Timothée Chalamet is already filming his next project and is in period costume to channel his new character. On Sunday, the actor, who will play Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” was photographed wearing suede Chelsea boots on the film’s set in New York City.
Chalamet’s outfit was spot on for the 1960s, which is when the film is set. Though the Chelsea boot was trendy as recently as the late 2010s, dubbed by some communities as the “Brunch shoe,” it’s more inextricably linked with its time as a menswear staple of the 1960s.
The style of Chelsea boot sported by The Beatles, which featured a Cuban heel, was particularly popular with groups like Velvet Underground and Rolling Stones wearing them.
Bob Dylan often wore boots with a Cuban heel. At times, they were Chelsea Boots, and at other times, they featured a side zipper.
Watch on FN
Boots similar to the ones Chalamet is wearing are available from brands like Ralph Lauren. Their Plainview Suede Chelsea Boot is $990.
Celine also offers a sleek brown suede Chelsea boot, designed by Hedi Slimane. That boot costs $1,100.
History of Chelsea Boots
Chelsea boots were originally a utilitarian style. Queen Victoria asked her shoemaker, J. Sparkes-Hall, for a design that she could slip on and that was comfortable for horse riding. The designer designed these boots, initially making them flat, featuring elastic side panels indicative of the style.
In the 1950s and 1960s, they became the go-to shoes for what came to be known as the “Chelsea Set.” Previously known as “Paddock boots,” they came to be called “Chelsea boots.” Over time, they have gone in and out of style. Designer Hedi Slimane has often included them in his collections, as he did when he joined Saint Laurent, which helped kickstart the trend in the 2010s.
Chelsea boots have become somewhat of a staple, offered at all times in various permutations, from the more eye-catching Rick Owens Kiss boots to workwear variations like those from Blundstone.
Trending Once Again
Though sometimes derisively called the “brunch boot” worn with skinny jeans, the Chelsea boot is regaining traction. As the e-tailer Ssense recently pointed out, brands like Ganni, Jil Sander, and Dries Van Noten are offering chunkier versions of the flat Chelsea boot in their collections.
