAIN WITH ANOTHER KRAAAZZZZAY DEAL. It’s a weird line to walk, and I’m genuinely sorry if sometimes we hit the deal stuff a little too hard. [Sneakiest Pet: Pierre in the Tenet style scenario]( Didn’t even realize he had decided to crash the photo shoot (read: I put the camera on a few shoe boxes and hit the auto timer function). Only noticed it while editing. Maybe he’ll demand a sandwich as payment later. [Best use of Champagne as a Prop: Timex Marline California Dial Review]( [Timex Marline California Dial]( Never thought I’d see a Timex that could hold its own [in a Rick Ross video](. Pretty sure Rozay won’t be sporting a Timex any time soon. But, well, yeah. Big thanks to our guy Aaron K. for the review and photos. [GORPiest Post: Style Scenario: Hiking in the Great Outdoors]( It’s still hard to believe [that “GORPcore” is a thing](. Anyway, “hip” or not, Jason put together some good looking and truly functional gear for getting outdoors. Take a hike. Don’t mind if I do! [Best New Celebrity Collab: Kermit + adidas]( Not surprisingly, they’ve sold out. I hope he’s used that extra money to upgrade his (oh boy, wait for it)… pad. [Most Honest Post: 10 things a well dressed guy might worry others think about him]( Not sure what I was expecting with this one. It’s not like a bunch of people are gonna like/upvote something on social media in which they’d basically be saying “oh yeah I totally doubt myself and have insecurities TOO!” Doesn’t really fit the “I’m a well dressed confident guy” idea that some try to live by. But yeah. There it is. Maybe some of you understood and (quietly) nodded your head. If not? All good too. Just please don’t ask me about my watch if we ever meet. [Best Reality Check: Hemingway. By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick]( Ken Burns and Lynn Novick have done an engrossing job separating the pedestal perched shotgun toting icon, from the deeply troubled and flawed person who arguably changed the entire art form of literature, forever. Perhaps the Hemingway cultists (the ones who see him less as an author, and more as a personal Moses of manhood) would say they love him because he was flawed. Or more likely that’s now what they have to say, being that long ago they married his ideal, and in the time that followed the façade has rusted and flaked away. What are you left with when who or what you worship ends up being a carefully constructed bit of staging? Good grief it almost sounds like [influencers](. Never meet your heroes I guess. Feeling Nostalgic? [Here’s the archive]( containing previous editions of Best of the Month that Was. ff/Dappered?a=P0o14GjMECw:yokwQGlCaeg:yIl2AUoC8zA ff/Dappered?a=P0o14GjMECw:yokwQGlCaeg:qj6IDK7rITs ff/Dappered?a=P0o14GjMECw:yokwQGlCaeg:gIN9vFwOqvQ You are subscribed to email updates from [Dappered Style Mail](). To stop receiving these emails, you may [unsubscribe now](. Email delivery powered by Google Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States