5 Best Desert Boots For Men: Sturdy & Stylish in 2024

Desert boots manage to sit in the middle of a bunch of categories and do well in all of them. They can be dressy enough to wear out on the town or even with a suit, but they’re tough and hardy enough that you can actually wear them outside without doing them any harm.

The rugged type of boot that’s known as a desert boot (or sometimes, a chukka boot) first became popular in South Africa. They were easy to make and tough enough to handle harsh desert environments and were eventually used as the footwear of British troops serving in Africa during World War II.

In this article, we’re going to go over 5 of the best desert boots for men that you can find on the internet. It’s a really strong list, which means that you can’t go wrong by picking any of them.

Let’s jump right into it.

Key Takeaways

I’ve been wearing hiking boots in all the situations I described in the intro, and many more, for a lot of years now. That means that I’ve bought a few different pairs and that I’ve amassed a lot of knowledge about the category while doing that shopping. And I’m excited to have the chance to share it all with you by putting together this list of the best desert boots for men.

Overall, the best desert boots for men are the Steve Madden Men’s Hestonns, which are made from great materials and feature a classic design. They’re also really affordable compared to the huge price tags you often see on other types of boots, meaning that they’re a great deal that’s available for you.

I’ve also included a luxury option on the list, the HUGO BOSS Calev Suede Desert Boot, as well as a great option to wear on an everyday basis (Dockers Mens Norton Lace Up Ankle Boots).

Why they’re great: These stylish boots by Steve Madden top our list of the best desert boots for men as a result of the high-quality leather they’re made from and their refined cut and profile. With three great color options, the Steve Madden Men’s Hestonn gives you a choice between a more rugged and unfinished look or a buffed brown leather option.

Who are these for? These are a flexible and versatile pair of men’s desert boots that I think just about anyone would be happy wearing in either the summer or the winter.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: The outsole is made from a synthetic leather product, unlike the rest of the boot, which is real leather.

Material: 100% Leather | Sole Material: 100% Synthetic Leather | Sizes Available: U.S. 7 – U.S. 17 | Colors Available: 3

Why they’re great: Bruno Marc Men’s Classic Dress Casual Chukka Boots 2.0 are an inexpensive yet high-quality pair of desert boots that will serve you well. I really like the black versions of these boots (there are a couple of them) because they have a little bit of a punk rock look about them, which isn’t something you usually associate with desert boots. But these are a unique pair of boots that manage to pull off the look.

Who are these for? If you want to get a pair of desert boots but you don’t want to break the bank, then I think that you could find a lot to like about the Bruno Marc Men’s Classic Dress Casual Chukka Boots 2.0.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: Some might prefer a pair of boots that are made from genuine leather, unlike this pair, but others do prefer the look or the ethics of synthetic leather. It also helps keep the price down, which is important for a budget option.

Material: 100% Synthetic Leather | Sole Material: 100% Rubber | Sizes Available: U.S. 6.5 – U.S. 15 | Colors Available: 7

Why they’re great: These exceptionally beautiful boots from Hugo Boss will make you both look and feel like a million dollars. The dark brown suede feels unbelievably soft, and the color allows you a lot of flexibility when it comes to how to wear them. They can definitely dress up, so to speak, and be worn with more formal outfits without looking at all out of place.

Who are these for? I’d recommend these boots to men with discerning taste who aren’t satisfied with anything but the absolute best.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: The only thing I’d criticize about this boot is the lack of visible stitching, which usually looks really great on desert boots. But that does probably help them look a bit more dressy.

Material: 100% Suede | Sole Material: 100% Rubber | Sizes Available: U.S. 7 – U.S. 13 | Colors Available: 1

Why they’re great: These are pretty standard desert boots in terms of the design and approach from Clarks. That’s a positive thing, though, since the desert boot is a formula that we really love and doesn’t really need to be reinvented. You can also get these boots in a couple of funkier colors like blue and red, which I really like.

Who are these for? If you’re looking to pick up a great pair of desert boots quickly and without any fuss, then you can definitely take advantage of your Prime account and get these great men’s desert boots from Amazon.

Flaws but not deal-breakers: One relatively common customer complaint is that they’re quite stiff until they’re broken in, which can take a little bit.

Material: 100% Leather | Sole Material: 100% Synthetic | Sizes Available: U.S. 7 – U.S. 15 | Colors Available: 11

Why they’re great: The Dockers Mens Norton Lace Up Ankle Boots are a really great pair of desert boots that you can rely on for everyday use. The synthetic leather material they’re made from is really tough, which means you won’t need to worry about the scuffs or scratches that can sometimes affect leather boots after lots of wear.

Who are these for? If you’re someone who likes to have a pair of shoes or boots that you can throw on everyday without putting too much thought into it, then you should definitely take a look at this product.

Flaws but not deal breakers: All the color options you have for these boots are pretty similar brown and tan shades, which cuts down on the amount of choice it feels like you have.

Material: 100% Synthetic leather | Sole Material: 100% Rubber | Sizes Available: U.S. 7 – U.S. 15 | Colors Available: 3

Buying Considerations for The Best Desert Boots For Men

Size

You don’t want a ton of extra space around your feet. A pair of boots need to fit firmly if they’re going to give you a strong platform to move around on. Of course, it’s equally important that you have enough room—after all, nobody wants to be stuck in a pair of boots that are half a size too small.

I’d always recommend taking a good look at the sizing guide of whatever brand whose boots you’re considering. That’s the only way to get the best possible information about sizing and ensure that your new pair of desert boots will fit you perfectly.

Color

Desert boots tend to work best in natural colors like black, brown, and tan. They are rustic fashion items, which means that you don’t want them to look artificial or ‘done up’ in any way.

Additionally, these natural colors are easy to style with a lot of different types of outfits. For instance, a brown pair of desert boots (like the HUGO BOSS Calev Suede Desert Boots, for example) will look as great with a pair of jeans as they will with a pair of slacks or khakis.

However, if you’re dead set on getting a more colorful pair, then the Clarks Men’s Bushacre 2 Chukka Boot does have lots of options for you.

Material

Desert boots really are all about showing off the material they’re made of. With most pairs of desert boots, there aren’t a lot of other design features that distract from that material.

Most of my personal favorite pairs of desert boots are made from high-quality leather that can hold its own in terms of appearance. However, I’ve also seen pairs I like that are made from both suede and high-quality synthetic materials.

How We Chose

The two things we looked at when we were considering products for this list were the quality of the materials a boot was made out of and the quality of the design and craftsmanship that went into it. We wanted to find boots that anyone would feel confident wearing in just about any situation. And, looking back over the list, I do think we succeeded.

We also used the following four criteria to ensure that every product and brand that made it onto this list is up to snuff.

Brand reputation: We were careful to recommend only brands that have a history of making boots that are top-quality and last for years.

Customer reviews: Looking through hundreds of customer reviews helped us figure out which products were truly exceptional and which just looked promising.

Price: All the products we put on this list offer the buyer (more than) enough value to justify the price tag that’s attached to them. We do love a good deal!

Transparency: Finally, we’re always careful to make sure that every brand we recommend is transparent about all the crucial little details, from where their materials come from to what their return policy looks like.

Why Trust Us?

As an editorial team here at FashionBeans, we’re all 100% in agreement about how highly we rate desert boots. They’re classy yet trendy, and we’ve had our eyes on the category for a long time now. As a result, each of us already had a couple of our own favorites when we started working on this list.

After doing research individually to review new and unfamiliar pairs of desert boots, we each came up with a shortlist of products to recommend for this list. After a long meeting that included lots of back and forth, we finally settled on the five products we put in the final version you’ve just read.

It’s as exhaustive a process as it sounds like, but it does give us a lot of confidence in the quality of the picks we’ve made. We hope that you agree after seeing the list.

Final Verdict 

Overall, we decided to go with the Steve Madden Men’s Hestonns as the best desert boot for men. They’re a great take on a classic style of desert boots and feature great-quality material and craftsmanship. You can’t find much more perfect desert boots than these, either online or off.