Boots come in various shapes, sizes, and styles. While you may have your preferences, it can still be difficult to choose the right pair according to your budget.
In this guide, you will discover the Best Men’s Boots Under $200 that you can buy online:
- Chelsea Boot: Amberjack The Chelsea
- Chukka Boot: Beckett Simonon Lopez
- Chukka Boot: Johnston & Murphy Forrester
- Durable Style: Dr. Martens 1460
- Made In USA: Chippewa Apache Lacer Boot
- Chukka Boot: CARLOS by Carlos Santana Corazón
- Moc-Toe Boot: Irish Setter Wingshooter 808
Use the links above to jump ahead if you’re interested in a particular pair. We’ll also explore what to expect from this price point later on in this guide.
What Are The Best Boots For Men Under $200?
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- Style: Chelsea Boots
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $199 [Buy On Amberjack]
Overview
When John Peters teamed up with John Kraljevich, he sought to create dress shoes that didn’t compromise on comfort. Amberjack’s first style, The Original, hit the nail right on the head and has enjoyed substantial success. This same ethos came into play when designing the brand’s next offering, The Chelsea.
Implementing modern materials for the mid and outsole as well as premium leather for the uppers, Amberjack’s Chelsea boots may just be the most comfortable pair of boots you’ll ever wear.
How To Wear
As of this writing, Amberjack’s Chelseas are currently offered in 8 different colorways, 4 of which employ Italian suede with the remaining being constructed of A-grade hides from American steer. This being said, all of their shoes are constructed by experienced artisans in Portugal.
The varied leather and sole colors mean that, depending on your favorite pair, you’ll be able to wear these with a wide range of outfits. The traditionally-toned brown and tan options are formal enough for business casual while remaining relaxed enough for casual wear.
Best Colors
The Onyx styles with a black upper and white midsole are easy to pair with jeans or grey trousers. On the other hand, the brown tones of the Honey & Cream or Grizzly suede are likely to be more versatile. If you don’t already own a pair of Chelsea boots, the latter are a great starting point. And if you’re looking for a statement pair, the Dune model with yellow accents is certainly one to consider.
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- Style: Chukka Boot
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $191* [Buy On Beckett Simonon]
* With “BU20” 20% discount code
Overview
Beckett Simonon was inspired by the traditional service boot from the First World War when they designed this stunning Chukka variant. Not only does it exude the heritage influence of its design, but it’s crafted from Italian full-grain leather, which produces a rich sheen when properly cared for.
How To Wear
While not a conventional boot for formalwear, we’d consider pairing them with certain vintage-inspired styles of suit. Overall, however, they go very well with business casual attire and look phenomenal with well-cut chinos or woolen slacks.
Best Colors
If you prefer a more formal look, consider opting for the darker black or Bordeaux colors. However, if you prefer to enjoy them for casual leisure, we would instead go for the lighter oak or tan shades.
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- Style: Chukka Boots
- Formality: Casual
- Pricing: $185 [Buy At Johnston & Murphy]
Overview
Probably our favourite Chukka boots that we have yet to try, the Forresters are part of Johnston & Murphy’s 1850 Collection. These artisanal style boots feature a crepe rubber sole and a stylish finish.
How To Wear
We found that these were very versatile to wear and would even pair them with a suit. They look great is most situations but will look their best with business casual attire.
Best Colors
There’s a black colour, which is going to be easier to wear formally. However, we prefer the brown leather is it’s much more versatile as mentioned above.
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- Style: Blucher / Derby Boots
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $140 [Buy Now On Zappos]
Overview
An iconic British brand with German origins, Dr Martens is well-known for its counter-culture associations. However, they’re timelessly fashionable and have been appropriated by just about every sub-culture since the 1980s punk movement.
How To Wear
With their black soles and streamlined design from the 59 Last, these can be worn quite formally. However, they always look best as a casual boot. Either let them scuff for a rugged look or buff them up for a nice shine.
Best Colors
These are also available in white, which might be difficult to wear for some people. Otherwise, the black leather is ideal and can be a versatile part of your wardrobe.
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- Style: Blucher Boot
- Formality: Casual
- Pricing: $186 [Buy Now On Zappos]
Overview
Made in the USA by the heritage American brand, these boots exude pure Americana style. Furthermore, they’re made with a Goodyear welt as well as a steel shank, which is impressive for the price point.
How To Wear
Versatile boots that can be worn throughout the year, these are ideal for primarily casual wear. With a pair of jeans, they’re an excellent and authentic accessory that can be worn with class or brashness.
Best Colors
Unfortunately, this model by Chippewa is only available in brown. Although other styles are also made in tan or Cordovan, they’re somewhat more expensive. However, this brown colour looks great with its oiled distressed leather finish.
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- Style: Chukka Boot
- Formality: Business Casual
- Pricing: $159 [Buy On Official Site]
Overview
Carlos by Carlos Santana is a relatively young shoe brand that is starting to garner a reputation for itself. Their collections feature classic shoe designs that have been exposed to the guitarist’s Latin style. These chukkas are a fine specimen thanks to their stylish form and Blake welt construction.
How To Wear
With a snipped toe and streamlined form, these are a much more formal style of chukka compared to the other entries above. They look their best with either a business suit or smart casual attire.
Best Colors
Like some of the boots above, the colour is best chosen according to your needs. However, we normally prefer brown Chukkas yet they exude a certain finesse, which goes very well in black.
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- Style: Walking Boot
- Formality: Casual
- Pricing: $195 [Buy Now On Zappos]
Overview
Another rugged boot style, we’re very fond of these hunting style boots by Red Wing’s outdoors brand. Being primarily made for hunting, they feature a waterproof UltraDry construction as well as a Goodyear welt.
How To Wear
These are great outdoor boots that can be worn casually. If you find yourself in regularly outside in more rustic environments, they’re an ideal pair of boots to go with some casual jeans and t-shirt.
Best Colors
Although they’re only available in brown, it would be hard to imagine them in another colour given certain design characteristics like the moccasin-style toe box.
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What Dress Boots Can You Get For $200?
As mentioned in our $100 boot guide, there’s a stark difference between cheap and value for money. While it’s indeed very tempting to spend as little as possible on footwear, it can sometimes be counter-productive in the long term.
Sure, you may spend less in the short run. However, cheaper boots are able to carry a low price tag because the manufacturer made them using more affordable methods.
As such, it’s very unlikely that they’ll be able to outlive more expensive boots. In fact, there’s a high chance that boots that cost only a little more will last exponentially longer.
Finding the right price threshold is the key to getting real value for money. At certain price points, you’ll be able to afford boots that use certain construction methods that will last much longer than just a few dollars less.
The $100 to $200 price point is probably the most notable threshold as this is where you’ll first begin to access superior construction methods compared to boots under $100.
In the following section of this guide, we’ll explore what you can expect from boots under $200.
Leather Uppers
As you start to explore footwear options above $100, you’ll immediately notice that there are considerably fewer boots made from man-made materials.
It’s above this price point where manufacturers can begin considering using leather. However, don’t fall into the trap of genuine leather and its reassuring name.
The various types of leather can quickly get confusing as some manufacturers may use obscure terms as marketing language.
In fact, genuine leather is a type of grade and it’s one of the lowest too. Instead, aim for footwear that identifies the leather as calfskin if you can, which tends to pop up around the $150 mark.
Of course, calfskin can come in several forms such as pebbled, suede, Nubuck or full-grain. Full-grain tends to offer the best quality as it’s from nearer the leather hide’s spine.
This gives is stronger and more durable properties as the fibres are tighter with fewer veins and blemishes. However, it’s a rarity at this price point.
Shoe Construction
Like the materials used, you’ll begin to see better types of construction methods. The sub-$100 price point is rife with cement sole construction, which is best avoided if possible.
Cemented soles basically use a type of adhesive paste that fixes the soles to the leather uppers and footbed. However, it can come apart very quickly and can’t be repaired. Furthermore, the shoes can’t be resoled in the long run.
Once above $100, Blake stitching becomes the norm. Yet there are two different types of Blake stitch. One is known as the McKay method, which is much faster and cheaper to achieve.
Nevertheless, it’s still relatively reliable and you can resole the boots once or twice. Meanwhile, the second type is the Rapid Construction that is a hybrid of Blake stitching and the Goodyear welt.
Although it’s rare for footwear to indicate what type of Blake stitch is used, try and opt for the Rapid Construction if you can.
Finally, Goodyear welting offers the best type of construction available. It’s much more labour-intensive than the other construction methods mentioned above. Therefore, it’s rarer to find at this price point. However, you may come across a few boots that are made using this method if you’re lucky.
You can learn more about these methods with our full shoe construction guide.
Sole Quality
Boot sole quality is much harder to evaluate than the more clear-cut methods and materials listed above. However, you can start to see a clear difference once at the $200 price point.
You’ll notice that cheap boots will often rely on simply rubber soles that aren’t quite as comfortable or aesthetically pleasing. They may also squeak when you walk, which isn’t very pleasant.
Once above $100, you’ll begin to see more use of leather for the soles as well as some that feature layers of different materials.
Overall, the sole material is a question of personal preference. While some people prefer rubber for the traction and durability that they offer, there are others that like leather for its traditional aesthetics.
Occasionally, you’ll find stacked leather heels with rubber inserts on the outsole. This offers an ideal compromise as you’ll benefit from the leather’s appearance and the rubber’s traction.
Are $200 Boots Worth It?
Once a largely utilitarian type of footwear, boots have recently emerged as a staple of the luxury market. A fashionable statement that offers both comfort and support, more and more men are turning to leather boots.
As we mention in our guide to boots under $100, the underlying question is whether you want boots that last for years or that you’d throw away in six month’s time.
Ecological considerations aside, the best use of your money will be boots that are slightly more expensive. Not only will they last longer but they’ll likely provide you with a more comfortable fit and a greater level of style.
However, where do $300 boots stand? Head to our dedicated guide to find out!
What Next?
Now that you have discovered the best men’s boots under $200, consider reading some of our related guides for more inspiration!
- Best Men’s Boots Under $300
- Best Men’s Boots Under $100
- Top Work Boots For Men
- Best Dress Boots For Men
- Most Comfortable Men’s Shoes
"Amazing guide! Found exactly the type of boots I needed with the budget I had here."Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
Shoe Content
I completely agree with your recommendation on the Red Wing Iron Ranger. I purchased them a few months ago and they have been my go-to boots for both casual and dressy occasions. The quality is exceptional and they look even better in person!
Red Wings are a classic for a reason! Tough to go wrong with them.
Rafael