Customer Reviews Chrome 503 Combat Boot

I bought two pairs of these boots, one pair in black and one pair in brown. Both are very nice looking and fit very well. They are clearly well made and unlike most boots I've had in a number of ways. They're ideal for cycling. And there's so far no need to add an insole to avoid inevitable back pain. The quick laces toward the top make for fast on-and-off. The boots have remarkably good grip. I usually wear my black pair for daily cycle commuting and I often wear my brown pair for hiking—super comfortable, tough, and water resistant all around. Right now they are my favorite boots. Like a lot of Chrome products, they communicate a utilitarian, no-nonsense, somewhat military aesthetic. Unfortunately, there are issues. The reflective stripes on the back are a good idea, functional, and look nice. They're poorly implemented in that they are actually temporary—the reflective material is basically just painted on and begins to chip off almost immediately from just using the grips to put the boots on. No, not good, not good at all. I've seen this happen on recent models of Chrome bags as well. Chrome describes the brown pair as "amber". What this means is 'somewhere between oxblood and brown'. Kiwi does not offer this color in their shoe polish line and I couldn't find anything quite like it elsewhere. I contacted Chrome about what polish color they recommended and they politely recommended that I ask a shoe cobbler. Not good. So how do you maintain this color for the life of the boot? The short answer seems to be that you don't. You either use oxblood, cordovan, or brown. I went with oxblood. I love oxblood boots but this is another case where the design and quality lose points because, like the reflective material, what you get at first is only temporary. A third and final design issue that I've noticed is that the red rim around the black boots also quickly chips off from normal wear and tear. It doesn't go deep into the sole at all. This isn't good. I ended up just covering mine with black polish (mixed results so far). For future models, I recommend that Chrome considered a totally murdered out version (I've modified mine to get this effect). Unfortunately, these are also not made in America. Chrome is up front about this but it needs to be mentioned. Rather than making the boots somewhere here, production of these was outsourced to India and that's a real shame. I'd gladly pay a bit more for the quality I received with my BLCKCHRM bags, for example, and some of these design issues may have been more apparent without an ocean separating production, design, and administration.

Love these boots, however after 8 months of wear, the soles are completely busted out. I wonder if I can send them back for repair, or exchange, can anyone tell me if there is a guarantee, on these shoes?

If you are looking for a great boot at a great price, I highly recommend that you snag a pair of these. They have a great boot look but sneaker fit meaning very comfortable. I had to size down a half size then what I normally wear in other brands. The packaging that they arrive in is proof attention to detail was taken with these boots. They come out of the box a bit shinny but after a couple days stomping around they start to be a bit more matte finish. I have been wearing them all over during my travels and I couldn't be more hyped on these.

Great look and comfort. I was very surprised how lightweight these boots are. Highly recommended and I'm already looking to buy a second pair in brown.

Like 'em alot, buuuuut - the black rubber sole has split after less than one year of use - ironically most likely due to use on bike pedals. I'd love to get them fixed. Not sure if Chrome will do this though. They are a bit pricey to go south so quickly.

Serious sole quality issues with these boots. After wearing them for about five months (normal wear: cycling around, walking, etc), the sole wore away at the ball of my foot. Chrome is known for the quality of their bags and so you'd expect that from their boots as well. However, judging by reviews here and elsewhere on the internet, sole quality on these boots seems to be a widespread issue. Until Chrome reformulates their soles, I recommend avoiding these boots.