Following our guide to the best casual boots for men, we learned that a particularly popular price point for these sort of boots is around $200. With such a budget, you can find high quality boots for casual wear that aren’t too premium and still affordable.
Having tried numerous pairs, we’ve assembled this list of the Best Men’s Casual Boots Under $200:
- Blucher Boot: Beckett Simonon Dowler
- Chukka Boot: Beckett Simonon Lopez
- Chukka Boot: CARLOS by Carlos Santana Corazón
- Desert Boot: Clarks Desert Boot
- Wingtip Boot: Massimo Matteo 7-Eye
- Blucher Boot: Dr Martens 1460
If you like the look of something, use the links above to jump straight to it. Afterwards, we’ll talk a bit about the price point and what you can expect for your money.
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- Style: Blucher Boot
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $183* [Buy On Beckett Simonon]
* With “BU20” 20% discount code
Overview
A stunning example of the quintessential casual boot, Beckett Simonon has crafted the Dowler using pull-up leather. The result is a supple, rugged, yet elegant upper that produces a rich patina with regular use.
How To Wear
As an overall casual boot, the Dowler looks fantastic with classic jeans. We’d recommend a slim cut, which will accentuate the boot’s profile. However, you could also consider chinos or even woollen slacks with these.
Best Colors
The walnut colour pictured above has a waxy matte finish, which is perfect for casual wear. However, if you fancy something a little glossier, you could opt for either the brown or dark brown variants.
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- Style: Chukka Boot
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $183* [Buy On Beckett Simonon]
* With “BU20” 20% discount code
Overview
Although not strictly a chukka boot, Beckett Simonon was inspired by the style’s WWI service boot heritage to produce an elegant albeit robust alternative. Crafted from Argentinian full-grain, the boot sits slightly lower on the ankle to provide a more flexible fit.
How To Wear
Depending on the colour, the Lopez boot could potentially be worn formally with a suit. However, we prefer opting for the lighter colours and pairing them with chinos. Whether spring or the fall, they’re a great laid-back option for the road.
Best Colors
As mentioned above, the darker colours such as black or brown could come off as quite formal. If you’re looking to produce a more casual effect, opt instead for the Bordeaux or tan leather.
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- Style: Chukka Boot
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $159 [Buy On Official Site]
Overview
Meaning “‘heart” in Spanish and incidentally the name of the legendary guitarist’s 2014 album, the Corazón are an entirely different take on regular chukka boots. With a Blake stitch construction and unique Latin styling, they’re beautifully stylish boots that offer great quality.
How To Wear
With their smooth full-grain leather upper and streamlined design, these boots could also be worn relatively formally. However, they also make very stylish casual boots. They’ll look their best with well-fitted jeans and a shirt but sport them in a way that you’re comfortable!
Best Colors
Firstly, both brown and black leathers can be purchased in either full-grain calfskin or suede. As such, choose the right one according to their intended formality and your wardrobe. We like the full-grain brown leather but the others look equally stunning.
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- Style: Desert Boot
- Formality: Casual
- Pricing: $130 [Buy Now On Zappos]
Overview
The unambiguously named Desert Boot by Clarks is an offshoot of the Chukka. They were first designed by Nathan Clark and are still sold by the brand today! Inspired by the ankle boots worn by off-duty British officers in Cairo, they’ve a gone on to be a staple of men’s fashion.
How To Wear
Decidedly casual, these are great boots for bouncing around between errands or when chilling with friends. They’re great with jeans but tend to look their best with khaki chinos, which really drives their origins home.
Best Colors
Traditionally, Desert boots are made from khaki suede. Whilst these can be found in other colours, they tend to blur the lines between chukka boots and desert boots.
- Style: Brogue Boots
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $199 [Buy Now On Zappos]
Overview
A very stylish Italian-made wingtip boot, this presents itself as a worthy alternative to the Johnston & Murphy Conard at a similar price. With its streamlined design and supple leather, they look great with a variety of styles.
How To Wear
Whilst the Conard boots are best suited to people with a penchant for more artisanal and vintage tastes, these boots conform to a more elegant and streamlined style. As such, they’ll look great with contemporary wardrobes such as slim-fitting jeans and a clean, white shirt.
Best Colors
Although they’re also available in black, which is a very formal colour, the tan would be the most appropriate for casual wear. These will be much easier to integrate into a casual wardrobe.
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- Style: Blucher / Derby Boots
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $140 [Buy Now On Zappos]
Overview
Having developed a celebrated status thanks to their association with alternative counter-culture and punk rock, the Dr Martens have gone on to be popular casual boots. Their 1490 boots are part of their core collection. These no-nonsense bluchers feature all the hallmarks of the brand and its classic style.
How To Wear
Being their most basic and classic boot, their shape is less conspicuous and easier to wear with more dressed-down styles. Furthermore, the soles are black rather than Dr Martens’ iconic translucent grey, which makes them blend in somewhat better.
Best Colors
This particular model is only available in either black or white. Whilst there’s a plethora of other hues in Dr Martens’ catalogue, these are made on different models with different budgets.
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What To Expect From $200 Casual Boots
There’s a reason that $200 is a popular budget for buying casual men’s boots. Whilst going above it isn’t very affordable, lower prices tend to present inferior value for money.
Indeed, dress boots for less than $100 might be quite tempting but since they use cheaper techniques to craft them, they tend not to give much long-term wear.
True value for money stems from footwear’s longevity. Whilst cheaper boots represent a lower short-term cost, having to replace them regularly means that you’ll spend more over time.
Meanwhile, $200 boots offer a great balance in both pricing and construction. However, whilst $300 boots will be even better, they tend to be footwear that’s reserved for more special occasions. Nevertheless, you could peruse our selection of the best men’s dress boots under $300 to see what to expect.
Since you’re here, let’s take a look at the various factors that can affect boot price and quality.
Leather Uppers
Leather is one of the major materials used in crafting a boot and it consequently has a profound impact on the overall price. For instance, you may have noticed that boots are typically more expensive than shoes.
This is most due to the quantity of material needed to make the footwear. Since leather is graded, it’s harder to source larger surfaces of leather hide that are free from defects and usable for an entire boot.
Although terms like “genuine leather” sound reassuring, it’s actually something of a misnomer. In fact, genuine leather is one of the lowest grades of leather you can find. All it really indicates is that the material isn’t man-made.
Cheaper boots tend to be made from homogenised “man-made” leathers or synthetic materials. You’ll also see a lot of “genuine” leather too.
Whilst this sounds reassuring, genuine leather is one of the cheapest and lowest grades. It simply means that it’s real leather and not synthetic. However, it doesn’t have the properties of high quality leather.
As such, it will degrade much faster and stretch over a short period of time.
When in a budget over $100, boots tend t be made from higher grades of leather that are closer to the hide’s spine. Known as full-grain leather, it’s more hard-wearing and tends to be free of blemishes and visible veins.
Furthermore, the tight fibres mean that it won’t damage quite as easily or lose its shape. A higher budget also means that you can access quality leather types such as Calfskin.
Shoe Construction
Cheap boots are often assembled using a quick and affordable method known as cementing. This involves an adhesive paste that will hold the sole and uppers together.
Whilst it’s more affordable to make, it tends not to last very long and the shoes will come apart after only a year or so if you’re lucky. Furthermore, you can’t resole cemented shoes so you’ll have to discard them and buy a new pair.
Meanwhile, shoes above $100 will tend to rely on better shoe construction methods that involve stitching. Whilst these are more expensive and slower to achieve, they provide you with more long-term wear.
The cheapest method is known as the Blake stitch, which consists of two methods. One if the McKay, which uses a single thread to hold the uppers, insole and outsole together. Whilst it’s decent, it won’t last very long either and can be resoled only a few times.
A superior method is known as the Blake Rapid method. This uses multiple stitching, which offers better wear, water resistance and the opportunity to recraft several time.
However, the very best method is the Goodyear welt. This can be expensive but it isn’t unheard of to find boots in a sub-$200 that offer this construction method. It just requires a little research and a keen eye.
Sole Quality
A cheap boot will often feature rubber soles made through injection moulding. They tend to be less comfortable and prone to squeaking and will wear down very quickly.
However, there are types of rubber that offer excellent quality and durability. Although it’s an entirely different budget, Allen Edmonds pride themselves in using Dainite rubber soles, which come from a historical British firm.
Meanwhile, quality leather soles are rare with sub-$100 boots. Yet, once over this budget, you’ll discover that there’s a wide variety to choose from.
The best sole construction tends to feature several layers, which can be replaced independently. A stacked leather heel is quite desirable and offers comfort and a boot that breathes.
Furthermore, you can consider leather soles with rubber inserts that are designed for improved traction and slower wear.
What Next?
Now that you have read about the best men’s casual boots under $200, consider checking out some of our other related shoe guides:
- Best Men’s Dress Boots Under $200
- Best Men’s Dress Boots Under $300
- Most Comfortable Dress Shoes For Men
- Most Stylish Boots For Men
"Great casual boots for every day! Great yet affordable boots with superb style."Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
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