In Cuba, Bond has put away the dinner jacket. Pierce Brosnan’s character is in a loose open shirt and light trousers, and on his feet are brown suede chukka boots. They are the most useful shoes in the outfit and the easiest to copy. These Church’s brown suede chukka boots are our closest identification rather than a confirmed one, and we will say plainly where the doubt lies.
In the film
The boots are worn through the Cuba scenes of Die Another Day. Our catalogue records the brand only as a possibility: one source suggests Church’s, noting that Brosnan wore several Church’s shoes in his Bond films. Other sources point to the Church’s Ryder III or the Carlisle, and one puts the Ryder in a different film altogether. We believe Church’s is the likeliest maker, and that a dark brown suede chukka of this type is the right look, without being able to prove the model.
The details
Dark brown suede. The Ryder III, the model most often named, is an ankle-high chukka in dark brown Castoro suede with a double sole and extra internal lining. Dark suede hides marks better than a pale desert boot and ages well.
Made in Northampton. Church’s builds its boots in England, and a retailer describing the Ryder lists a Goodyear-welted rubber sole, fabric laces and handwritten model information inside the shoe. A welted sole can be resoled, which is the sensible way to treat a boot at this price.
Two eyelets, no fuss. A chukka has a short lace-up front and no toe cap or brogueing. That plainness is why it moves between a pair of chinos and a casual suit without looking mismatched.
Wearing it now
The film wears them with light, loose clothes in a warm place, and that is still the best use. Pair a dark brown suede chukka with stone chinos, a washed linen shirt and a navy or olive overshirt. In cooler weather they suit grey flannel trousers and a rollneck. They are not a dinner shoe, and we would not wear them with a black-tie suit.
Match the belt. One source notes that Bond’s belt matches his shoes in the Cuba outfit. A brown leather belt is enough; it need not be the same maker.
Care. Brush suede in one direction, use a protector spray before the first wear, and let wet boots dry away from heat with shoe trees in them.
Out of production, or nearly. The exact boots from the film are not sold new, so a second-hand search is the honest route if you want the Church’s pair. Church’s still makes a Ryder LW suede desert boot in brown, listed at US$1,200 at the time of writing in October 2026 and showing as sold out online. For a current boot of the same type, see the alternatives below.
In the same spirit
These are alternatives, not the boots from the film:
- Drake’s Crosby Moc-Toe Chukka Boot in dark brown suede
- Crockett & Jones Molton Chukka Boots in dark brown rough-out suede
- Crockett & Jones Tetbury Chukka Boots
Specifications
| Type | Ankle-high chukka boot |
|---|---|
| Maker | Church’s, believed to be the maker (not confirmed) |
| Model | Possibly Ryder III or Carlisle |
| Upper | Dark brown suede |
| Sole | Goodyear-welted rubber, on the Ryder |
| Status | Not sold new in this exact form; found second-hand |
| Current Church’s comparison | Ryder LW suede desert boot, brown, US$1,200 (October 2026) |
See Church’s own range on the Church’s Ryder LW page.
Questions
What boots does Bond wear in Cuba in Die Another Day?
Brown suede chukka boots. The maker is believed to be Church’s, but the exact model is not confirmed.
Are they the Church’s Ryder?
Possibly. Some sources name the Ryder III and others the Carlisle. We treat the Ryder as the closest match rather than the answer.
Can I still buy them new?
Not in the exact form from the film. Church’s lists a current Ryder LW suede desert boot, though it showed as sold out online when we checked.
What should I wear them with?
Chinos, linen shirts, knitwear and grey flannel. Keep the rest of the outfit relaxed.
See more from the film on the Die Another Day page, Brosnan’s wider wardrobe in Pierce Brosnan’s Bond, or browse shoes.
