Thursday Boots Wingtip Review: I Tried Ther Dressiest Boot

Not to toot my own horn, but I absolutely crushed it on the dance floor at the last wedding I went to. 

Here’s the evidence:

When you have a great pair of dress boots, it’s hard not to have the kind of confidence that allows you to put on the best performance of your life. 

But seriously, I basically destroyed my dress boots that night. See that move in the middle? Yeah, that’s what did them in. 

So I needed a new pair and decided I’d try Thursday’s most dressy boot: the Wingtip. 

Now that I’ve been wearing them for a while, I have some opinions on who these boots are great for, and who might want to skip them. 

Thursday Boot Company Wingtip Overview

The Wingtip is Thursday’s dressiest boot—I’m reviewing the Color #77 version, but it’s also available in a darker brown patina version (Dark Oak) and a black version (Black). 

Unlike other Thursday Boots, the Wingtip is much longer and more narrow. It features broguing throughout the toe box, heel, and vamp. The Color #77 version is made with all smooth full grain leather, but the Dark Oak and Black versions have a mix between smooth full grain and pebbled leather for a little extra textured effect. 

The Wingtip has a 360 degree Goodyear welt, which is a bit unusual for a dress boot: most dress boot makers use a Blake stitch, though Goodyear welts are known to be more water resistant and durable. 

And unlike most dress boots, the Wingtip features a rubber studded sole, which is much better in rainy weather and makes for a more comfortable, though less “classic” boot. 

Things to Consider Before Buying

If your feet are wide, I don’t recommend this boot. Thursday boots tend to be more slim and narrow anyway (though they do have some models in EE widths for the wide-footed), but the Wingtip takes that slimness to a new level. 

I have standard D-width feet, and while I can’t say the Wingtip is as comfortable as Thursday’s Captain, they still fit well. But if there’s a little wiggle room for guys with wide feet in the Captain and President, it’s not here in the Wingtip. 

Also, in reading through other reviews, I noticed that some people were put off by how long these boots are in the toe. They’re about an inch longer than other Thursday boots, so they have an elongated look. 

I really like it, and I think it looks fantastic styled with crisp blue jeans or a suit, but it’s not for everyone. My hope is that the pictures in this review give you a solid idea of what they look like styled. 

My Hands-On Review

First Impression

I picked up the Wingtip in Color #77, which looks similar to Museum Calf leather—a type of full grain leather with a marbling patina crafted in the dying process. 

I think the varied patina gives these boots a really distinctive look, and it’s one of the main things that drew me to the Wingtip in the first place. 

The Wingtip also has a squared toe, which is less common and unique among Thursday boots. 

I’ve been loving pairing these boots with crisp slim tapered jeans—it completely elevates a casual look, so even if you’re just wearing jeans and a tee, the whole outfit still looks classy. 

There’s a lot of broguing detail throughout the entire boot: the heel, the vamp, the toe, the ankle—it’s ornate. I think the amount of detailing calls for simplicity in the rest of your outfit. I’d stick to solid colors when wearing the Wingtip and avoid too many patterns. These boots should be the star of the show in any outfit you put together.

Leather Quality and Care

The Color #77 leather is a hand-finished full grain that measures about 2.5mm (when you include the 1mm lining). 

If you’ve had experience with any other Thursday boots, this leather is completely different—it’s almost like the Wingtip doesn’t fit with the rest of Thursday’s offerings (not a bad thing, just different). 

The leather is stiffer, which works well for the dress boot style (it’s not uncomfortable, though). Of course, the most distinctive aspect of the leather is the marbling patina effect. You either like it or you don’t. 

I think it looks great, and while I think the color variation takes this boot out of the running for more formal events, I think it makes for a visually interesting boot for the office and for Saturday night outings. 

As with any dress boot, I don’t expect the leather to be super rugged or anything, but this leather can definitely withstand some rain and slushy sidewalks. I wouldn’t choose these boots for inclement weather, but if you happen to get caught outside during a downpour, I doubt your boots will get ruined. 

Caring for the leather on these is easy: I use Saphir Renovateur, which is my top-of-the-line leather conditioner. I use this on my dress boots specifically because it adds a nice subtle shine but doesn’t darken the leather. 

Sole

Most dress boots have a leather sole—it’s considered the best formal choice and more classic. But the Thursday Wingtip features a rubber studded sole.

The rubber studded sole offers a lot more grip and traction, especially if the ground is wet, plus it has more shock absorption so your feet won’t get as tired if you’re on them all day. 

The only downside I can see to the rubber soles is that true dress boots all have leather soles, which provide the low profile and perfect sound when you’re walking on a hard surface in your office. 

But otherwise, rubber soles tend to be more durable and comfortable. So it’s really up to you to decide whether you need a leather sole or not. 

The insole is made with Poron and there’s a cork midsole layer as well. When I resoled my Captains, I got to take a close look and compare Thursday’s cork layer to other boot brands like Red Wing. 

Cork midsoles offer a decent balance of shock absorption, durability, and comfort. The type of cork Thursday uses is a little chunkier, so it can break apart and clump up more easily, but it’s still a step up from purely synthetic midsoles. A very fine cork midsole can last five years or more, and I’d say that my experience with Thursday’s cork midsoles peg their durability more like three years (I’ve had my Captains for five years and here’s what they look like now). 

The Wingtip is comfortable out of the box, but you’ll still get that effect of your foot breaking in the footbed over time and getting a custom-fitted feel. 

Of course, with the Goodyear welt you can always get these resoled (though I’m not sure it’s very cost-effective to do so). 

Fit and Sizing

Because the Wingtip is longer than other Thursday boots, the same sizing applies: you should order a half-size smaller than your sneaker size. But unlike other boots like the Captain, I think if you have wider feet, these just aren’t the boots for you. 

The Wingtip is quite comfortable, though it does fit a bit snug at first. The leather does stretch a little as they break in, so don’t worry if they’re feeling a little tight when you first try them on. 

I always recommend wearing your boots in the house for an hour or two before going outside. If your foot is tingling, then the boots are too tight. If it’s just snug, however, they’ll loosen a bit as you wear them and should fit perfectly afterward. 

Read my guide on how to find the perfect fit for your Thursday boots. 

Break-in Period

Thursday boots really don’t have much of a break in period and the Wingtip is no exception. They’re pretty much comfortable right away, though the sides were a bit snug at first. 

After my second wear, I didn’t feel any discomfort at all, but my feet felt squeezed the first two days. This is just because the leather needs time to stretch. I’m a size 10.5 in sneakers and got the 10 in the Wingtips and I’m happy with that choice. 

What Do Other Reviewers Say?

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A lot of reviewers for the Wingtip give a shout out to Thursday’s customer service, which I can vouch for—they’re quite responsive and the one time I needed to figure out a shipping issue, my case-rep was thorough in figuring out the problem. 

Some guys felt the same snugness in the sides for the first few wears, but nothing that caused any major issues or blisters. 

My Thoughts Overall

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