Thursday Boots Hero Review: Remember the Titan

As I’m writing this, rain is pouring down.

But I’m not worried. Because I have the new Thursday Boots Hero. With its storm welt and heavy lug sole, Thursday Boot Company built the Hero for this kind of weather. 

That said, just because a boot can handle a little rain and mud doesn’t mean it’s comfortable or stylish. 

So how is the Thursday Hero? Keep reading and get my full thoughts on this boot.

Thursday Hero Overview

The Hero is a newer boot from Thursday Boot Company (released in late 2022), and it’s basically like the President, but with a Storm King outsole. 

There are a few major differences, like the padded tongue and the introduction of a Goodyear storm welt (instead of the regular Goodyear welt). Plus, the three leather options are all practically waterproof. 

Thursday did something similar with their most popular boot, the Captain. You can find versions of the Captain with the heavy Storm King lug outsole as well. 

However, I think the Hero deserves to step out of the shadow of the President because of the 360-degree storm welt and the leather choices. 

The Hero is really Thursday’s first winter boot. It’s still got the slimmer, more narrow and fashionable style Thursday is known for, but the construction and materials make it a perfect match for terrible weather.

Things to Consider Before Buying the Thursday Boot Company Hero

I have so many pairs of Thursday boots, I’ve lost count (but I know it’s over 14). But if I were only getting one pair, I’d be comparing the Hero against the President, the Captain Storm King, and the Legend (the Storm King Chelsea boot). 

The President is a fantastic plain toe boot, but it’s definitely got a slimmer and sleeker style. It’s not that the upper looks different, but the lower profile sole makes it look more like an everyday type of boot.

All of Thursday’s Storm King boots (Captain, Hero, Legend) have a bulkier look to them, purely because of the height of the sole. 

On that note, I think any boot with a Storm King sole is a good option for shorter guys—I get about a two-inch height boost when I wear these boots, which makes me feel like a giant. 

Thursday Boot Company Hero Review

First Impression

Probably the number one reason Thursday Boots are so popular is because they all have a more narrow toe box. 

Compared to legacy brands like Red Wing, which mostly have a boxy, bulky style, Thursdays were basically the first high quality boot that balanced dressy and rugged styles. 

The Hero is a continuation of that theme: the toe is fairly narrow—not uncomfortably so, but it definitely works with a pair of slim fit jeans. 

I think you could definitely pull off a straight cut pair of pants with these boots too because of the added size of the Storm King outsole. 

I picked my Heros, but I also have the Thursday Logger in that leather and I’d just bought two other boots (Truman and Nicks) in a very similar leather as well. That’s too many waxed cacao leather boots. 

Thursday also offers the Hero in the Matte Black leather, which I think is a way better alternative to the 1460 Dr. Martens, both from a style and a quality perspective. 

The Thursday Hero is a simple plain toe boot with a bit of heft to it. I’m not blown away with the style, but it’s solid, works well with a variety of outfits, and is exactly what I expected when I placed my order. 

Leather Quality and Care

Thursday has always done a fantastic job with their leather selection, and I love that the three options available for the Hero are all basically waterproof. 

Both the Black Matte and the Tan Matte leathers are Thursday’s WeatherSafe Nubuck. 

Nubuck leather is robust—it’s made by lightly sanding the exterior of a hide and is stuffed with oils and waxes. This particular leather that Thursday uses also goes through their WeatherSafe process, which adds a layer of weatherproofing spray as well to the leather before the boot is assembled. 

So, for the two Matte leather options, you’re basically not going to ruin the leather unless you stand inside a river for an hour. Even then, once the boots dried out, they’d probably be ok. 

The Cacao leather is different: it’s a waxed roughout leather. Roughout leather is basically the reverse side of a full grain leather, so you’re getting the knapped fibers on the outside and putting the smooth side of the leather on the inside. 

This is how a lot of boots used in WWII were made because of how little care the leather needs and how sturdy it is. 

But rather than leaving the fibers out, this particular Cacao leather is waxed, so like the Matte leather options, it’s essentially waterproof. 

I have to note: the Hero isn’t fully waterproof, but practically speaking, it’s so water resistant that I sincerely doubt your socks will ever get wet wearing them. 

All three of these leathers don’t need much care beyond occasionally wiping them down with a damp rag and brushing them down with a horsehair brush. 

If your Matte leathers get super muddy and you’re feeling like you absolutely need to clean them (I wouldn’t do this in the first year unless I had to), you can follow my procedure for how to clean Thursday Rugged & Resilient leather. The Matte leather is a little different, but I’d follow the same process. 

Sole

The sole is the star of the show on the Hero. 

Thursday released their new Storm King outsole a few years ago, and it’s basically a heavy rubber lug sole with half-inch lugs for excellent traction on wet surfaces and essentially never-ending durability in the heel. 

If you’ve ever been frustrated at that rubber piece in the heel wearing down too fast, you’ll love the Storm King outsole because the heel is a solid 3cm (about 1.25”) of rubber. That’s not going to wear down any time soon. 

The Storm King outsole offers a good balance of shock absorption, durability, and traction. Shock absorption and traction usually go hand-in-hand, and are often opposed to durability (softer rubber is most comfortable and grips better—harder rubber lasts longer but is less comfortable). 

Overall, the Hero is a very comfortable boot. 

The insole is a high density foam, so it’s comfortable right out of the box, and Thursday uses cork filler in the midsole, which allows for a more consistent break in.

Boots with full synthetics through the midsole often just “give up” at a certain point, but while cork compresses a bit to mold to the shape of your foot, it never collapses.

Fit and Sizing

The Thursday Hero felt a bit snug at first, but after two wears, they’d stretched just a bit and fit really well. 

I ordered a half-size smaller than my Brannock sizing—your Brannock size is likely what you most often get for your sneakers and dress shoes. 

For example, I’m a size 10.5 in sneakers and dress shoes. I got the size 10 in the Hero and they fit perfectly. 

I also ordered size 10 for all my other Thursday boots, and I think the fit of the Hero is spot on. 

Read my complete guide to sizing Thursday boots if you want more details on how to find your size. 

Break-in Period

There’s almost no break in period with the Thursday Hero. They were pretty squeaky for the first two or three wears, but that went away as the tongue broke in more. 

Comfort-wise, they’re great out of the box. 

The leather will stretch a little as you wear them, so they’ll feel the most snug when they’re brand new. 

While I didn’t try the Cacao leather for the Hero, I know that leather is stiffer than the Matte leathers because of my experience with the Thursday Logger. You may want to avoid committing to a five mile walk for your first Hero Cacao wear, but overall, I wouldn’t worry about the break in at all. 

What do Other Reviewers Say?

There aren’t many reviews up for the Thursday Hero since it’s a new boot. But after scouring the web, I’ve found some other guys who’ve recently picked theirs up. I haven’t found anything negative (other than the squeaking, but since that goes away so quickly, it’s not an issue). 

Some reviewers said their Hero boots fit a bit more snug that their President boots, but ultimately none of the reviewers who said that recommended a different size. That’s probably what people struggle with the most when choosing their boots: the size. 

Order a half size smaller than your sneakers and you’ll be set. 

My Thoughts Overall On the Thursday Boots Hero

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