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Joshua Hendren

Contributing writer for Style by SCMP, specialising in jewellery, watches and pop culture


Your favourite red carpet rebels are swapping out their dress shoes for something more rugged. A-listers from Timothée Chalamet to Austin Butler have been pairing classic workwear boots with tailoring, sidestepping tried-and-true formal attire for a more relaxed approach to dressing.
Chalamet, who has emerged as one of menswear’s most closely watched dressers, made a strong case at this year’s Golden Globes in January, pairing a custom black velvet three-piece suit by Los Angeles label Chrome Hearts with a matching pair of black Timberlands. The boots, created in collaboration with Chrome Hearts, were a gothic take on the brand’s Premium 6-Inch waterproof boot, finished with silver Chrome Hearts hardware including the eyelets, aglets and heel plate.

Timberland itself has a long history rooted in workwear. The much-loved waterproof leather boot was introduced in 1973 by the Abington Shoe Company, in the US state of New Hampshire. Intended for construction workers and outdoor labourers, the original “yellow” (warm tan) Timberland was built using an innovative injection moulding technique that fused the sole to the upper, making the boot fully waterproof. By the 1990s the style had taken on a new life far beyond job sites, becoming a staple of New York street style and hip-hop culture, worn by artists like Jay-Z and Nas.
The Golden Globes wasn’t even the first time Chalamet wore custom Chrome Hearts x Timberland boots in the past year. At the Los Angeles premiere of Marty Supreme last December, he and girlfriend Kylie Jenner arrived in matching custom orange leather looks by Chrome Hearts, with Chalamet finishing the outfit with a pair of orange Timberland work boots complete with chunky lug sole. This pair also featured overlapping Chrome Hearts cross motifs – one rendered in furry orange-and-black material reminiscent of tiger skin – alongside silver hardware including speed hooks, eyelets and aglets.

Another workwear brand turning up on the celebrity circuit is Red Wing. Founded in 1905 in the Minnesotan town of the same name, the company originally supplied sturdy leather boots to miners, farmers and factory workers across the American Midwest. More than a century later, those same hard-wearing designs – particularly the company’s moc-toe, lace-up work boots – have developed a cult following.
Austin Butler stepped out in a pair in August last year while promoting his crime thriller Caught Stealing in London, styling the rugged boots with a chocolate-brown bomber jacket and distressed green corduroy trousers.

Chalamet, too, has been spotted in Red Wings while promoting his Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. His pair were the brand’s Classic Moc Toe boots, a style first introduced more than 70 years ago for hunting. Finished in Hawthorne Abilene leather, which supposedly develops a richer patina with wear, the boots have the brand’s distinctive high-cut profile and a Goodyear welt sole designed for moving quietly across grass.

Red Wings have also caught the attention of other menswear nerds, like Jeremy Allen White, who was papped wearing the brand’s black leather 2964 Cooper Moc Toe boots, pairing them with straight-cut stonewashed jeans and an argyle cardigan while picking up flowers at his local market. Ryan Gosling, meanwhile, is known to favour the label’s moc toe boots in buttery suede.
The trend isn’t limited to menswear, either. Both Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna have been spotted incorporating chunky work boots into their off-duty wardrobe. Lopez regularly wears a pair of suede Brunello Cucinelli combat boots, while Rihanna has been seen in Bottega Veneta’s Haddock boots – a pair seemingly borrowed from her long-term partner A$AP Rocky’s wardrobe.

Beyond these buzzy celebrity favourites, however, a number of heritage shoemakers have been producing workwear boots for decades. Founded in 1866 in Northamptonshire, in England’s East Midlands, Grenson is one of Britain’s oldest footwear brands and has long specialised in sturdy lace-up boots built using traditional Goodyear welt construction. Styles such as its Fred and Brady boots, with their thick rubber soles and robust leather uppers, take their cues from classic work styles while remaining versatile enough to pair with tailoring – Stephen Graham is a fan, as is Holly Willoughby.

Few workwear boots are as iconic as those made by R.M. Williams. Founded in 1932 in Adelaide, South Australia, by bushman Reginald Murray Williams, the brand built its reputation on sturdy leather boots designed for life in the outback. Its signature Chelsea boots – particularly the Craftsman – remain the best-known design, with each pair cut from a single piece of leather and assembled largely by hand.

Another heritage name with deep roots in workwear is Allen Edmonds. While best known for its classic Oxfords and loafers – worn by the likes of actors Paul Newman, Daniel Radcliffe and Ryan Reynolds, and US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush – the American shoemaker, founded in 1922 in Wisconsin, also produces rugged lace-up boots inspired by traditional workwear and military styles. The Higgins Mill, first introduced in 2016 but inspired by classic American service boots, has become one of the brand’s most popular models, thanks to its thick leather uppers and sturdy Dainite or lug soles.
For those tempted to try the trend for themselves, swapping dress shoes for boots will instantly give you a more relaxed, low-key-but-go-anywhere feel. And with Timothée Chalamet’s stamp of approval, you’ll know you’re on the right track.


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Work boots, the new red carpet shoe – just ask Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler

Work boots are defining a more relaxed trend in the red carpet. Photo: Handout

Timothée Chalamet wore all black Chrome Hearts for the Golden Globes in January, all the way down to his Timberland boots. Photo: Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Austin Butler wore Red Wings to a photocall for Caught Stealing in London last August. Photo: Getty Images

Red Wing 4585 Logger. Photo: Handout

Bottega Veneta at Mytheresa. Photo: Handout

Junya Watanabe x Paraboot at Mytheresa. Photo: Handout

Manolo Blahnik at Mr Porter. Photo: Handout

Grenson boots. Photo: Handout

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From Timberland to Red Wing, work boots are Hollywood’s unlikely new staple – Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna are among those setting the trend


From Timberland to Red Wing, work boots are Hollywood’s unlikely new staple – Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna are among those setting the trend.


Work boots, the new red carpet shoe – just ask Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Timberland to Red Wing, work boots are Hollywood’s unlikely new staple – Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna are among those setting the trend

From Timberland to Red Wing, work boots are Hollywood’s unlikely new staple – Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna are among those setting the trend