Online boot shopping is hard.
But a few brands have emerged as go-to spots to find high quality footwear at a fantastic price.
Two of my absolute favorite brands are Thursday Boot Company and Beckett Simonon.
I like each for a different reason. If you’re wondering which brand is the best, this article will tell you everything you need to know before picking one over the other for your next pair of boots or shoes.
Specifications Comparison
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|
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|---|---|---|
| Beckett Simonon | Thursday Boots | |
| Upper | Italian full grain calfskin | Thursday proprietary Chrome, Rugged & Resilient, or WeatherSafe suede |
| Construction | Blake stitch | Goodyear welt |
| Shipping | 4-12 weeks | 2-5 days |
| Warranty | Free 60-day returns | Free 30-day returns |
| Shop Beckett Simonon | Shop Thursday Boot Company |
Beckett Simonon vs Thursday Boot Company
I have multiple pairs of boots from both Beckett Simonon and Thursday Boot Company, and while I don’t think any of the models I own are directly comparable, my experience with each brand (plus my experience with dozens of other brands) should be helpful to you.
I’ll say this out front: Thursday and Beckett Simonon are two of my favorite boot brands (Grant Stone is the third of my top-three).
I believe each brand offers exceptional value for money and you can’t go wrong with either. But there are certain cases where I’d choose Thursday Boots, and certain cases I’d choose Beckett Simonon.
I own two pairs of boots from Beckett Simonon (and two pairs of sneakers) and 13 pairs of boots from Thursday.
Beckett Simonon
Beckett Simonon has a unique business model: all their boots and shoes are made to order. That means when you place your order, they make your boots by hand. That can take anywhere between 4-12 weeks, and at the time of writing, it’s closer to 12 weeks due to supply chain issues and the brands growing popularity.
The founders of Beckett Simonon have a history in the leather industry, and their expertise really shows. The brand has the best leather I’ve seen in a boot at this price. In fact, if I didn’t know anything about boots, I don’t think I’d be able to tell the difference between Beckett Simonon’s leather and something more expensive like the Alden Indy or an Allen Edmonds shoe.
Beckett Simonon relies heavily on Blake stitch construction, which is a solid method for dress boots and shoes as there’s less material and often a slimmer, lower profile.
Blake stitch construction is a bit suspect in rainy conditions, though, so I wouldn’t put my Beckett Simonon boots on if I thought it might rain.
Overall, I think Beckett Simonon excels in the dress boot and dress shoe space. I don’t wear my Beckett Simonon boots nearly as often as I do Thursday boots. But I reach for my Beckett Simonons when I’m putting together a date night outfit, going to a wedding, or aiming to look as clean and “put together” as possible.
What I Like
The leather quality is the best at this price point.
Beckett Simonon has an excellent range of dress shoes and boots that are stylish, comfortable, and durable.
Their leather and sizing options are uniform across their entire line—it’s easy to shop with them and understand exactly what they have.
Their customer service is fantastic, and they have extensive email communication during your waiting period so you never feel like they forgot your order.
What I Don’t Like
The 4-12 week wait time can be a deal breaker if you need your boots soon.
Beckett Simonon offers some of the best value for money buys you can find in the world of shoes and boots.
The wait time can be annoying, but if you’re willing to wait, you’ll be rewarded with incredible quality footwear that’s comparable to brands that are double the price.
Thursday Boot Company
If I could only shop with one boot brand for the rest of my life, I’d probably pick Thursday Boot Company. I own 13 pairs of their boots, and I wear them often (my favorite Thursday is the Captain).
Thursday launched in 2014 and has quickly become one of the most popular boot brands on the market. I see more guys walking around in Thursdays than I do Red Wings (and I live in North Carolina—not New York or California).
Where Thursday Boot Company really excels in my opinion is their variety of casual styles and leathers.
You can find the Captain in at least 15 different leather options at any given time, and some options have a heavy rubber lug outsole (known as the StormKing outsole). They offer three distinct styles of Chelsea boots, from dressy to beefy. They have a tough moc toe (the Diplomat), and a great combat boot (the Explorer).
The Thursday Captain is an excellent deal. Made with Thursday's Chrome leather from Le Farc tannery (often compared to Horween Chromexcel), these boots are still holding up well after five years of wear. When (if?) these ever wear out, I’ll be getting them again.
Beckett Simonon just doesn’t have the same variety of casual styles, leathers, and outsole options.
Also, Thursday makes nearly all their shoes and boots with Goodyear welted construction (the only exception is their Scout chukka, which uses stitchdown construction). That also gives Thursday a boost in the weather-resistance category.
For everyday casual boots, I most often turn to Thursday.
What I Like
Thursday has a wide variety of cool and interesting casual boots. Plus many of those styles have diverse leather and outsole options.
Goodyear welted construction gives these boots excellent weather resistance.
Thursday ships fast and they have responsive and helpful customer service.
They have a large range of sizing options, from 6-16 with EE/EEE widths available in certain leather options as well.
What I Don’t Like
They’ve leaned heavily into their Rugged & Resilient leathers, which are exclusively casual and aren’t the greatest options for snazzy outfits.
Thursday Boots is my top recommendation for people looking to buy their first great-quality pair of boots. Their value for money is excellent. I haven’t found another brand that makes boots this good for under $200.
Features Face to Face
Style
At the time of writing, Thursday offers 17 different styles of boots and six styles of shoes. They also offer 23 styles of womens boots, which isn’t something Beckett Simonon messes with at all.
Beckett Simonon offers 16 styles of boots and 10 pairs of shoes, all in mens.
Even though the numbers are quite similar (17 Thursday boot styles vs 16 Beckett Simonon boot styles), Thursday definitely has more creative and diverse models.
This is subjective, but the differences in style between Thursday boots is much greater than the differences between Beckett Simonon models. That may be because of the leather: Beckett Simonon relies heavily on five different leather colors (all Italian full grain calfskin), where Thursday has dozens of different leathers.
In short: Thursday is more adventurous with their designs.
But that’s not always a good thing.
I definitely prefer the shape of Beckett Simonon boots in dressy situations. They have a bit more presence to them, and they’re more sophisticated. Part of this is due to leather quality. But Beckett Simonon also builds their shoes and boots on more traditional and cosmopolitan lasts.
They have a more modern European look, whereas Thursdays boots are a bit more on the trendy side.
If I’m looking for something a little more stylish, I’ll reach for a Thursday boot like the Captain, Duke, or Explorer. If I’m looking for something that’s more classic and timeless, I’ll reach for my Beckett Simonon Douglas or Elliot.
Thursday Boots is my top recommendation for people looking to buy their first great-quality pair of boots. Their value for money is excellent. I haven’t found another brand that makes boots this good for under $200.
Leather Quality
The leather quality on Beckett Simonon’s shoes is better than Thursdays.
Beckett Simonon uses Italian full grain calfskin leather in most cases and it’s some of the nicest I own (and that includes boots twice the price).
Thursday has focused on developing their own leathers and they’re really built for versatility.
If it’s raining, or even might rain, I definitely choose Thursday leather over Beckett Simonon.
It’s not that the rain would ruin Beckett Simonon leather—it wouldn’t—but Thursday tans their leather in such a way that nearly all their options are extremely weather resistant. Even their suede.
Both leathers are quite durable, so there’s no real difference there. Many of Thursday’s boots don’t require much care at all, so if you’re a low maintenance guy, that’s something to consider (read my full Thursday Boots care guide here).
Leather quality is the main driver of my thesis: Beckett Simonon is better for dress boots and dress shoes, and Thursday is better for casual and more stylistically interesting boots.
Beckett Simonon offers some of the best value for money buys you can find in the world of shoes and boots.
The wait time can be annoying, but if you’re willing to wait, you’ll be rewarded with incredible quality footwear that’s comparable to brands that are double the price.
Sole Quality
These two brands construct their boots in very different ways. Beckett Simonon relies on Blake stitch construction, whereas nearly every Thursday boot features a Goodyear welt.
I don’t necessarily prefer one over the other—they’re both excellent construction methods, are fully recraftable, and each have their pros and cons.
The Goodyear welt on Thursday boots offer the best weather resistance. They also make for a slightly taller and more “filled out” boot.
The Blake stitch construction on Beckett Simonon boots is slim, low profile, light, and flexible. It doesn’t have nearly as much weather resistance.
Both can be resoled. There’s a small chance your local cobbler might not be able to recraft a Blake constructed sole, but in my experience, most cobblers can, so it’s not much of an issue.
Thursday definitely has a far greater variety of sole options, from leather to studded to heavy lugs. Beckett Simonon is more reserved in their sole options (they have a few rubber sole options and often use a leather sole).
I think Beckett Simonon sole options make sense for their range of models, but they don’t have any boots that are built specifically for winter and icy conditions like Thursday does.
Fit and Sizing
Both brands make it easy to find the right fit. However, Beckett Simonon doesn’t have nearly as much range as Thursday does.
Beckett Simonon offers sizes 7-14, with only a few half-size options. They’re also only available in the standard D-width.
Compare that to Thursdays 6-16, with half-sizes in between nearly all of those steps, and extensive EE/EEE width options available as well.
Thursday boots fit a far greater variety of feet, and if you have wide feet, Thursday is the only way to go.
In terms of comfort, both brands are great. I haven’t had issues with breaking in my boots, and I have no problem walking several miles with either brand.
Beckett Simonon vs Thursday Boots: Which is Best for You?
Beckett Simonon is my go-to brand for dress boots and shoes.
Thursday is my go-to brand for casual, everyday boots.
Both brands offer some of the best value-for-money you can find in footwear. They’re two of my top three brands (Grant Stone is the third, but they’re about 50% more expensive).
I don’t think you can go wrong with either brand.
If I needed a dress shoe for work, or wanted a really nice pair of boots to bust out occasionally for date nights or special occasions, I’d choose Beckett Simonon. Their leather is some of the best I’ve seen.
Beckett Simonon offers some of the best value for money buys you can find in the world of shoes and boots.
The wait time can be annoying, but if you’re willing to wait, you’ll be rewarded with incredible quality footwear that’s comparable to brands that are double the price.
The big caveat is if I needed a boot quickly—Beckett Simonon takes 4-12 weeks to get to you, which is a bummer, but it’s also how they keep their prices so low while offering the value they do.
But if I was looking for a great everyday boot that I could walk for miles in and not worry too much about beating up, Thursday Boots is my top choice.
Thursday Boots is my top recommendation for people looking to buy their first great-quality pair of boots. Their value for money is excellent. I haven’t found another brand that makes boots this good for under $200.
And I think that shows in my collection: I own two pairs of Beckett Simonon boots, and I own 10 pairs of Thursday Boots.
So it’s really dependent on what you need from your boot. If possible, I’d get one of each: a sophisticated dress boot from Beckett Simonon like the Elliot for when you want to look classy, and a pair of everyday boots like the Captain from Thursday you can throw on with jeans and rock with ease.
