Chelsea boots are incredibly fun to wear. I’ve reviewed the Fulham from VIVOBAREFOOT already and am excited to add Chelsea from Mukishoes to the list. The black pair were sent to me for review, but all thoughts are my own. I purchased the brown (highlighted in their own section below) later.
Buying Chelsea from Mukishoes is easy and you can save 10% with the affiliated discount code OWBMUKI. Chelsea is now part of their permanent collection and has a caramel-colored cousin in leather.
Sections
Technical Specifications
- 100% vegan
- Sole: 100% natural rubber
- Lining: Organic Cotton Flannel
- Upper: Cork leather, colored black
- Sizes: 36-48
The cork used to make these makes them special: light, easy to care for, and highly water-resistant. These are a great addition to your wardrobe and offer carefree wear. More about each point below.
Appearance
These boots have a matte look and texture to them that puts them a little more on the casual side, but I have mixed it up – leggings, jeggings, and even dresses go well with them.
Some of the pictures in this review will look lighter than others (more like what’s on Muki’s site). As I mentioned in the Plum review, cameras can easily do that via white balance and aperture settings. This shows a lot more detail (my intent) but also makes items look far lighter. Don’t worry – they are very much black shoes, as shown in these outfit pictures, where the shoes almost disappear.
Fit and Sizing
There is an inherent challenge in designing a pull-on shoe like these boots. Without laces, the ability to adjust is missing. The Chelsea style demands this. They wouldn’t be Chelsea boots with laces or zippers. But in a style like this, if you’re out of room, you’re out of room.
In my experience, these boots will best fit a medium volume and medium width foot in your normal size. That means that Mukishoes did a good job. They aimed for the middle and hit it. It also means that if you’re particularly low volume, you might need an insole. On the flip side, if you’re high or wide you’re going to have to consider sizing up.
Which is what I did.
These are 44s instead of my normal 43s. That means they fit both my volume and width great, but there are some things to consider if you do go this route. The opening is quite narrow and well-constructed, which means it will direct where your leg sits in the shoe. This can push you forward and give you some extra room in the back. This doesn’t happen enough for me to impact my toe freedom, but it does happen and can cause some wrinkling in the back, depending on what socks I’m wearing (thicker socks take up some of this room).
A full sizing guide is available on Muki’s site, along with a downloadable PDF for fitting. Mukishoes uses different materials in different shoes, which does change the fit in some models. If you’ve got a medium width/height foot, you can follow the sizing chart. Be mindful if your foot shape is dramatically different. Most of mine are 43s, which give me a little more than the ideal 12 mm, but the curve on Mukis is stronger than the curve of my toes as you look from the big toe outward, so the extra-extra space is only in front of the first toes. A 42 would absolutely have me knocking the end of any of their models with my 3rd/4th toes.
The soles of all Mukishoes are the same size in every model, but the newer 100% natural rubber soles tend to curl in more easily, and both this model and Plum seem to have less material on top, giving them a tighter feel in normal sizes, even while length remains the same.
Breaking In
The opening is tight and pushes in at the start, but adjusts quickly if you find it snug. It doesn’t really get bigger (no elastic stretch) but the part at the front that pushed in at first stops being uncomfortable at all.
They will start to show creasing with wear just like leather derived from animals. And, just like animal leather, this gives them a worn-in, loved look. Other than this, and the change to the opening, I don’t notice anything else changing about them. The elastic is unwrinkled (meaning it’s not losing its strength) and there is no sagging or collapse in the structure of the boot.
How do they feel?
They’re cool in look and to the touch. I can slide them on fast for a quick run outside, or wear them for walks with the same ease. Eventually, when we’re going out again regularly and to more than grocery runs, I expect these shoes to be a central part of my wardrobe. They’re very barefoot and light, with a gentle flexibility, and the 100% natural rubber sole at just 3.5 mm thick gives you great ground feel.
Cleaning and Care
The use of cork leather for the upper makes these one of the lightest and most flexible options around. Mukishoes has posted about the cork leather production process and cleaning requirements before, but here’s the run-down:
Cork leather means they’re just that: cork, and that they retain their “properties such as water resistance, durability, elasticity and heat isolation.” The alternative uses pieces set in a substrate of manufactured materials, which makes them require additional care to prevent problems such as drying out.
Cleaning is simple: just wipe them. You cannot use machine washing or drying with these shoes.
Waterproofing the cork leather is unnecessary. The only place you might need to do something is the stitching around the sole. You can use a natural wax here to prevent intrusion.
Chelsea Caramel
After the success of the original Chelsea Cork, Mukishoes released a brown leather Chelsea Caramel to similar success. I came back later and purchased my own pair, and while they are different, they are also just as easy to love.
These are similar in overall look, but have some big differences:
- Made of animal leather
- Lined in wool
- Include an insole, which takes up more space
Like their sister model, Chelsea Cork, they run lower volume and narrow, and with the addition of the wool lining and insole, even lower. Like Cork, I sized up, and I wear them without socks.
As with all Mukishoes models, they have 100% natural rubber soles and are completely flexible.
And they go great with dresses or jeans (the best option if you have wider calves, as like all Mukis they are designed for narrow ankles), but are wearable at higher volumes.
While this model does feel more snug than others due to the inside lining and insole, the toe box and sole are foot-friendly and aligned with the rest of Mukishoes’ offerings.
Chelsea Oat
In the fall of 2021 they expanded their Chelsea line further with Oat, which is a chrome-free white suede version lined in flannel. Be sure to protect something like this right away with a fabric spray. Sizing and fit should be most similar to Cork.
Chelsea Kids
Around the same time, they also launched kid versions of Cork and Caramel to bring the style cred to our younger family members.
Purchasing, Shipping, and Returns
You can purchase Chelsea Cork directly from Mukishoes and you can save 10% with the affiliate discount code OWBMUKI. The brown leather can be found here and the special edition Oat in white leather is here.
Mukishoes does accept returns and you can check out their full policies on their site. There is a particular process to follow depending on your location, and you will be responsible for return shipping costs.
Shipping is handled via DHL Express, which is fast and reliable. I generally receive shipments from Europe in just a few days with this company. The shipping is 16 additional Euros for USA, and less if you’re within Portugal or the EU.
Company Information
Mukishoes has always been very open about their ideals of sustainable manufacturing and growth. They share detailed thoughts on their site and regularly post about their suppliers, methods, and ideals via their blog, email newsletters (sign up at the bottom of their page), Facebook, and Instagram.
Final Thoughts
I was really excited to see that Mukishoes was diverging from their laced look into a new area, and am not disappointed with the results. I don’t have a single boot that feels lighter and while it’s not the widest pair of shoes I own, I hardly know I’m wearing them, which is a huge plus. They are unpretentious, go with different styles, well-made, and easy to care for. What’s not to love?
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
Looking for Winter?
Take a look at this BIG list.
Love color?
Check out the BIG lists here.
