History ( Old)

THE ORIGINAL CHELSEA BOOT COMPANY dates back to the Victorian era and was first established in the year of 1851.

The first boots were made by J. Sparkes-Hall for the House of Queen Victoria after the creation of vulcanized rubber (the elastic on the sides) which allowed the wearer to slip the boots on and off easily. Queen Victoria had requested a pair of boots to be made without laces, which kept getting stuck in her stirrups while riding. The stirrups was in large part responsible for the creation of this now world-famous boot, which is why we have chosen the dual stirrup as a signature detail on our boots. The logo is embroidered on all our Classic Chelsea Boots, directly on the elastic that has made them famous as well as on the heel of all our boots.

 

The boots were initially called 'Paddock boots' as they were mainly used while riding. The name "Chelsea Boots" didn't appear on the market until the 1950s and '60s, when Chelsea boots became popular in the UK - and their association with the King's Road (A street in the the Borough of Chelsea in western London) set of Swinging London. Worn by everyone from the Rolling Stones and the Beatles to Jean Shrimpton they started to be referred to as "Chelsea" boots. 

By the 1960s, a Cuban heel had been added to the design, a request made by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were regularly seen wearing the boot, further increasing their popularity. Variations were made on the original Chelsea boot to increase the ankle height and elongate the toe and with the fab four rarely seen out of the adapted shoe – commissioned by London company Anello & Davide – they were aptly re-named the Beatle boot.

 

For almost two centuries now, the Chelsea Boot has endured as a true style icon. Our objective is create a lifestyle Brand around this legendary boot design all the while maintaining the highest standards and design elements.

A brand fit for a queen.