Claiborne Gaylord Suede Oxford – $60.00
As much of a home run as the Stafford Camlin wingtip boot? Not quite. But up there all the same.
Instead of Stafford, these get the Claiborne branding. And like those Stafford shoes, the quality of the materials seem to be well beyond the crazy affordable price tag. Cheap suede almost always beats out cheap leather, but the suede on these is particularly nice for the low investment. Soft, a medium nap, and unlike other cheap suede shoe options, these haven’t been burnished all to hell on the heel and toe. It’s an equal color/depth of suede from front to back.
A bit darker in person compared to the jcp website, but does show some shade variations in different lighting.
For sizing: They do run about half a size large, with a strangely large gap between sizes. I’m normally a 10.5, and those were way too big. A 9.5 (what I wear strangely enough in the Camlin) was comically tiny. Lucked out with the size 10 and got a Goldilocks porridge just-right fit.
They feel well built, the toe shape is perfect, and the leather lined interiors are comfortable and pretty well padded. There aren’t many drawbacks, but they’re worth mentioning… The slight sawtooth sole seems unnecessary and while not hugely visible, it does keep them pretty casual. It’s possible to wear them with a summer suit, but a smooth sole would be better. Also, the laces just feel awful. They’re a thicker lace that’s coated in some plasticky, not quite wax substance. But those are easily replaceable.
Synthetic sole is expected, but a smoother one would have been appreciated.
Suede laceups are a luxury to have. You certainly don’t need them, but having a rich, dark brown pair to wear with jeans or chinos on occasion is a great way to inject some subtle, yet intentional style into your look. With these, those of us in the rank and file can do just that, without sacrificing too much of our clothing budget for a pair that’ll see sporadic, but welcome use.
Meanwhile, thanks to Morgan over on Threads who discovered that jcp is now selling $60 claiborne double monks.
It’s great to see what JCP is doing. For the price of these, you could wear them just a handful of times a year and get your money’s worth.
i bought these. like Joe described, when i tried on my usual size 9, they were huge. 8.5 were right. they have a nice slim profile, and are going to look great sockless.
i did notice that the quarters where the eyelets are located are fairly long and wanna start to overlap if i tie them snug. that’s on my not particularly narrow foot.
also agree with the laces. they are coated in something sticky that makes them hard to work with. easy enough to change.
if i had known about the double monks, i’d have given those a try too. they look less pointy than the giorgio brutinis recently reviewed here.
I’m going to have to try them out…. maybe on Friday – y’know, when no-spend February is finally over. This is tough, man!
In addition to this one, Joe, they (JCP/Claiborne) seemingly have several nice new(ish) offerings. I like the look of the “Wallis” brown plain-toe leather blucher (a kinda/sorta Kenilworth lookalike – checked that one out in-person and posteda little about it here: http://threads.dappered.com/showthread.php/9290-The-poor-man-s-Kenilworth), the “Gaston” black-only(?) leather penny-loafer (very similar looking to BR’s Asher/Branson), and the “Gerry” black-only(again? – ugh) leather double monk (Morgan Liu posted about those in the fourms yesterday: http://threads.dappered.com/showthread.php/9294-Another-affordable-double-monk-strap-JCP).
I like these a bit more. Same price: http://www.dsw.com/shoe/joseph+abboud+robert+oxford?prodId=251292&productRef=CROSS:
i also picked up the Stafford Chukka Cutter on clearance for 36$ in store. 48$ online. This one actually fit true to size. The leather on these crease very very easily. The captoe is fairly long and stiffer than the rest of the leather so it doesn’t crease as easily and could potentially make for some asymmetric wear. but for 36$ had to go for it. these could take the hit for my nicer shoes during this salt/snow season.
Agreed. Here’s hoping they keep moving in the right direction!
Not quite as versatile, but they’re definitely good-looking.
Not just jeans and chinos — I’m a big fan of suede with cords, too. It’s got just enough texture to stand up to the corduroy.
It’s a shame JCP doesn’t expand their size options to compensate for the larger fit of their shoes. I typically fall anywhere from a 7.5 to an 8, but not a large 8. I ran into the same issue with the Stafford wingtips and will probably have to pay a lot more to get similar styling in a better fit elsewhere. Missing out on some serious steals here!
True but I don’t think the Claiborne can pass for a dress shoe with that sawtooth sole. It’s a shame they went with that. The Joseph Abboud looks like a better choice for casual with the different colored laces and sole. They must be popular because they have trouble keeping it in stock. They don’t even show the gray one anymore which I wanted.
Good looking. Wish they had other colors.
Scratch that, nice post John Cruz, those lighter brown ones look nice.
Are they no longer selling the stafford boot? Did I miss out and wait too long?
I’ve been spending too much money at JCP lately. I like where they’re going.
A little off topic, but can you still get the Stafford wingtip boots? If not, is there a similar alternative?
A little off topic, but can you still get the Stafford wingtip boot? If not, any alternatives?
I’ve seen it in-store very recently, at multiple JCP locations. Not sure on sizes/availability, though.
The Stafford Cutter (darrrrrrk brown cap-toe boot) has gone into the clearance ring ($36, IIRC). Nice! If that interests you at all too.
Whoops! Just mentioned the Cutter clearance right above here, before I read your reply. Yeah, nice boot for sure, man. In fact I’m wearing it right now.
I don’t think a blue sole is dressy either, and is probably more rakish than a sole with grip (which even Alden and the Brit brands will put on wingtips and longwings on occasion).
Looks like they got some plain toe basic dress shoes now to compliment those wingtips: http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/shoes/claiborne-wallis-oxford-dress-shoes/prod.jump?ppId=pp5002301334
Also in a brown
i know exactly how you feel. I feel as if the employees know me too well.
ive been wondering about the Wallis thanks for that link
You got it. I’m considering hitting JCP on my lunch break – ya’know just for planning purposes for Fridays potential purchases.
Am I alone in constantly ruining suede shoes? For some reason I keep getting stuff on my suede shoes that mats the suede and cleaning them such a pain that I have stuffed all suede in the back of closet. On the flip side that fake suede that you get on trail shoes and such never seems to have these issues and looks new after years of hard use.
I jumped on the jcp site to snap up a pair, but unfortunately jcp will ship internationally to Brunei, Macau, The Maldives, Cypress, Belize, Estonia and El Salvador, but not to Australia? Are we *really* that easy to forget about down here?
Also, as someone with a huge-but-narrow foot, I’d love to see more manufacturers offering a variety of widths. Even thought they’re amazingly inexpensive, if they don’t fit right then they don’t fit right.
I bought the Claiborne Gaylord Suede Oxfords the other day, and they’re crazy comfortable! Great buy for only $60.
Furthermore, their revived Stafforrd line has been quite impressive. Their red, gray, and blue check shirts are only $15, fit true to size (jcp has classic and slim cut options). Can’t go wrong.
Overall I’ve been highly impressed by the revitalized jcp.
-Brad
definitely has a sleeker profile
Picked these up today at JCP on sale for $45. And yes, they do run about a 1/2 size big so I sized down to 8.5 and they’re perfect.
These are still available in store on clearance. I got a pair today for $30 ($35 clearance plus 15% off).
I got a pair of these for $26 and change on 1/12 in store. I may have to go back for a back-up pair…