chukka

A modern boot for the modern man. The chukka was originally designed for usage by the British Armed Forces when the they were stationed in Northern Africa. The soldiers complained about two issues with their original shoe; 1. The weight was too heavy of the standard boot, and they would sink in the loose sand, prohibiting movement. 2. The boots were too hot, too much original insulation due to the use of heavy graded leathers caused feet to quickly overheat. This information came back with samples of what the current insurgency was using. They reverse engineered and retrofitted a few models to create the chukka that is known today. The lighter weight leather is usually unlined or has a simple cloth lining to help clean sand out of boots, and lowered the heat insulation of the foot. The sole was changed to a hard-wearing crepe sole, that lowered the weight of the shoe and improved grip in loose sand. The name of the shoe is derived from the game of polo where the periods of play are divided into chukkas. Some current seasonal favorites are Ben Sherman, Clarks, and UGG.