The Sutro Charlton Review

I received the following product in exchange for my honest opinions. Use my code “CAMHYDE25” for $25 off your purchase from Sutro!

Sutro Footwear is a company based in San Francisco, California. They sell both men's and women's footwear and they make some awesome boots! Sutro boots are built to last and are specifically geared to look better with age. I reviewed Sutro's Alder previously, which you can read about here. Today I'm reviewing the Charlton. Does it continue the trend of that great Sutro experience?

The Charlton comes in two flavors. You can get the model that looks like a standard boot or you can get the model that has a Vibram wedge sole. I am reviewing the standard model. I love the looks of this boot because it looks manly. Sutro says it's modeled after the original work boot style. It has the features of a utility work boot with the looks of an everyday street wear boot. It certainly has some unique features—some of which I like and others I could do without. I do, however, think this is a very versatile boot that you can really dress up or down, which makes a boot very attractive to me.

Leather

The leather on this boot is great, but I love all of the leather I've seen from Sutro. It's 16mm thick and they use a vegetal tanning process on their leather that really gives it character. It's meant to show the nicks and scratches that the animal may have faced in it's life and I think it looks better and better with age and wear. I went with the darker mahogany color and it's a really good looking boot.

Their process involves using oils, beeswax, creams, and brushing multiple times in various stages. Each pair has it's own unique character and Sutro is very concious of their Carbon Footprint.

Inside this boot uses glove leather lining. It feels great and you could wear these with short socks if you wanted to. If you've never experienced leather lined boots, you're missing out. It also really helps with the break in experience.

My biggest complaints probably come from the lacing system of this boot. First, the laces weren't long enough for me and I had to replace them. I did contact Sutro about this and they said they are updating the laces, which is good news for future buyers. The system also just feels complicated. The speedhooks feel too close together. There is a loop on the tongue to run your laces through, but this is in the middle of the speehooks for some reason so you have to slide them through while using the speedhooks, which really slows the process down. There is also a set of regular eyelets after the speedhooks, which I can only assume is for added security. All that being said, when I lace this boot I skip the tongue loop and the regular eyelet on top and that seems to work just as well for me.

I swapped the laces for some longer blue ones and really liked them.

I'm honestly not sure the point of the tongue loop because the tongue is gusseted. A gusseted tongue helps with water proofing and prevents water from leaking in up to a certain point. I like this feature and it gives this boot that old school workboot feel even more so.

The Sole

This boot has a rubber sole, which provides really nice traction. I've worn these in the rain a lot and had no problems. It has a 3/4 Storm welt, which makes it recraftable and very water resistant. It has a one inch stacked leather heel with a natural rubber top lift. There's a metal shank for durability. I also love the aesthetic of the midsole of this boot. It's a nice lighter brown that contrasts very well with the darker leather. 

Sizing, fit, and Comfort

I went with the same size in this boot as I did with the pair of Alders that I reviewed, which is a half size below my normal sneaker size. The length is perfect, but I have a wider foot and the Charlton definitely has a more narrow last. I had some minor small toe pinching with this boot and personally wish I had gone a half size up with this boot. If you have a regular to narrow foot then a half size down from sneaker size will treat you just fine. 

That being said, the boot is really comfortable. I have walked a lot in it and it feels great while walking and standing. It hugs your feet in the right places and the leather wears in very quickly. I could feel the leather feeling better as I walked each time I put the boot on.

Yes, you can climb trees in these boots.

Conclusion

Sutro makes great boots. They deserve more recognition. The Charlton does have a bit of a funky lacing system, but the beauty in that is that you can find a way that will work for you and there are several options. The Charlton both looks and feels great and has unique features that you won't find on a lot of other boots. Sutro makes their boots to endure the test of time and you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't consider them as your next boot purchase.

As a gift to you for checking out my review, you can use my code “CAMHYDE25" for $25 off your purchase from Sutro!

Check out a few more pictures below!