Banana Republic Jarret Suede Oxford – $84.00 – $120
New Season Update: It looks like BR renamed these the “Owen” for 2013? Not sure if they’re the same quality.
They might have won Store Wars, but Banana Republic just doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to shoes. Stories have floated around about quality being disappointing, and there’s even this review of the Jarret Suede Lace-Up sitting in plain view on BananaRepublic.com:
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“Male Emelda Marcos“? ‘kay. Well, two things. First: Of course they’re going to be glued. They’re $84 at 30% off. And second: This immediate welt to sole failure scenario is one often repeated by those who are anti bond-welt (glue), even if they’ve never experience it for themselves. Of course it could happen, and why would Mr. Marcos there leave that review if it didn’t? But gluing the sole of a shoe to an upper is cheaper than stitching them together, and plenty of shoes use this technique.
It just seems like the story, which is probably extremely rare, gets repeated exponentially more often than it has actually happened. Did these blow the sole within the first month of hard wear? Here’s how they’re doing:
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They’re holding up great. The suede is still a rich color that’s much deeper than the blue shown on Banana Republic’s site. I’ve probably worn these two, maybe three times a week since they were purchased. And I haven’t been kind to them. They’ve been on numerous walks, gone on a few medium distance bike rides, and had wine spilled on them. Aside from rinsing off the wine, they haven’t been cleaned at all. Haven’t seen a shoe tree either.
Again, these are glued, so that stitching along the outer edge is just for show. Nice show though. Looked all around the edge for any sort of noticeable gap between the upper and the sole, but there’s just nothing like that there. Still solid, and the glue has been applied pretty evenly so unless you’re right up on it, you won’t see it.
Been wearing these sockless probably 95% of the time. The insole is still soft, springy, and has handled my foot sweat well. White stuff
The one noticeable bit of wear is happening at the toes. Looks like the tips have been getting chewed up by all the pavement walking, or perhaps it’s because I sit on a high, pub-style chair at work for most of the day and lock my feet on the lower rungs. I haven’t been known to drag my feet, so the synthetic sole on these might be subject to some faster than average wear. Maybe.
Again, haven’t cleaned them. But like light pants, light soled shoes seem to attract scuffs, marks, and stains. Honestly didn’t noticed how dirty these have become until I started snapping pics.
So far so good. Really good. Especially since a mere $84 was shelled out for the pair. They’re incredibly comfortable and they seem to go with any pair of pants or shorts thrown at them. Might have to clean up the edges of the soles since they’ve quickly become a favorite, and they appear to be sticking around for awhile.
Own these or any other BR shoes? Do you think the bondwelt/glued sole failure story is overblown? Have you experienced it yourself only to swear off glued shoes? Leave it in the comments. Expect another update next month.
Good to hear! I have a pair of blue suede cap toes I like just fine, mostly because I feel like I can wear them year-round and the BR ones look a little summery to me, but still. I’ve seen a few pairs of shoes from them that I was considering but had misgivings about. That review probably would’ve scared me away.
Also, what kind of job involves a) wearing blue suede shoes, and b) sitting on a bar chair all day?
I’ve bought two shoes from BR over the years and both have held up well, especially a pair of chukkas that has long been a part of my regular rotation.
toll booth operator.
Well Joe, I’ve been following this shoe and your updates since you first posted about them and with a 40% off Wednesday today I’m finally pulling the trigger for $72. Apologies for going off topic but I am still looking for recommendations for shoes to go with a light gray linen suit that I picked up at Macy’s awhile back…wedding’s in August and fairly casual..was thinking maybe an alternative pair of bucks, anything dressier has seemed too dressy….your thoughts?
I just bought these a week or so ago. I can’t wait until they actually arrive so I can see them in person. That review on BR had me worried a bit so it’s great to see a positive review like yours. I’ve owned a few pair of BR shoes in the past and they’ve held up fine. I’m happy to know that these should too.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz5n941ONA1qbsbnoo1_500.png
Just got a pair of drivers from BR last week. They have already fallen apart. I will most likely have to retire them by the end of the month. Saddening since they did look really freaking good
The bondwelt/glued sole failure story is COMPLETELY overblown. I have a pair of asher loafers and san marco wingtips from banana. Got them both on sale at around $100. They have both taken a pounding from NYC sidewalks and have stood up perfectly. It seems that Mr. Marcos should have taken his pair back to the store for a replacement pair. I would recommend without hesitation a pair of banana republic shoes. They are great for what you would expect out of a shoe around $100.
I would love to get a pair. Sadly, BR Canada don’t have them.
One of the best kinds of jobs. I did my time in a cubicle. When given the opportunity to outfit a small office the way I wanted to, I decided I wanted it to look as little like a traditional office as possible. So, instead of a desk, I’ve got a high pub style table with a few chairs. It’s just like a big ol workspace. No drawers. Works great.
And I think if you work in a standard business casual office environment, you could pull these off. They’re a darker blue, not electric by any means.
Outstanding!
Still waiting on a pair that I ordered last week. My first pair of blue suede shoes! btw, they’re out of stock now.
thanks for the report Joe, I’ve been waiting for this follow-up before I made the purchase! Does the blue really go with pretty much anything? I’ve been debating between that and the more neutral tan/sandstone color.
unfortunately I didn’t have the same experience with the chukkas. I have a pair, I haven’t worn them very hard, and the sole and uppers began looking pretty beat up pretty quickly. Not so much with them separating from each other, but the sole has worn down VERY fast.
Anything casual? Yeah, for me they do. But I really like blue on blue stuff, so I don’t have a problem wearing these with jeans.
I just purchased those from BR. The solution to preventing the heels from wearing down is to place “heel plates taps” on them. Any shoe shop can place them on for about $3. Check out below to get an idea of what I am talking about.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NYLON-HEEL-PLATES-TAPS-Shoe-BOOT-Taps-2pr-nails-6A-/370535104778?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D370535109085%26ps%3D54
No sizes left. Nooooooooooooo
BR sucks. the quality of their cloths blows! The only things I’ll buy there are the soft Tees and waffle tees.
Sockless 95% of the time, 2-3 times per week, and they haven’t seen a shoe tree? Say it ain’t so, Joe!
I like their cloths.
Argh. I bought these at 25% off last week, but I got an e-mail today saying they realized they were out of stock. And now they’re all gone. Got a 10% off coupon for my next purchase, but I would rather have these shoes. First world problems though.
Does their 40% promo code today cover shoes? Doesn’t seem to be working for me.
there are some 80 dollar calvin kleins that look just like these but with white soles at macy’s
I opt for the Bass blue suede shoes…classic
My local Banana outlet usually has a few different styles of shoes for sale. I remember looking at a pair of mocs and seeing the poor quality of them and just dropping them right back on the shelve. I have not looked at any since. I’ll stick with Clarks / Cole Haan for the same price (outlet prices)
Any alternatives to these ? I looked a bit for navy suede shoes, but most shoes I found were more chunky bucks. I would prefer something sleeker.
Just got mine in today. My fiancees first reaction was ‘they look very dapper’. I thought it was very ironic considering you know . . .
The only problem was that they seem to run 1/2 a size big. Luckily I was able to return the size 10 at a local store for a 9.5. I hope they hold up well because they look even better in person.