Meermin Chukka Boot

“Hey everyone, It's great to have had these boots make it this far. These photos are just after their return from the cobbler, some restitching and, I believe, the 3rd set of heels (I am a bit of shoe destroyer). When I bought these back in 2015 at 21, these were a lot of money for me! My first pair of boots were a pair of black Timberlands. I fell in love with wearing boots, and though they didn't last much more than a year, I went down the rabbit hole, and all these boots are my favourite slice of Americana! After much reserach and deliberation, the USD$187 I ended up paying for these Chippewas was a great deal especially as these sort of boots are hard to come by in New Zealand, let alone at a reasonable price. I don't think Amazon has the global shoe program anymore, which applied free shipping to a lot of different shoes and boots. The construction has held up very well. For the first few years of their life I wore them daily to university and office jobs and they always put up with the damp Auckland weather. Though, I can't say they are waterproof anymore, and I do recall the shanks fell out after a few years, which I never replaced. I've taken them countless miles traveling in many different countries, in cities and for hikes. I would love to know how many hours I spent in these! During Covid they were eased into retirement, and they're sort of saved for occasional outings now as I never returned to the office, so will go days without wearing any shoes! They're ridiculously comfortable, and I think they've aged beautifully. The leather has a rich patina that I love, and I've enjoyed polishing them into different shades, I'll never not be amazed at how they come up! I like how they look equally natural in an office or off-road, even in this condition. Overall I'm still really happy with my Chippewa boots, especially as they were relatively a bit of a budget option, and that worked well for my student days. It became a bit of my identity, in these everyday! I don't own any other pairs of boots, and I'm not sure what to look at next. I remember thinking I could get use out of the Wolverine 1000 Mile Chukkas, as a more dressier option to complement these, but I think they're discontinued? It looks like these Chippewas are discontinued as well. I spent a fair bit of time in Washington around Seattle a few years ago, so I've always had a soft spot for Whites boots as well. In NZ there is [Mckinlay's](https://mckinlays.co.nz/collections/mens-footwear), but I don't think these are for me. Bonus pick of my Aquila Oxfords, back from the same cobbler trip. These are about 6 years old, and had a fair bit of use when I worked in an office. I think I've worn them once in these past 12 months haha (for a friend's wedding as the best man), so I should have them a while longer for other such occasions. I like the patina on these as well, and I've always disliked derby shoes, they seem so casual! So I was elated to find welted oxfords (Blake welt?) a”