John A. Frye opened the first Frye shop on Elm Street in Marlboro, Massachusetts, in 1863. The brand's own timeline places its Campus boot in the 1970s, where it "soon became an all-American symbol of rebellion and freedom." Glamour reports that hundreds of TikTok videos now feature it, and I can see why a tall brown boot with that much history keeps turning up on October sidewalks.

The original is a tall pull-on leather boot with a chunky toe, a stacked heel and a shaft that slouches just a little. The Standard calls out the "chunky square toe and stacked heel" as what it is loved for, and Harper's Bazaar noted that younger shoppers want the vintage versions because a brand-new pair does not come with that aged look. So a Frye Campus boots dupe is really a search for a shape and a finish. This edit gathers pieces from other labels that share the idea: pull-on, stacked, leather that looks lived in. None of them is the original, and I would not pretend otherwise.

Start with the pull-on pairs. Picture her crossing a campus quad in a corduroy mini, black tights and the Primo in brown leather, with its pull tabs and low stacked heel. The Sylvia in dark brown has a woven shaft panel and a slim buckled strap at the ankle, a dressier take on the relaxed original. The Blaze in distressed black adds side pull handles and contrast stitching, so it carries the worn-in look from day one, while the Adana and the Riggs in tan, with its round toe, tonal stitching and low stacked heel, are the plainer, straighter options.

In the fitting room, tug the pull tabs hard and check that the stitching holds. Then walk down a flight of stairs: a good tall boot should bend at the ankle, not crack at the shaft.

Brown is where the original does its best work, and Harper's Bazaar noted that a saddle-brown finish makes a nice contrast against soft knits and flowy maxi dresses. Brown leather is also where a look-alike gives itself away fastest, so read the color carefully. Flat, even brown reads new. Warmer tones with a little variation read worn.

The Penny in whiskey is the one I would reach for first: round toe, low heel, a color that looks like it has already been through a few Octobers. The Milla in dark brown and the Gisella in castagno are the quieter pair, both with a round toe and a low stacked heel, and both close with a side zip, which is a practical trade for the original's pull-on shape. The Kyle in tan has a curved topline and a stacked block heel, and the Celestina in madeira is a clean, classic riding line.

Pair any of them with tights and a knit skirt, or with barrel jeans tucked in. Glamour described the Campus as having a silhouette like cowboy or riding boots but "a more relaxed attitude," and that is the standard I would hold these to. Hold a boot up and look at the toe from the side. A campus-style toe has some bulk to it; a sharp, narrow one is a different boot.

What I would skip: a brown so glossy it looks lacquered. It will not soften into the lived-in look you are after.

Frye adopted Goodyear welt construction in 1923, and the brand notes it is one of the sturdiest construction methods because it allows boots to be repeatedly resoled. You will not find that on every black boot here, but it is worth knowing what the original is built around, so you can read each product page with the right question in mind: what is the sole attached with, and can it be repaired.

The Harding has a western-inspired toe, pull tabs and a low block heel, which is the nearest thing in black to the pull-on character. The Samantha III is waterproof with seam-sealed construction, a real consideration for a wet October commute. The Glendale has an ankle strap, the Edina a kitten heel and vertical stitching, and the Lex is a sleek tall shaft on a low block heel. The Campbell is the plain, smooth, no-surprises pair.

Black is the version I would wear with a slip dress, bare legs on a mild day and a long coat once it turns. Look at the leather on your hand, in daylight: full-grain should show pores and a slight variation, while a very uniform surface is more likely coated.

What I would skip: a very slim, narrow shaft if you want the slouch. Tall black boots photograph well when they bunch a little at the ankle, and a tight zip will not do that.

The Harness boot arrived at Frye in the 1960s, inspired by Civil War cavalry, and the brand says "nothing says Frye like the signature harness ring and studs." The Engineer collection followed in the 1990s, moto-inspired, with heavy-duty leather. Those two ideas, a ring and a strap on a sturdy boot, are what this group borrows, and they are easy to spot at a glance.

Harper's Bazaar noted that the harness detail is typically reserved for square-toed, mid-calf boots, and looks especially fresh on a rounded toe. That is the test I would apply here. The Hamila in cappuccino has an O-ring strap and a low heel. The Everest is black, pull-on and studded, on a chunky lug sole, and the Joan is the waterproof version for rain. The Spence in black has a wraparound harness strap on a heel, and the Anok in distressed black is made in Italy with a 2 inch block heel. The Hattie has a subtle western feel on a chunky block.

I would wear these with a slip skirt and a cropped knit, so the hardware is the loudest thing in the outfit. Turn the ring in your fingers: it should sit flat against the leather and not rattle. Check that the strap is stitched through, not glued on top.

What I would skip: harness boots with a very high shaft and a lot of loose straps. They get fussy fast.

The part of the original that people forget is the heel. The Standard singles out the "two-toned chunky block heel," and stacked leather is the thing that makes the boot walk the way it does. A stacked heel is built from layers, so look for visible horizontal lines at the side rather than a smooth molded block.

The Gloria in cognac has a stacked heel, polished bit hardware and a side zip with elastic gore, which makes it easy to get on over a calf. The Kristen in tobacco is a smooth tall boot on a stacked block. The Tatter is brown with buckled ankle straps, the Sylvia is black with a squared toe on a slim block heel, and the Penny in black adds a pull tab on a low heel. The Adaline in cognac has whipstitching and a curved topline, and the Dalli in taupe suede has a soft, slouchy shaft on a tiny wedge heel.

For October I would wear these with a plaid skirt and thick tights, or with straight jeans over the shaft if the weather gets cold. At home, check the width of the shaft against your calf before you commit, then stand and see whether the heel feels steady with your weight forward.

What I would skip: a stacked heel that looks like a printed pattern. Tap it with a fingernail; stacked leather sounds solid.

I would begin with the shape, not the color. Pull-on, a little bulk at the toe, a stacked heel, and a shaft that can slouch. Then I would choose between brown that already looks lived in and black that will get there with wear.

After that, check what you cannot see in the photo: the pull tabs, the stitching around the heel, how the leather feels in your hand. Walk a block in them before you wear them anywhere that matters.

The original started in a small shop on Elm Street in 1863 and ended up in a pair of boots a whole generation wanted on the quad. Any of these can start its own story from here. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together UGG Boots and Timberland Boots.