Expensive European styling, barefoot fit, correct sizing, very well finished.
First, the most important thing with shoes: these fit true to size. They look very narrow coming out of the box, but fit roughly like a D width when you put them on. On the product page, there is an "Amazon suggests" size, which did indeed give the best size for me. Speaking of the product page, it does not clearly indicate, but these are men's shoes, or, at least, they come in men's sizes. A woman with wide feet could certainly wear this style; they would just need to order roughly 2 sizes smaller than usual.They really do look great. I have been wearing penny loafers, on and off, since the 70s, mostly expensive ones, and these look like expensive ones. The sole is a European style driving sole, with raised grippy patches across the bottom and on the lower part of the heel. On the box it says "designed in Paris", so that fits. Curiously, the (brown cardboard) box and the inside of the shoes have a maple leaf logo with the brand name, so I was expecting Canada. Like all inexpensive shoes, they are made in China. They have a slight bit of arch support, and, as you can see in the illustration, a "zero drop" design, so if you often wear "barefoot" style shoes, these are a great choice for something more dressy and protective. OTOH, if you are expecting a more conventional style, with a flat sole and raised heel, these might not be your best choice, especially since the raised grippy pads do not come too close to the edge of the shoe, so they do not give the "firmly planted" feel of a conventional shoe, though the feel is not so far from, again, a "barefoot" shoe, which also relies on your foot to stabilize it, rather than the other way around.They do seem to be all plastic, which is normal for this price point, but the uppers are unusually comfortable for plastic, and look very convincingly like leather to me, even being slightly "gathered" around the toe, like some of my very expensive loafers. The (molded in?) stitching looks exactly like the way expensive loafers are stitched. Speaking of comfort, these are very well finished on the inside, with a soft slightly padded liner that feels seamless, and they are very nearly as light and flexible as "barefoot" shoes. The bottom is lightly padded, with a little additional padding under the heel. As someone who wears mostly "barefoot" shoes, these are exactly the right kind of "nice" shoes to not require a big adjustment. I would not wear them with a suit and tie to a wedding (though I'm sure many people would) but they would probably work great for anything less dressy, including interviews, meeting clients, and even times when I would otherwise wear sneakers: penny loafers are a wonderfully flexible style.Besides the box, they came securely filled with paper-covered foam to maintain their shape, and individually bagged. Predictably, they arrived in perfect condition.I gave these 4 stars instead of 5, just because most people do not wear "barefoot" shoes, and they might find these a little unsettling, and people who are purists about barefoot shoes may find these a little too "constructed." Personally, I think they're perfect.
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G
George Dinwiddie
March 30, 2025
OK, but I don't think they'll hold up.
When I ordered these, the description called them boat shoes. The sole does not seem appropriate for a wet boat deck, and an experiment in the shower seems to confirm that. I see the description no longer mentions that and calls them driving shoes, which is what my wife called them when she saw the tread on the back of the heel.Having individual blocks of tread makes these shoes a lot more flexible than shoes with a standard sole. I haven't decided yet if I like that or not. It certainly makes you notice pebbles and other unevenness on the walking surface.After wearing them for two days, the toes are already scuffed through the outer skin of the "leather." I suspect they're not going to last long. The problem here is that the soul blocks don't extend far enough to protect the uppers.
✔ Verified Purchase
New shoes for widower
Even though I got these for my widower brother, I placed my foot in his new shoe and was surprised at how soft the material felt. He was just as surprised as I was, and he was happy with the way the shoe fit. He especially liked the medium brown shade because he didn't have anything resembling that shade of shoe. Well, he doesn't have too many shoes at all. Nevertheless, he is pleased and wore them the next day. His feet didn't hurt whatsoever.
✔ Verified Purchase
