Goral Buxton Boot Review: Why This British Boot Is Built Differently

October 12, 2025October 12, 2025 by 100wears

Price: $633

Why Buy?

The Goral Buxton Boot offers classic design with a unique construction method that fits in a collection of any size.

Why Avoid?

The Goral Buxton is heavy, and might not be the right boot for heavy work conditions.

Specs

Model	Buxton
Height	6.75″
Materials	Chromexcel / Leather / Rubber
Size	12UK / 13US
Weight	1168 g / 2 lb 9 oz
Construction	Brass Wire
Country of Origin	United Kingdom

History

Founded in 1936, Goral has carved out a niche taking sneakers and blending them with traditional craftsmanship — swapping cemented soles for Blake stitching and cheap leather for respected brands like Horween. I’ll add – they are darn good at it. While I wasn’t able to get a full review, I had the chance to take a look at their Deck Shoe and it’s awesome.

However, one buried part of their line up doesn’t quite fit in with the rest: the Buxton Boot. Made using a construction method that is so rare only 4 machines can do it, and having an underfoot build that rivals the chunkiest options from the Pacific Northwest, it definitely stands out in the lineup.

I think that raises the question – why does a brand that focuses on refinement keep selling something so overbuilt? Let’s dive in and find out.

Disclaimer: These boots were provided by Goral for the purpose of a review, however this is not a sponsored post. Everything below is my true opinion, and Goral was not given an opportunity to review or edit anything included.

Looks

Upper

The Buxton’s upper feels like something lifted straight off my personal build sheet. Goral started with a classic service boot pattern and stripped away anything that didn’t serve a purpose. No cap toe, no broguing, no filler — just clean lines and solid materials.

The quarters are a single panel with a straight-cut top, finished off with oversized brass hardware and leather laces running through a 5-eye, 2-hook setup. Even the half-gusseted tongue, slightly shorter than most, feels intentional — easy to slip on, easy to live with. The only bit of ornamentation is the small Union Jack and Goral branding on the tongue, and even that feels more like a signature than decoration.

Goral Buxton Brown — *Another great color option; Credit: Goral*

The Goral Buxton comes in 4 different colors of Horween’s Chromexcel: Green, Black, Brown, and this pair’s Natural. They all work, but the Brown and Natural pairs play best with the boot’s workwear roots. Rounded at the toe and built on a 1950s-inspired British last, it’s a shape that leans casual.

Mid- and Outsole

Continuing off what I have picked for my own custom builds of the past, the Goral Buxton mid and outsole is incredibly beefy.

Pictures don’t do it justice. From the top of the midsole to the bottom of the outsole is over an inch thick.

Starting with the midsoles, there are actually three different layers. A ¼” thick piece of light-colored leather, a 1/8^”thick piece of darker leather, and then another ¼” thick piece of leather. That middle panel gives what might be the only thing on the boot that isn’t clearly function over form.

The heel stack is even more leather – 4 additional ~1/8” stacks.

Underfoot, a Dainite Logger two-piece rubber outsole is secured with 4 different brass screws. What is left exposed is the bottom leather midsole along with a few brass wires – but more on that later.

Summary

Overall, the Goral Buxton manages to nail that old-school blue color British vibe. There are a lot of boots out there that claim to be like what the original Doc Martins were made like – these are the kind of boots that the original Doc Martins wanted to be.

From the heavy spring-toe pattern to the build that puts 95% of the weight of the boot under your foot, these feel and look great in any work-wear look.

It probably goes without saying, but these are strictly casual boots. Jeans and a flannel will be perfect, just maybe leave these in the closet when you’re wearing wool trousers and a blazer.

Fit & Comfort

Fit

The Goral Buxton is an extremely generous fitting boot. Not in that it is cumbersome, but that I think that just about everyone will be able to comfortably wear this last.

The toe box is among the widest I’ve ever seen on a pair of shoes, and the open lacing pattern allows for a huge amount of give. They do offer both a D and EE, but you’re going to need to have a really wide foot to need that EE.

As for which size to pick, if you go by U.S. sizing, they do run on the smaller size.

I got these in a size UK12/US13. For comparison, I wear a size US11.5 in most Pacific Northwest boots and a US12 in brands like Red Wing and Alden. Goral does offer free size exchanges, but the Buxton is made to order so swapping sizes likely means another wait.

In short: go one full size up from your usual U.S. size — and expect a wide, generous fit.

Comfort

The Goral Buxton is a pretty comfortable boot right out of the box, and should improve with time.

The combination of soft, pliable Chromexcel leather and an unlined, unstructured upper means there’s virtually no break-in. Within half an hour of my first wear, the leather had already relaxed and flexed naturally.

Of course, that big chunky midsole is going to take a bit more work. But it’s not uncomfortable fresh out of the box, and that heavy dose of leather should conform to your foot and improve comfort over time.

There are two things you should know about.

First, the Buxton is made on what is known as a “Sprung Toe” last. The idea is similar to “rocker” sneakers – the boot does more of the work of walking for you. While it won’t matter for most guys, there are medical conditions and injuries that either require this design or require that you avoid it.

Second, the Buxton is heavy. Even without a liner or toe cap, these are right up there with other overbuilt work boots. There is no way to get around it – big, sturdy soles are not light.

Still, unless there is a medical reason you can’t wear sprung toe lasts, these are plenty comfortable to wear all day.

Materials & Construction

Materials

Upper: Horween Chromexcel
Insole: Veg Tanned Leather
Midsole: Veg Tanned Leather
Outsole: Rubber

The upper of the Goral Buxton is made entirely of Horween’s Chromexcel leather – a combination tanned leather known for it’s supple feel and high degree of pull up. While Chromexcel can have its drawbacks – such as the so called “loose grain” effect – I still really like the leather and it fits great with this design. The front of the boot is lined with a combination leather and fabric lining.

In the heel and toe a polycarbonate toe box and heel provide additional support. Also helping is a wooden shank! I know there are some guys who would prefer steel, but for 99% of people this will be lighter, more security friendly, and will be just as supportive over decades of wear.

Underfoot you have a: veg tanned insole, the first veg tanned midsole, the second veg tanned midsole, the third veg tanned midsole, a tiny bit of cork, and a hard rubber outsole. Starting with the insole and midsoles, it’s a silly amount of leather. Not that I’m complaining, but it’s more than you will ever need.

The outsole is made of a very hard rubber compound. It should prove very durable, though won’t be the grippiest thing in the world.

Construction

Onto the star of the show – the brass wire construction. Brass wire construction is extremely rare. The factory that makes the Buxton boot in the United Kingdom only has three machines that can do it. There is only one more in the world, owned by a boot company in New Zealand.

At its core, brass wire construction is most similar to nail down construction. However, instead of nails, a small bit of threaded brass wire is driven through the midsole, upper, and insole, securing them in place. Because the process is done by a machine, it can be set to a specific depth, driving as far as possible into the boot without going through the insole. Since this design is threaded instead of smooth, it offers an extremely durable and water-resistant design.

As for drawbacks, it’s very difficult – though not impossible – to replace the midsole of the boot. Most cobblers won’t have the ability to replace the midsole since there are so few machines that exist. If you get some real damage to them, expect to send them back to the UK for repair.

Care

Caring for the Goral Buxton is mostly straightforward. Expect to condition the upper leather every 4-6 months, depending on wear. With Chromexcel, it’s easy to tell when it’s time – if it feels dry, it is.

As for which conditioner to use, Goral recommends Saphir. There is no doubt that they make excellent products, though you’ll get almost as good results with Bick 4 for half the price.

The other thing you need to make sure you do is use shoe trees. With soles as thick as these, if they begin to curve it’ll be nearly impossible to straighten them out. Goral offers some really nice looking wooden shoe trees on their site, but any ceder shoe tree from Amazon should work.

When it comes time to replace the outsole, don’t let the brass wire construction scare you – much. The rubber outsole is held on via screws and glue, and any cobbler should be able to peel them off and replace them. Just be careful to not wear into the midsole before you have them fixed up.

If you do manage to wear into the midsole, Goral does offer to repair these boots back at the factory.

Pricing

The Goral Buxton boot is priced at $633 USD, including all tariffs and duties – which are substantial as I write this in October of 2025. This puts them about in line with the Pacific Northwest brands, which makes sense since they offer a similarly robust build quality.

If you’re one of the readers outside the United States and are lucky enough to be able to buy the non-tariff price for these, they undercut the PNW brands by a lot.

Are the Goral Buxton Worth It?

With all that said, are the Goral Buxton boots worth it? I’d say yes.