The Crossover Hemp Chelsea for Men in Full Black

A follow up to my previous review and contact with 8000kicks (Patricia) regarding my Chelsea boots not being waterproof. As I thought, the first pair I received may have been somehow damaged or suffered from a manufacturing defect leading to them having water leakage around the front toe seam area; the replacement pair do not seem to have that problem. While these boots are waterproof to a certain extent, they are realistically best suited for wearing in the rain, walking in puddles but not for wading! They are exceptionally comfortable, lightweight and provide great traction under foot with their aggressive outer soles. All in all, I have no regrets having subscribed to and supported the initial crowd funding campaign, I am very happy with the boots. 8000kicks has provided great customer suport, I received prompt follow up communication for my enquiries and Patricia took care of a replacement pair of boots, shipped and received within a few weeks.

The 8000Kicks campaign fulfilled my pledge delivering my boots mid December, before Christmas - was very pleased to have them for the winter ahead. The boots were very comfortable right out of the box, fit like a glove and very lightweight. 8000Kicks has definitely put together a high quality, super comfortable boot BUT the pair I received are NOT waterproof. My first experience wearing them out in the rainy weather, much like Jesse Klassen's review (and coincidently, also in BC Canada) the interior of the boots became wet very quickly after walking in shallow puddles and in the heavy rainfall. It seems the waterproof coating on the exterior of the boot is somewhat effective, providing some water resistance but soon became soaked. The boots are supposed to also have an internal waterproof membrane to provide waterproof protection but that didn't seem to work very well either. I think there may be a manufacturing defect that has compromised the membrane or it was not attached properly to the boot. My feet were wet all along the edges of the insoles suggesting perhaps the problem is at the boot seams? In any case, Patricia from 8000kicks responded quickly to my email complaint and suggested a good coat of a nano type waterproof spray for the time being while she organizes a a pair of replacement boots; as of January 17th, 2024 she advised she had not received any other similar feedback about the boots but I note Jesse's review was a few days later on January 23, 2024, same problems with the boots not being waterproof, so maybe more than just a few boots with this problem. I have confidence the current pair I have is not representative of the overall concept, hopefully just a one off anomaly. Looking forward to hearing from 8000Kicks again when the new boots are available.

Backed this boot via the kickstarter and any anxiety I had about blind ordering were laid to rest once I had them on my feet.
I have been wearing them almost every day for the past month in Canadian winter climates. They've kept my feet (with super bad circulation that usually get cold when temps go below 5 degrees C) pretty warm even in up to -15 degree C temps when walking dogs for a half hour. This was really, really unexpected. Traction has been good as well.
Unlike leather chelseas which have taken up to two weeks of steady wear to break in, these took maybe 50 paces before they were flexing and feeling fine.
Road salt stains and mud stains and even a hot chocolate drip have all cleaned up easily on the black chelsea (I have been careful though not to get too in the mess with them, they're a good looking boot and I want them to stay that way for as long as possible).
I know the colour is supposed to shift over time so I think my long-term satisfaction may hinge upon how the black holds out, but so far I've tossed my other beloved chelseas aside for these as my goto footwear.

I’m so grateful I got these boots! They are soooo comfy, light, they are adorable, keep my feet dry, my feet stay toasty even in ice cold Chicago, and they don’t squeeze my toes! I feel like I could’ve walked ten miles in them right away! Definitely worth the money and/or the Kickstarter wait 😉