Parkhurst Boots Review: Hands-on with the Parkhurst Allen

Once a week, it seems like my Instagram feed fills up with boot collectors who have five or more pairs of Parkhurst boots. 

It got to a point where I couldn’t consider myself a true boot aficionado without learning more about the brand. 

So I picked up a pair of the Parkhurst Allen boots in Rust Waxy leather. I’ve been wearing them for a few months, and here’s what I think. 

Parkhurst Allen Overview

The Parkhurst Allen is the brand’s signature plain toe boots. I like that Parkhurst has a simple lineup for their collection.

They offer a plain toe boot (the Allen), a cap-toe, a moc toe, and a Chelsea. 

And within that narrow range, Parkhurst is very imaginative with their leather selection. Have you ever had a pair of moose leather boots? Yeah, me neither. 

I played it safer with the Allen in Rust Waxy, which is a waxed suede. You’ll see some pics of how it’s been aging over the past month and breaking in. It’s already starting to look great. 

Things to Consider Before Buying

The thing I’ve heard most about though is the magic of Parkhurst’s last (or the shape of the boot). 

And I must say, I agree—the Parkhurst last is awesome. The last used for the Allen is called the 602, and for me, it takes a lot of elements from other brands I love and mixes them together. 

It’s easiest to explain if you’re a bit familiar with other brands like Thursday Boots, Grant Stone, and Truman. 

Here’s the Parkhurst last compared with similar boots from each brand:

Parkhurst boots are a few mm longer than these other three brands. And as you can see, they’re fairly narrow looking boots (this would be much more pronounced if I was comparing it to the Red Wing Iron Ranger, or some other much more stubby boot). 

But they don’t feel narrow when you’re wearing them. With that extra length, you get a slimmer look, but the ball of your foot actually sits at a pretty wide spot. 

The end result is that you get the style of a more narrow boot, with the comfort of a wider boot.

My Hands-On Review

First Impression

Right away, I could tell these boots were exceptionally well made. They’re crafted using a split reverse welt, which is a form of Goodyear welt that both looks sturdy and has plenty of water resistance. You could absolutely use these as your everyday boots in all sorts of bad weather. 

Parkhurst boots used to be made in the USA, but apparently one day, the brand’s factory partner suddenly shut down with no warning. 

While I don’t have any hands-on experience with Parkhurst’s American-made boot line, I can say that the new Spanish-made boots are still exceptional in terms of craftsmanship. 

Because of the unique last shape, the Parkhurst Allen is a fantastic casual boot. My own personal style has been trending to chunkier boots that pair well with straight leg jeans. That’s meant that I’ve been wearing slimmer boots like Thursdays or most Chelsea boots a bit less often. 

I think the Parkhurst Allen is nicely balanced between looking slim and modern, while still having enough heft to fit into a more mature wardrobe. 

Leather Quality and Care

My Parkhurst Allen boots are made with a custom Rust Waxy leather. 

This is a waxed suede developed by Parkhurst in tandem with a Spanish tannery. In the first few months of wearing these boots, I’ve really enjoyed this leather. 

The pictures you’re seeing show how this boot aged over the first month—I love how the suede texture is coming through as the wax wears off at the creases. 

It’s more subtle than a waxed roughout (which I also think is really cool), both in terms of how it creases and also how much contrast there is between the parts that have retained their wax and the parts where the original fiber is showing through. 

When it comes to leather care, I’m not going to really do anything to the leather. As a waxed suede, it won’t need conditioning pretty much ever, and it’s not like I’m going to put a shine on these. 

The most I’ll do is give them a brush with a horsehair brush every so often if they start to get more dusty than I like. And add cedar shoe trees. Beyond that, these boots really don’t require much care at all. 

Sole

Some of the best aspects of Parkhurst boots are in the parts you don’t see. 

Parkhurst does an excellent job sharing all the gritty details about what goes into their boots on their product pages. 

The Allen features a leather insole, leather midsole, and a heavy rubber lug outsole. It’s all brought together with a reverse split Goodyear welt (which has excellent stitching density). 

You’re also getting a real veg-tanned heel counter, which means the heel is going to keep its shape basically forever and you don’t have to worry about the boot getting slumpy and suddenly becoming uncomfortable, which is something I’ve noticed on boots that only feature celastic in the heel.

Between the insole and midsole, there’s a bit of cork filler and a steel shank for stability as well. 

Fit and Sizing

Parkhurst recommends sizing a half-step down from your Brannock device to get the proper fit. However, I ended up getting my Brannock size (a 10.5D), and they fit fantastically. 

I’m usually a 10D in most brands, including Grant Stone, Truman, Thursday, and Red Wing. However, I’m rocking a 10.5D Parkhurst Allen and loving it. 

That said, I never complain about my boots. I know some guys are super particular about the fit of their boots. I’m not at all. 

Given that I’m wearing a half-size larger than what’s recommended, I’d say there’s a lot of room for forgiveness with your Parkhurst boots. 

I don’t want to go against the brand’s own sizing guidelines because every boot brand gets hundreds or thousands of questions about their fit, so they put a lot of effort into communicating everything they can. 

I love that Parkhurst puts all the information possible out there, including how their last looks, and how their boots compare to other brands. 

Break-in Period

With the Rust Waxy leather, there really wasn’t much of a break in period. With any boot that has a leather insole and midsole, you’re going to have a bit of break in as your foot sinks into the footbed. 

So it’s not like you’re slipping on new tennis shoes, but if your fit is even close, you shouldn’t have any trouble breaking this leather in. 

What Do Other Reviewers Say?

It’s hard to find a negative review of Parkhurst online. And by hard to find, I mean I looked and didn’t find one. 

From professional reviewers to Reddit to reviews on the site, Parkhurst is consistent with their boots and customers report being happy with what they get. 

Parkhurst Alternatives

Grant Stone

Grant Stone offers the most compelling alternative to Parkhurst in my opinion. Comparing the Grant Stone Diesel and Parkhurst Allen, the Grant Stone is a bit wider and shorter. 

This can be really helpful if you prefer a slightly wider fit in your boots. 

The price between Parkhurst and Grant Stone is pretty similar, with most Grant Stone boots being around $30-$40 more expensive. 

With Grant Stone, you get a much wider variety of leathers, plus more selection on sizing. 

Truman Boot Co.

If you want wacky leathers like waxed moose, there aren’t many brands that are so adventurous. 

Parkhurst is one, and Grant Stone treads those waters, too, from time to time. 

But nobody does it quite like Truman. Vince, the founder of Truman Boot Co. is a madman. I had to add Truman here because they’re the first brand that really embraced uncommon leathers. Just check out this powder blue waxed roughout boot. 

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Wild.

My Thoughts Overall

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