Thursday Boots vs Taft: Who Wins the Battle?

Sometime in the mid-2010s, there was a boot renaissance. 

And two of the biggest brands to crop up during this period were Thursday Boot Company and Taft. 

Naturally, coming up at the same time, these brands have drawn a lot of comparisons. I own 14 pairs of Thursday boots and three pairs of Taft boots. So I have extensive experience with each brand.

If you’re wondering which brand you should shop with, I thought it’d be helpful to hear my honest opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of both brands so you can get the perfect pair of boots for what you need. Sound good?

Comparing Thursday and Taft: An Overview

Thursday Boot Company

At the time of writing, Thursday boots offers 19 different styles of boots, three types of sneakers, and five types of dress shoes. They also offer belts and jackets in some of their most popular leathers.

Thursday has been developing a series of their own proprietary leathers like Rugged & Resilient, WeatherSafe Suede, and Thursday Chrome: while I wouldn’t say that these options are very adventurous, they’re all solid, age gracefully, and perform well for those of us who wear our boots every single day.

Thursday was one of the first brands to make Goodyear welted boots that felt more like sneakers because of the Poron footbed and DuraEVA comfort strip—while that’s more common now, I still think Thursday balances heritage construction and modern materials better than most brands (and they do so at a very fair cost). 

I really like Thursday (can you tell? I have 14 pairs). On any given day, I’m usually wearing a pair of Thursdays because they’re comfortable and easy to walk several miles in—even when they’re brand new. Plus, they’re stylish and refined, but most models aren’t so dressy that you feel like you have to spruce up the rest of your outfit to match. 

Back when I started getting my first pair of boots, I loved that I could get a pair of lace-ups (the Captain) and a Chelsea (the Duke), and still stay well under $500. With those two pairs, I had all the wardrobe versatility I needed: rugged, casual, dressy—Thursday’s boots play well with all styles. 

My first pair of good boots, and my favorite to this day, is the Thursday Captain. You can see what my Thursday Captains look like now after five years of wear here. 

Taft

Taft makes some of the most unique boots I’ve ever seen. While they originally shot to stardom with their Jack boot in wool and leather, the brand has branched out and creates some true stunners. 

I have the Jack in the Eden cotton jacquard colorway. Just look at it: no other brand does this kind of style. 

I also have the Dragon 3.0 for more rugged wear, and the Dylan in woven, which I can barely wear without being stopped every 50 feet and being complimented. 

What I appreciate about Taft is that while their boots are style-first, the quality is still superb. They rely heavily on Blake rapid stitch construction, which is a solid method of making high quality dress shoes, and the materials they choose are excellent (like C.F. Stead leather, for instance). 

My favorite Taft boot is the woven Dylan: it’s such a unique boot and I feel like a boss wearing it. 

Taft vs Thursday Boots: How Do They Compare?

Style

Each brand has such a unique style. I can’t tell you which one is better, obviously, so I’ll just give you my thoughts in the hope that they help you. 

My personal style is a balance between rugged, casual, and a bit refined. I like crisp slim-fit denim, a t-shirt, and a work shirt with a modern fit.  

Both brands fit with this aesthetic well, but I find myself most often reaching for a pair of Thursdays. 

My favorite pair of boots is the Thursday Captain: it’s comfortable, rugged, low-maintenance, but it’s still slim and modern. 

I also wear the Thursday Duke often, for many of the same reasons. 

I can’t say that I wear a pair of Taft boots every week (I have 40+ pairs, so it’s not like I’m shunning them—I just have a lot of options). But every once in a while when I want a show-stopper boot, I pull out either the Taft Jack or Dylan.

So it really depends on what you’re looking for: from a style-perspective, I think Thursday does a better job with “everyday” boots, while Taft makes a better “one-of-a-kind” boot that starts conversations. 

Leather Quality

Thursday has a range of proprietary leathers that they use across all their models, while Taft does a more “one-off” approach. 

Consider the Woven Dylan:

Taft doesn’t replicate this leather on their other boots—it’s unique to this style.

As for Thursday, you can find their Tobacco Rugged and Resilient leather available in the President, Legend, Cadet, Captain, and Commander (and a belt and jacket). Thursday tends to develop a special leather and then use it. 

Again, it’s tough to say if one brand’s leather is better than another. Taft’s leather choices tend to be more refined and classy, whereas Thursday’s leathers are usually designed to handle a much greater variety of uses: from wet weather to offroad adventures. 

I can’t say that one brand has better leather overall, but their leathers match their styles. I prefer Thursday’s leather for everyday wear, and I prefer Taft’s leather options for those times you want to bust out a dress boot.

Sole Quality

Generally speaking, Thursday boots use a lot more synthetic materials in their insoles: this makes them more comfortable but also comes at the expense of a bit of durability.

Thursday relies heavily on the 360-degree Goodyear welt, which is the gold-standard of boot makers and is an excellent option for water resistance. Taft mainly uses a Blake rapid stitch construction for their boots, which has a lot less water resistance, but is a little slimmer and is still a fantastic method of making boots. 

Both can be recrafted should you ever want to replace the sole. 

Taft often uses leather soles with recessed rubber studs for added traction (Thursday does this on their Cavalier, too), but I never really liked the style. I figure if you’re going to go with a leather sole, go all the way. My Taft Dragons have a Dainite Ridgeway rubber lug sole, which is a tank, but that’s specific to the Dragon. 

I think Thursday’s sole choices are more practical and durable, whereas Taft’s leather soles are better suited for dressy occasions.

Fit and Sizing

Thursday has a massive advantage in this category over Taft. 

Taft currently offers sizes 6-15, but only in full sizes and only in the standard D-width. Thursday offers sizes 6-16 with half-sizes in the most popular fits and with some EE width options in most models. 

Taft runs larger than Thursdays, I think partially to cover for their lack of half-sizes. I happen to be a size 10 for each (I wear a 10.5 sneaker), but if you have wider feet or your boot size changes from brand to brand, you’ll have an easier time finding the right fit with Thursday boots. 

You can read my Thursday boots sizing guide here and my Taft boots sizing guide here for more info. 

I also find that my Thursday boots are more comfortable to wear for long periods of time and walking longer distances. 

It’s not that my Taft boots are uncomfortable, but they don’t offer the same shock absorption as my Thursdays. And because Taft boots use leather and cork as their insole (which is great from a durability standpoint), there’s more of an uncomfortable break in period to contend with. 

Durability and Construction

Both brands use excellent quality construction methods that are able to last many, many years with the proper care. 

Thursday uses a Goodyear welt, which is great for rainy conditions. Taft works mainly with a Blake stitch, which give the boots a lower profile—it’s a common construction method for dress shoes and boots. 

The insoles for Taft should have greater durability because they’re mainly leather and cork, which take longer to break in, but shape to your foot better.

Thursday’s insoles are typically Poron with a DuraEVA comfort strip in the midsole. This makes for an exceptionally comfortable boot, but these synthetic high density foams don’t have the same longevity as leather. 

As a whole, I’d venture to say that Thursday boots are more durable because of their Goodyear welt and their tough leather options. Of course, I’d wear my Thursdays in much more rugged conditions than I would my Tafts. 

The bottom line is that both boots are well made and should last several years, depending on how often you wear them. 

Thursday Boots and Taft Comparison

Watch my video to see how I compare three of each brand’s most popular boots: Captain vs Dragon, Cavalier vs Dylan, and President vs Jack.

It’s tough to judge these two brands head to head because they each have completely different strengths. I think the closest comparison that can be made is the Captain vs the Dragon.

Overall, the Dragon is the superior boot, but it also costs nearly double the price, so the quality jump isn’t surprising. 

Thursday vs Taft: Which is Best for You?

If you’re looking for a solid everyday boot that you can wear in a variety of situations, I recommend Thursday boots. 

If you already have a few pairs of boots you rely on for your day-to-day and you want a new pair that really stands out in a crowd, check out Taft’s collection. 

Here’s how it typically goes for me: I wear one of my 14 pairs of Thursday boots probably three or four times a week for regular walks around town (I usually test new boots and brands the rest of the week). 

Once every three weeks or so, I’ll have a nicer event where I want to dress up a bit—in those cases, I’ll opt for Taft (the Dylan crushes it in snazzy situations). 

So I get a lot more wear out of my Thursday boots. But that doesn’t mean they’re better than Taft. Just different. 

It probably goes without saying that if I could only choose one brand, it’d be Thursday. But luckily, I don’t have to just choose one brand. 

If you’re looking for your first pair of good boots, you’ll love Thursday. 

If you already have a few pairs of boots and want something unique and stylish, check out Taft. 

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