Chaco Otis Nurl Boots review

Chaco is known, of course, for their sandals. But for hard core Chaco lovers, the coming of winter months is a time to despair, as their beloved Chacos are banished to the closet. Well everyone should mourn no more. Chaco has new arrivals this fall, like the Chaco Otis Nurl Boots, that now make it possible to wear your Chacos year round.

Chaco Otis Nurl Boots

I’m personally a big fan of Chacos and own two pairs of their sandals myself. So when I saw that they would be making shoes for the colder months, I was desperate to get a hold of some. When the Otis Nurl Boots came to the door, I was thrilled. But when I took them out of the box, my excitement turned to surprise. I thought, “this is it?” The shoes look rudimentary, like a slab of leather stitched to a Chaco footbed. But then I tried them on, and all my misgivings evaporated.

The Chaco Otis Nurl Boots look good paired with jeans.

The beauty of these Chaco shoes lies in their simplicity. The upper is made from suede leather that looks good under a pair of jeans and gives some serious outdoorsy/western cred, especially when it gets scuffed and well worn. Stroll through an open field in these kicks and you’ll feel like a ranch hand circa 1895… minus the anatomical footbed.

The inside of the Chaco Otis shoe is a pigskin lined sockliner that is very soft and supple. The first time I wore them, I immediately determined that the Otis Nurl are among the most comfortable boots I’ve ever worn. I figure the primary reason for that is Chaco’s world famous footbed. The midsole features a contured LUVSEAT™ platform that does wonders for arch support and all day comfort. I could stand in one place all day in these shoes and not get footsore. In addition, the Vibram® outsole is rugged and a bit more lugged than your typical Chaco sandal in order to meet ice and winter weather head on.

Looks just like the footbed of a Chaco sandal, but it's actually the Otis Nurl Boots.

While the new line of boots from Chaco are meant for wearing when it’s chilly outside, I never got to test them in the cold. The Otis Nurl Boots are not insulated at all, so if you’re looking to wear your Chacos during a sub-zero January cold snap, you’ll need to pair them with some serious wool socks. But overall, for casual wear during fall or spring, you can’t go wrong with the Chaco Otis Nurl Boots.

To see the rest of the Chaco line of men’s boots, check them out online.