A$AP Rocky Bundles Up in Burberry Scarf and Bottega Veneta Platform Chelsea Boot to Brave the Cold in New York City

A$AP Rocky is out and about in New York City this week. After his partner in life and style Rihanna was spotted making the rounds over the holidays, wearing stunning outfit after stunning outfit, Rocky is also in the streets. The rapper was seen on Wednesday bundled up against the falling temperatures and blustering winds in a quilted Chanel cap, Burberry check scarf in the company’s archival beige, a Fendi print jacket and velvet trousers.

For shoes, Rocky went to a brand he is a face of. The style star, who has worked with stylist Mathew Henson for quite a while, chose a pair of of Bottega Veneta Chelsea boots. The brown shoes (the company calls the color Fondant) include a noticeable flatform outsole. It raises the wearer off the ground two inches.

The upper of the shoe is made of a grain calfskin leather that gives the style texture. It also includes an elasticized panel on the sides which is typical of Chelsea boots. The lining of the boot is also leather and the company’s signature Intracciato pattern is hidden in the insole.

Veneta sells the shoe for $1,300.

Chelsea boots as a style go back to the 1800s. Most cite the start in 1837 when Queen Victoria commisioned Joseph Sparkes-Hall to design a boot that she could wear to walk around in and ride horses in. He patented that design in 1851. Since then, its floated in and out of men’s fashion: though they were initially called Paddock boots, in the 1950s they became a go-to style for the “Chelsea Set” leading to them being dubbed the Chelsea boot. 1960s bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones wore the shoes, which caused their popularity to skyrocket globally. That time was captured in the Bob Dylan movie “A Complete Unknown” in which Timothee Chalamet wears a few pairs of suede Chelsea boots as Dylan.

In the 2010s, Hedi Slimane incorporated smooth leather Chelsea boots featuring heels into his collections at Saint Laurent which helped kickstart a trend. It became such a common style (with and without the Cuban heel) that some called them the “brunch boot.” It has since become somewhat of a classic, presented in a variety of aesthetics each season.