Blundstone Original Chelsea Review

For a deck boot, the Blundstone Original Chelsea stands out for its comfort, classic leather styling, and ease of use in different environments. With a flood height of 6.25 inches, this rain boot gives you a comfortable degree of protection when it comes to wet and rainy days, but it isn't made for puddle jumping. Their TPU sole makes for a comfortable ride, regardless of terrain, with its excellent shock-absorbing properties. Its one-piece leather upper not only looks great, but it also minimizes fail points as less stitching is required. A benefit of leather over rubber is that leather naturally 'breathes' and helps with keeping your feet cool on warmer days.

Weather Protection

When properly maintained, leather is a great waterproof material, and the Blundstone Original Chelsea is no exception. During testing, we were able to submerge the shoe up to its flood height without any water intrusion. Being a deck boot style, keep aware of how deep you are getting your feet into the water, as it crept up on us a few times. Unlike rubber, leather will naturally begin to absorb water if it's repeatedly immersed and not properly maintained. Our tester noted that the leather began getting damp after repeated immersions, but their feet remained dry.

Fortunately, keeping the Blundstones in good working condition is an easy affair. To help keep the leather's sheen and waterproofness, a yearly application of leather oil is recommended. Keeping up with this will help ensure that your feet don't get damp when you get caught out in a rainstorm. Our relatively new pair looks a little too shiny, but don't be afraid to get them dirty; they get better with wear and care.

Comfort

The Blundstones Original Chelsea started off a tad rough for our tester. The first few times they were worn, our lead tester got “pretty mean blisters” on the backs of his heels. Obviously, a shoe that gives you blisters is a cause for concern. This is not a totally uncommon occurrence with leather boots, though, and luckily for our tester, after a few outings in the boots, the leather broke in and stopped causing blisters. Leather has the added benefit of forming to your foot shape over time, creating a more comfortable fit with every season.

Regardless, we can't ignore this break-in period for this shoe and the discomfort it may cause some people. That is reflected in the overall comfort score for this rainboot. Aside from the blister-causing first use, the Blundstone Original Chelsea is a pretty comfortable boot that felt good to wear throughout our testing days.

Weighing in at only 2.13 lbs per pair (size 9.5), they are lightweight and can be easily worn all day. These Blundstones come with a TPU sole, which provides really nice impact absorption as you walk around. Walking over wet rocks felt completely fine, thanks to the moderate lug pattern, which ensured our feet stayed in place. The signature elastic sides make getting in and out easily, as they provide a degree of stretch and comfort, allowing the leather upper to move more naturally with your ankle's flexion and extension. The pull tabs on the front and rear of the show collar also help make it easier to step into them. Like the majority of tain boots we tested, the Blundstone Original Chelsea doesn't feature much arch support, but the insoles are removable, allowing you to easily replace them with a more supportive one.

Traction

When things get wet, they often get slick, and good traction becomes more important to help your feet stay put on whatever surface you bring them to. The Blundstone Original Chelsea doesn't disappoint; of all the deck boots that we tested this round, the Blundstones feature deep lugs that did an excellent job of gripping every surface we encountered, from damp river rocks to soggy pine needles.

Walking through damp grassy meadows or up slopes, we didn't notice any issues with traction. Pleasantly, we found that the lugs didn't hold onto as much mud and debris after walking off-trail, making them a less messy affair when going back inside.

Warmth

Rain boots are meant to keep water out, but rubber boots don't ventilate well, plus their long shaft length traps additional heat, often sacrificing breathability, and keeping perspiration in as well. The Blundstone Original Chelsea strikes a good balance between water resistance and breathability, and kept our tester's feet happily in the golidlocks zone of temperatures during testing.

Leather naturally 'breathes' and so will help ventilate your feet when things start getting warm, and preventing moisture accumulation also helps keep your feet from getting cold later on. On the other hand, these boots are not insulated (Blundstone makes a sherpa-lined version that is), and when the temperatures start dropping, you may find yourself reaching for a warmer pair of socks to wear with these. During testing, when we waded in water, the temperature never became uncomfortable for our feet.

Wearability

The Blundstone Original Chelsea has a classic look, and its signature elastic sides add to its style. With a smaller flood height than other rain boots, you can easily pair these boots with any style of pants. Our lead tester found them to be very versatile in what they could be worn with and in what situations. They easily went from walking along a trail to being worn indoors at a restaurant, coffee shop, or office without feeling out of place.

As mentioned above, the leather will conform to your feet over time, improving the wearability year after year.

Should You Buy the Blundstone Original Chelsea?

If you need waterproof footwear but don't plan to do any stream crossings or puddle jumping, the Blundstone won't disappoint. They're a good alternative if you don't want to invest in a pair that can only be used in rugged outdoor or work environments. Once they've broken in, they are comfortable rides that will take you out when days are damp and soggy, whether you wear them during your walk into the office or out on a trail exploring your local waterways and meadows.

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What Other Rain Boots Should You Consider?

If a deck boot doesn't offer enough protection from the rain and water, don't fret, there are more stylish options we've already tested. Check out the LL Bean 8" Gore-Tex/Thinsulate. If you want a classic rubber deck boot, the Huk Rogue Wave is fully waterproof, and is still comfortable and casual enough to wear around town or as a light chore boot.