The Clarks Bushacre 2 is an incredibly popular and affordable Chukka boot. Expertly blending the line between casual and semi-formal, the Bushacre 2 is a versatile boot that can be easily dressed up or down depending on the occasion – ensuring that it is always a top consideration for your daily wardrobe.
In this review, we will take an up-close look at the Bushacre 2 so you can determine if it’s worth buying.
Let’s begin:
Review Notes: We paid for these boots out-of-pocket. This is not a paid review. This post contains affiliate links. Tools of Men is independently owned and operated. Clarks is not aware of this post prior to publication.
Clarks Bushacre 2 Details
Top-down, the Bushacre 2 is a simple and nice-looking boot with subtle details throughout.
Here’s a closer look:
Upper
The Clarks Bushacre 2 will either have a suede (pictured above) or leather upper. For the boot’s color options, Clarks provides a wide palette that skews largely towards safe, neutral tones; however, a few bold colors (blue, red, and orange) are available.
Suede Upper
The suede, sourced from the underside of cowhide, gives the boot a slightly softer appearance while not being too overtly feminine.
Leather Upper
Should you decide on the leather boots, you should know that Clarks is annoyingly vague and states that these boots are made from leather with no disclosure on what type of leather. This leads me (and many others) to believe that this should be inferred as genuine leather, one of the poorer grades available – which makes sense given their lower price point.
That being said, you should look at these boots as one that will last you a few seasons before needing to be replaced rather than a buy-it-for-life purchase.
Related: Types of Men’s Boots
Character
As your keen eye may have already noticed in previous pictures, out of the box, the Bushacre 2 has some markings and scuffs already on the suede:
Naturally, more of these will develop with time and make the shoes a great reflection of your daily life and the endless travels you had in them.
While understandably some men like pristine, mark-free shoes, the Bushacre 2’s are meant to be worn and will look even better with time – so don’t worry about them looking bad in only a couple of weeks.
Shoe Construction
Featuring a resoleable stitch down construction, the Bushacre 2 has a nice trim that wraps around the entirety of the upper.
From the threaded stitching, the upper extends outward by about .25″.
Eyelets
Chukka boots are often defined as having two or three eyelets. The Bushacre 2 didn’t break this tradition and contains two eyelets that have been reinforced with a metal grommet.
Also important to note, the braided laces help to add a subtle sense of casual style to the boots.
Sole
The biggest difference, and one of the primary reasons why men decide to opt for the Clarks Bushacre 2 over the Clarks Desert Boot, is the shoe’s outsole.
With a synthetic outsole, the Clarks Bushacre 2 provides a nice, confident step. As you can see in the picture above, the outsole has a uniform texture.
The Clarks Desert Boot, on the other hand, has a crepe outsole. This is intended to provide some extra shock absorption and a slightly gummy grip.
Country of Origin
Despite their UK origins, Clarks shoes are reportedly made in a variety of countries which include the following: China, India, Brazil, and Vietnam.
For the Bushacre 2 we ordered (from Amazon), they were made in India:
Wearing the Clarks Bushacre 2
Here are a few important notes when wearing the Clarks Bushacre 2:
Sizing
When sizing for the Bushacre 2, consider sizing down by a half OR one full size. For comparison, normally I wear a size 10 for both Onitsuka and Nike. However, I found the Bushacre 2 to be just a little bit too roomy for my liking.
Toe Box
One surprising area of comfort with the Bushacre 2 was the toe box. I wouldn’t consider my feet to be wide (i.e. I don’t buy wide shoes) but they aren’t narrow, either. The Bushacres had a comfortable amount of space for my feet to wiggle without feeling constricted in any way.
Given that there are no mesh or ventilation holes on the sides of these shoes, this added bit of space in the toe box ensures that they don’t run too hot leading to stinky or sweaty feet.
Here’s a top-down view for reference:
Height & Support
To give you an idea of the height and ankle support for these shoes, take a look at the picture above. As you can see, the collar of these shoes rests well above the ankle bone (note: the Chukka is considered an ankle boot). This elevated collar does expose your skin to potential irritation due to rubbing, especially if worn for an extended walk.
Therefore, you will want to get socks sized appropriately to mitigate any issues. Ankle-high socks should suffice:
Regarding the support, the collar on these shoes is not reinforced in any way:
Therefore, while comfortable, they aren’t as stable as a traditional work or hiking boot, nor are they intended to be used as such.
Related: Best Socks for Men
Walking Comfort
When wearing the Bushacre 2 for an extended time, the comfort is adequate. The insole has a slight bit of cushion that will feel nice against your feet:
Additionally, the upper is rather soft and pliable, which helps to reduce the strain across the top of the foot with each step:
While not advertised to have a shock absorption sole like the Clarks Original Desert Boots, the sole on the Bushacre 2 does have a nice bit of give:
Therefore, you shouldn’t expect these to be nearly as rigid compared to a dress boot or any other formal shoe with a harder outsole.
Styles
As we mentioned previously, the Bushacre 2 is a highly versatile boot and can be paired with many different clothes within your wardrobe.
To give you a few different ideas, here’s how they look when paired with denim:
Denim with a moderate cuff:
Paired with Bonobos chinos:
Same chinos but with a moderate cuff:
While I think that you could get away with wearing these in tandem with a lighter pair of pants (both casual and informal dress pants), the contrast between the dark fabric of the pants and lighter shoes (in my opinion) is more pleasing to the eye rather than being too monochromatic.
Where Can I Buy the Clarks Bushacre 2 Chukka Boots?
Surprisingly, where you can buy the Bushacre 2 is limited as they cannot be purchased directly from the Clarks website (at the time of initial publication). Therefore, the Clarks Bushacre 2 must be purchased from third-party online retailers which include the following:
*Uncertain if the Bushacre 2 is stocked at their brick-and-mortar locations.
Clarks Bushacre 2 vs Clarks Originals Desert Boot
If you are stuck deciding between the Bushacre 2 and the Desert Boot, know that the biggest difference is going to be in the sole and the price.
As covered previously, the Bushacre 2 has a synthetic outsole whereas the Desert Boot has a crepe rubber outsole.
Some men do find that the crepe soles on the Desert Boot collect dirt more easily, which of course, isn’t ideal if the style and appearance are important to you.
Additionally, the Desert Boot does typically cost about $40 more due to the higher quality outsole and the iconic heritage it holds – it’s the original desert boot designed by Nathan Clark in 1949 (source).
The Bottom Line
The Clarks Bushacre 2 Chukka Boot is a classic and eye-pleasing footwear choice. While there are understandably some questions regarding durability, largely around the choice of leather, you can’t go wrong here given the affordable price point.
The Bushacre 2 is affordable and should be a part of your stylish footwear rotation.