Saddleback Officer’s Boot Review: Worth the $675 Price Tag?
Price: $675
Why Buy?
The Saddleback Officer’s Boot offers exceptional handwork and finishing in a shape that is designed to maximize comfort.
Why Avoid?
The Saddleback Officer’s Boot won’t be as rugged as other options in this price range.
Specs
| Model | Officer’s Boot |
| Height | 6.25″ |
| Materials | Leather / Leather |
| Size | 12.5 |
| Weight | 800 g / 1 lb 12.2 oz |
| Construction | Goodyear Welt |
| Country of Origin | Italy |
History
Saddleback Leather is a company that has been around for a while now. If you’re as old as I am, you’ll remember them as one of the original “Buy it for Life” brands from early Reddit. In fact, when it came to their mainline items, particularly wallets, one of the biggest complaints that people had was that they were too overbuilt.
What has changed is their recent launch into the footwear space with this: the Saddleback Officer’s Boot. While leather wallets are pretty easy to build for durability – just keep making the leather thicker until it stops ripping – a boot is an entirely different beast.
In their classic way, Saddleback made some bold claims about this boot in their marketing copy. Claims that have raised eyebrows of certain well known boot reviewers. When they reached out to see if I’d like to take a look at a pair, I knew I had to check and see if they can walk the walk.
With that said, let’s dive in and find out. Is the Saddleback Officer’s Boot worth the price?
Disclaimer: This pair of Saddleback Officer’s Boots were provided for the purpose of a review, however this is not a sponsored post. Saddleback was not able to review, approve, or rewrite anything in the article and everything below is my true opinion.
Looks
Upper
Taking the Saddleback Officer’s Boot out of the box the first thing you notice, after the great leather leather smell, is the material choice of the upper. It’s nice. Really nice. Frankly, it’s way nicer than even the pair they use for their marketing shots. It’s an aniline leather, though with next to no flaws on it. I opted for Oxblood, but if you’re not a fan of this reddish brown the Officer Boot also available in a Tan and a Black.
Next, I need to touch on the craftsmanship. It’s outstanding. The stitching is flawless, edges are neatly rolled, and broguing is crisp and cleanly cut. I am not exaggerating when I say the handwork is as good as any pair of shoes I’ve ever seen – including the likes of Edward Green.
Speaking of that toe cap and broguing, that might be the most polarizing portion of the boot. Offered as a sweeping pattern it pulls these otherwise very dressy boots into a slightly more western vibe. Other details include semi-polished nickel eyelets and hooks in a 4/3 pattern, and a thin half gusseted tongue.
Inside, the boot is fully lined with more excellent leather. The half-length sockliner features a picture of Blue, the former Black Lab owned by Saddleback’s founder.
Mid- and Outsole
When taking a look a the bottom of the Saddleback Officer’s Boot it’s more of the same. Or, in other words, it’s astonishingly good.
Like the upper, the welt stitching is impeccable, as is the joint where the 270-degree welt meets the rand which runs along the heel.
One area you won’t see any stitching is on the leather outsole. Saddleback opted for a closed channel stitching. This is a process where the leather has a slit cut into it, is sewn onto the welt through that slit, and then the leather is folded and glued back, closing up that channel. That laborious process is done entirely so that the bottom of your boot – something almost nobody will see – looks better.
That isn’t the only high-end feature of these outsoles. Saddleback also decided to include a mild fiddleback design. Again, more high-quality handwork put into this boot. Here is a bit more information on how closed channeling and fiddlebacking is done.
Finishing off the outsole is the heel of the boot. Built much lower than similar boots – even lower than some dress shoes – it’s designed to minimize the boot’s drop. This is sanded with a very gentle angle with zero imperfections.
Summary
To say I’m impressed with how these boots look is an understatement. While there are certainly people who might find the toe cap and Munson last polarizing, this boot is one of those rare items that is more than advertised.
The high level of handwork, clean stitching, and slim outsole do put these boots well into the “dress boot” category. These are much more refined in style than something like an Iron Ranger or a pair of White’s.
This higher level of formality means they work much better with other more refined outfits. That doesn’t mean you can’t pull them off with denim, but maybe opt for the inkier well-fitted pair instead of the 6-year-old 21 oz ones you use for gardening.
On the other end, you could easily wear these to any business casual office.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
The Saddleback Officer’s Boot uses what’s known as a Munson last. A more anatomical shape first developed to help foot pain for U.S. soldiers in 1912. You can expect a wider forefoot, curved to accommodate a big toe, and a narrow heel. While no last fits every foot shape, for most guys a Munson last going to be a more natural feel on feet.
As for the sizing, this pair is a bit counterintuitive. With most wide lasts, guys will want to stay the same or even size down. However, following Saddleback’s sizing advice, I went up a half size from my typical dress shoe size – a full size up from my work boot size. I wear an 11.5E in White’s and Viberg, a 12 in Allen Edmonds and Redwing, and I got this pair in a 12.5 – a size that fits me perfectly with thin to medium padding socks.
Comfort
When discussing the Saddleback Officer’s Boot comfort, there are two things to consider.
First, the shape of the boot itself – both the last and the heel height. While I can’t verify any of the foot health claims that the brand makes, I can say that this makes for a very comfortable shape for my foot. It allows a more natural position. Though, if you’re not used to a flatter, wider boot it might take some getting used to which can result in temporary arch pain as your foot adjusts.
Second, the under-foot comfort. Saddleback opted for quality materials here. This boot should do a great job taking the shape of your foot and offers quality arch support without going over the top. However, there is only a single leather outsole. There isn’t a lot of space to provide impact protection.
While I probably wouldn’t be picking these if I was going to walk 20 miles sightseeing around a city, they are more than comfortable enough to wear for 12 hours during a typical day.
Materials & Construction
Materials
The materials of the Saddleback Officer’s Boot are all entirely top notch.
For the upper leather, Saddleback opted for veg-tanned European bovine leather. It almost feels like calf, though they do make it clear that this is from adult cows. You can find out more about their leather selection process here, but I want to emphasize that this looks, smells, and feels great.
Moving inside the boot, the kip leather lining feels great and should last for as long as you need it to. Between the upper and lining is – you guessed it – leather heel and toe puffs to keep the structure of the boot. Speaking of the toe, this boot is made with a real toe cap. Or, in other words, the cap is a second layer of leather.
The eyelets, even though they look like nickel, are brass. And substantial. I’ve never had an eyelet bend on me, but I have sat and listened to Bedo from Bedo’s leather work rant about them. That won’t be a problem here.
Under foot, a footbed is made of a substantial (~5mm) stack of leather, with a very thin sockliner insole near the heel. Below that, where you typically would find cork, is actually another cut out of leather. While I’m not quite as down on cork as Saddleback is, leather here is certainly an improvement.
For a shank, they surprisingly didn’t opt for leather, instead choosing steel.
As mentioned above, the welt, outsole, rand, and heel are all made of leather. Personally, I’m not quite as in love with leather outsoles as someone like Nick from Stridewise is, I wouldn’t expect anything else from Saddleback.
Construction
The Saddleback Officer’s Boot is made using a 270-degree goodyear welt construction. To make a boot this way, first a leather strip – the welt – is attached to the upper of the boot. Then the outsole is sewn to that strip of leather, holding everything together.
Since the welt itself is not part of the upper, it offers a bit of extra protection and can be replaced if damaged.
Goodyear welting is the go-to for higher end footwear. Many select it for its long-term durability and ease of resoling. You can take it to any cobbler and get a new sole put on. As for drawbacks, goodyear welting is one of the more expensive ways to make a boot, and this style will never be as flexible as something like Blake.
It’s also worth noting that these shoes are made in Italy. I try to be objective in my reviews, and things like valuing location is inherently subjective, but it is impossible to ignore that it does impact production cost.
Pricing
The Saddleback Officer’s Boot comes in at a not insubstantial $675.
I’ll be the first to tell you, that’s a lot of money. I’ll also be the first to tell you that it’s entirely justified.
These boots are genuinely no-compromise in their construction. All of the materials are top notch, and the stitching and finishing is perfect. I’d put the construction slightly above Carmina, who charge $740 for a comparable boot. These boots easily play in that price bracket.
You also can’t ignore the warranty. While it doesn’t cover wear and tear (no unlimited resoles for 100 years), 100 years is so far beyond standard that it’s almost silly. For example, “tough” brands like White’s and Red Wing typically offer 1 year. Most brands, such as Alden or Carmina, offer no warranty at all.
Wrap Up
I have pretty high expectations when a brand asks you to part with $675 for a piece of footwear. I can say with all honesty that the Saddleback Officer’s Boot exceeded those expectations.
Not only does the boot nail the basics that you need to – quality leather, comfortable fit, etc. – it adds so many little details that make the boot feel special. The rolled edges, the eyelets, the leather filled midsole, the closed channel stitching, and more.
Sure, to the Carl Murowski’s of the world who weigh everything based on if it helps you wire up a construction site at 3 AM in a Wisconsin January, these probably won’t be the right boot. They will not be as durable as a pair of similarly priced White’s boots. If that is what you’re looking for, there are a better options.
However, if you’re looking for an amazingly high-quality boot, particularly if you want a Munson last, this is a great pick up.
Regarding the fit, I know you compared to other brands but how does the 12.5 compare to your actual Brannock size? True? Smaller? Bigger?
Thanks
Hey Mark –
On Brannock, I’m between a 12E and a 12.5E. I typically like a little bit of space.
I’d say these are fairly true to size, but the narrow heel and wide toe box will have a big impact on sizing, especially if you change sizes to compensate for things like toe space in other brands.