Men's Burgundy Jodhpur Boots

Burgundy jodhpur boots for men, hand painted in layers and hand welted on a leather sole. A wraparound ankle strap with a single buckle, cut at ankle height and made to order in your size and width.

What a jodhpur boot is

A jodhpur boot is an ankle boot closed by a strap that wraps around the ankle and fastens with a buckle on the outer side. No laces, no elastic. The strap does all the work.

It takes its name from Jodhpur, in Rajasthan, where the style was worn for polo in the nineteenth century before British officers carried it back to England. The riding version had a taller shaft. What survived into dress footwear is the low-cut ankle boot with the wraparound strap — the sleekest boot in menswear, because there is no lacing or gusset interrupting the line.

Jodhpur, chelsea or chukka — how to tell them apart

The practical difference is where the fit is controlled. A chelsea relies on elastic that eventually slackens. A chukka adjusts across the instep. A jodhpur adjusts at the ankle, which is where a boot actually needs holding — and unlike elastic, a buckle does not wear out.

Burgundy, oxblood and deep burgundy

The terms get used loosely, so it is worth being precise. Burgundy is a red-brown with the red clearly dominant, named for the wine. Oxblood sits darker with more brown and less red. Deep burgundy is burgundy taken almost to black, where the red only shows in direct light. Cordovan, confusingly, describes a leather rather than a colour, though it is usually a similar shade.

Ours is a true burgundy: red-dominant, deepened at the toe and heel so it shades toward oxblood where a boot naturally darkens. That gives you the versatility of a dark boot with the colour of a red one.

How the colour is built up

The burgundy is not one coat of dye. The leather is painted in thin layers, each one worked in and burnished before the next goes on, and built deeper at the toe, the heel and along the welt.

That is why the colour has depth rather than sitting flat on the surface, and why it reads differently in daylight than under a lamp. It is done by hand on every pair, so no two come out identical.

Hand welted on a leather sole

The upper, insole and welt are stitched together by hand, with no glue holding the structure. A maker spends most of a day on a single pair. The boot can be resoled repeatedly, and the leather sole and cork bed mould to the shape of your foot rather than resisting it.

Cemented and machine-welted boots at similar prices cannot be rebuilt the same way, which gives them a fixed lifespan however carefully you look after them.

What to wear with burgundy boots

Burgundy is more versatile than it looks, because it behaves like a dark neutral rather than a colour. Grey flannel is the best pairing — the red lifts the grey without competing. Charcoal and navy both work. Tan chinos and dark denim work in a more casual register.

Two things to avoid. Do not pair burgundy boots with brown accessories; the tones fight and neither wins. Use black or burgundy hardware, or go without a belt. And do not wear burgundy with black trousers, which flattens the colour entirely.

Aim for no break or a slight break in the trouser so the ankle strap is visible — the buckle is the detail worth showing, and burying it under a hem wastes the whole shape. See the rest of our leather boots, or the chelsea boots if you would rather not fasten anything.

Sizing: made to order in your US width

Every pair is cut after you order, so you specify your width instead of accepting a standard D. We make D, E, EE and EEE.

Jodhpurs are reasonably forgiving, because the strap gives real adjustment at the ankle. The length still has to be right at the ordering stage. Check the size guide, or send us your measurements through contact and we will confirm your fit before we start work.

Caring for hand painted burgundy

Use a neutral cream rather than a coloured polish. Burgundy waxes vary wildly in tone and almost none will match a layered finish — a mismatch will muddy it permanently. Brush with horsehair, condition two or three times a year.

Pay attention to the strap and buckle area, since that leather flexes more than the rest of the boot and dries out first. Cedar trees between wearings to hold the shape.

What to expect when you order

These are painted and built after you order, not pulled from a shelf. Tell us your size, width and finish and we make the pair. We confirm your timeline by email before starting work, and we ship worldwide. Full details are in shipping and returns, or browse new arrivals.

Frequently asked questions

Are these riding boots? No. Jodhpur boots began as riding footwear, but these are dress boots cut at the ankle for ordinary wear.

What is the difference between a jodhpur and a chelsea boot? A jodhpur closes with a wraparound strap and buckle. A chelsea has elastic side gussets and no fastening.

Is this deep burgundy or standard burgundy? A true burgundy, red-dominant, shaded darker at the toe and heel.

Will the colour fade? Not with neutral cream and a horsehair brush. Coloured polish is what damages a hand painted finish.

Are both boots identical in colour? Close, but not exactly. The layering is done by hand, so each pair varies slightly.

Can these be resoled? Yes. Hand welted construction means any competent cobbler can rebuild them.

Do you make wide widths? Yes, up to EEE, made to order.