Chukka boot

Chukka boots (/tʃəkə/) are ankle-high leather boots with suede or leather uppers, leather or rubber soles, and open lacing with two or three pairs of eyelets. The name chukka possibly comes from the game of polo, where a chukker is a period of play.

A form of chukka boots originally worn by British forces in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II are desert boots.

Materials and style

Chukkas are usually made from calfskin or suede, although they can of course be made from other materials. The style first became popular in the late 1940s through the 1960s as casual wear. In the 21st century, Chukkas persist as a popular menswear shoe, particularly in the United Kingdom. They can be worn with both suits and more casual wear like jeans.

According to shoe historian June Swann, the essential chukka boot is ankle-high, open-laced, and unlined, with two to three pairs of eyelets, thin leather soles, calfskin suede uppers in two parts (each from a single piece of leather; quarters sewn on top of vamp), and rounded toes.