In this unsponsored review, I’ll share how Thursday’s Explorer boots have held up after 3 months of heavy winter wear.

Here at The Modest Man, we’re big fans of Thursday Boots and their affordable, well-built footwear. Let’s dive into the review of their rugged Explorer boot…

Table of Contents

I almost immediately noticed that these boots provide me with much more traction than my Thursday Scout chukkas. Right away, I also admired these boots’ Kevlar laces. They’re sturdy long enough that I loop them around the back before tying. 

Construction & Aesthetic

The slim profile and matte finish help this combat book to look less “military” and more “street style” than most other combat boots. The Explorer pairs well with black jeans and with dark-colored chinos. 

I love the look of these boots. They come in three different colors — matte black, dark olive suede, and ceder. I went with the black matte finish as I tend to wear a lot of black and gray in the winter. 

Explorer Fit/Sizing

At first, I ordered size 10 — my size for Thursday Scout chukka boots. They were a little bit too snug, especially knowing I’d be wearing them with thick wool socks. I exchanged sizes and ended up with 10.5. 

These boots are hard to take on and off. I have to loosen the laces all the way down to the sixth eyelet. This is a pain, especially since Explorers don’t have regular speed hooks. However, after a week or two, I got faster at putting these boots on and taking them off. 

There is a small pull tab on the heel of the boot. I assume this was intended to help pull the boots on.

However, considering how much effort it takes to put on these boots, the little tab is pointless in my opinion. 

The boots ended up stretching a bit after wearing them over two pairs of wool socks in wet weather, but that’s to be expected (In fact, that’s a common shoe-stretching method!).