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In Person: The Johnston & Murphy Oxford boot

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Johnston & Murphy Newell boot – $185.00

Here’s to hoping that Johnston & Murphy’s true oxford cap-toe Newell boot continues to get slammed in the customer review section.  Because if it does, maybe enough people will be scared off and they’ll be forced to put these on sale.

They’re a little steep at the full retail price of $185, but there’s no way they should be saddled with just 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Johnston & Murphy can often run a little traditional in shape.  That’s not the case here.  Slim lines, and according to the video on the Newell shoe, they elongated the last to give it a more elegant look.  But in no way is the shape trendy or pointy.  They are a little narrow between the laces and toe, but they do come in a wide width.  My borderline wide foot certainly felt, um, well contained… but not cramped or smushed.  Length wise they seemed to be true to size.

The leather feels terrific.  Smooth but not plastic-like in the least.  The leather isn’t wildly thick, but they seem to be made from quality materials.  The cognac color is the type of brown that pops but doesn’t look nuclear orange.

Absolutely suit worthy.  Chinos and dark denim too.  It’s a real do almost anything boot.  Anything but dressed down.  They’re way too sleek to match up well with beat up jeans and an old t-shirt.

Made in India.  The sole is leather with rubber inserts.  According to a J&M customer care rep in the Q&A tab, these boots aren’t refurbishable.  $185 seems fair, but a bit out of range for many.  A 20% off sale would drop them to $148, which at that point they’d be awfully hard to pass up.

Comments

  2. If they’re nice and slim like the J&Ms, and I don’t see why you couldn’t.  It gets a lot easier if the suit has some texture to it, like a tweed or flannel, and the boots have a leather sole instead of a chunky rubber one.

    I think it all depends on the suit and tie combo you wear em’ with.  Traditional pinstripe with a silk tie?  Nah.  Something with texture and a knit, wool tie, or matte silk?  Sure…

  5. I bought these boots when they first came out on J&M.com and they are about as uncomfortable as a shoe can get. A couple of weeks ago after about 15 wears, the glued sole on the left foot has almost detached from the shoe. I did not wear it through water and just normal carpeted areas. I will not waste anymore money on J&Ms.

  6. WHOA.  Really?  I thought they were decently comfortable right out of the box.  What was uncomfortable about them to you?

    That stinks about the sole.  Thanks for the the heads up on that.

  7. The parts where the leather came together with stitching were not smooth and I was getting blisters constantly trying to narrow down the area that is causing the pain. I could not feel the exact spot/stitch with my finger but my feet suffered.

  8. I’ve seen a lot of dressy boots like this that can be worn with a suit.  Anyone know of a much cheaper alternative (I know you have to sacrifice quality for price).. I’m a college student in upstate New York, so it makes sense to get the dress boots for the winter, and wear my brown rockport boat shoes in the summertime.  Thoughts?  I do have the LL Bean engineer boots that my mom bought me, but those are more of everyday boots, I’d like a brown pair that I can really step up a notch..