I have a special relationship with Chelsea boots, I find them versatile and the equivalent of an autumn/ winter slip-on. And, while I know black and brown are the favourite colours for most people when choosing boots, let me present you these eye candy burgundy Magical Shoes Lupino boots, with a suede upper and felt lining.
About Magical Shoes
They are handcrafted in Poland, by Magical Shoes, a family owned business started by grandfather Mietek, who opened his repair shop in 1966. In 2015, Aldona Zawada, his granddaughter, decided to combine his experience with the principles of healthy feet so she created the Magical Shoes brand which manufactures zero drop, wide and flexible shoes like the one in the photos. They kindly gifted me this pair to test and share my thoughts.
Size
Lupino boots run smaller than other brands - I am wearing size 41 (25cm longest foot) which are 26cm long and 10.2cm wide, according to the size chart. I usually wear size 40 in boots. I advise you to order one size up than your normal size in boots. Or even two sizes, if you plan to wear them with thick socks and/ or wool insole.
Upper & Sole
The upper is very soft and the sole (6.5mm of Magical rubber) is thin and flexible which makes me think they can accommodate wider feet, even though they seem appropriate for medium wide feet, as there is room to spread. I want to emphasise how soft and flexible the sole is! They have excellent ground feel. I am really impressed with their lightness and softness. I don’t have any other Magical Shoes boots to see if this is a brand feature, but I believe it is since they use the same Magical rubber sole and soft skin.
They have a side zipper, which makes it easier to squeeze your feet in.
Lupino Chelsea boots are available in 6 other colours in the suede version, but this Burgundy is quite elegant. They have also released a black vegan option. Another lovely thing is that these fall-winter boots, lined with felt, have a spring sister model, lined with air mesh fabric. So if your winter are rather warm but you like the idea of Chelsea boots, you might consider that version.
Since I wrote about them on Instagram, I have waterproofed them and they didn’t change the colour at all.
Of course, they tick all the barefoot boxes (zero drop, wide toe box, flexible sole), but Magical Shoes is a well established brand on this niche so there is n wonder they do things with respect for our feet.