Amberjack “The Boot” Review: Copper Nubuck Leather Boots

Style & Appearance

As briefly mentioned earlier, these boots are best classified as a service boot style, given their derby lace closure and above-the-ankle boot shaft. While traditional service boots often feature a stacked heel, The Boot deviates from this when it incorporates Amberjack’s dual-density soles.

However, this difference isn’t enough to categorize The Boot as a different style, especially considering how broad the service boot category is.

Getting into the design of The Boot, Amberjack has thoughtfully stitched different segments of leather to create the boot’s silhouette, including a cap-toe and a reinforced shaft. Throughout the upper, the stitching is clean and well done, speaking to the craftmanship of their bootmakers in Portugal, which has not let me down in the past.

In my opinion, the nubuck leather upper is the highlight here. It offers a soft and svelte texture with a subtle nap that handsomely alters its tone depending on how it’s brushed. Overall, this leather choice helps to give The Boot a ton of complexity and character.

Finally, the Amberjack midsole and outsole are cream and dark brown, respectively, contrasting with and complementing the color of the “copper” nubuck upper. The idea here is to imitate the look of a Goodyear-welted boot, which it accomplishes to some extent.

Fit & Comfort

Amberjack’s “The Boot” offers a short break-in period thanks to the dual-density sole, which genuinely makes them feel more like sneakers than traditional boots. If you prefer the heft and bulkiness of classic boots, these might not be the best choice, as they lack that weight.

The leather upper was pliable and soft right out of the box, though the boots did feel a bit snug, especially across the vamp. Yet, the leather seemed to stretch after just a few minutes of walking around in the boots.

In subsequent instances, when I laced up The Boot, the snug feeling was present when putting them on, and again, it eased after walking around, which made me think that this effect was by design. Now that it’s been a few months of wearing them, both the upper and the memory foam insole have settled in to my foot’s dimensions.

Inside, The Boot is lined with perforated sheepskin leather for breathability, adding to the plush feel around the foot.

The double-layer combination of Nubuck on the outside and sheepskin on the inside definitely makes them comfortable, like wearing a padded sock around the foot & ankle, though they might be too warm for very hot weather.

When it comes to putting them on, they are undoubtedly more trouble than Amberjack’s Chelseas, which can simply be slipped on.  Instead, these must be unlaced almost completely to slip the foot in and then laced back up, at least in my experience.

The Boot does have pull-tabs at the back that help during this process. Moreover, the tongue has a loop to put the laces through, which helps it remain in place, and overall, I’d say they feel very secure and supportive around the ankle once you’ve laced them up.

Dress Code & Formality

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a pair of service boots that can be worn formally, as the style is inherently casual and traditionally designed for use in the field. However, I think Amberjack’s The Boot is refined enough that you could wear it with some business casual ensembles.

For instance, they’d be great with dark selvedge jeans and an overshirt, though since it’s summer at the time of publishing this review, you’ll want to wait for colder days.

For formal use, I recommend the full-grain leather boots, either in chestnut brown or obsidian black. If you’re fine with The Boot remaining casual, do as I did and have fun with the Nubuck styles.

I’ll note that casual doesn’t have to be sloppy. On Amberjack’s Instagram page, you can see how they’ve paired the black Nubuck boots with cream corduroy pants, leading to a very elegant aesthetic that’s still informal.

IG: @wear.amberjack

Personally, I’ve been using The Boot as a go-everywhere, do-anything pair, especially while riding my motorcycle in Central America. The upper feels as if it’s padded and offers decent protection; they’re also accumulating a good amount of scars and dirt that makes them more handsome in my eyes.

Presentation & Value For Money

If you’ve seen my past reviews of Amberjack shoes, you’ll be familiar with how they present their products. This hasn’t changed, but I’ll recap for good measure.

Amberjack ships their shoes in a sturdy box with fabric shoe bags and protective paper. The boots are also stuffed with paper to maintain their shape during storage and shipping.

The Boot, priced at $209, is slightly more expensive than the Chelsea style, which I’d say is justified given the additional substance and material. In fact, the boots offer excellent value overall due to their comfort and versatility, especially in this Copper Nubuck version.

Closing Thoughts

To answer my own question from the introduction, The Boot wears quite differently from Amberjack’s Chelseas, which I’d grown accustomed to after countless wears. The Boot is more snug and feels more rugged, which is ideal for different adventures.

I’ve been using them while riding around on a motorcycle in Nicaragua, and they provide excellent support and comfort for such endeavors. They also stay on my feet for nights out, when I usually wear them with linen shirts and jeans.

In closing, I’d say these boots combine the best of both worlds: the comfort of sneakers and the durability of traditional boots. If you’re looking for versatile, comfortable, and rugged footwear, The Boot is a solid choice.

Further Reading

Once you’ve finished reading our review, feel free to peruse our wide range of shoe content such as the following resources:

• Amberjack Shoes: Where Did They Get Their Start?
• Full Guide To The Venetian Loafer Shoe Style
• The Best Slip-On Dress Shoes For Men
• Top 10 Most Comfortable Dress Shoes For Men
• All Of Our Shoe Reviews