Zara Suede Single Monks – $49.99 ($99.90)
UPDATE: Sizes 8, 9, 10, and 11 were available at post time, and have since sold out.
“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain”
Apparently along with water, there are shoe making elves falling from Spanish skies. How else could España produce a pair of shoes this nice for the on sale price of fifty bucks?
Yep, they’re made in Spain. That was a bit of a stunner when they came out of the box. They might even have some sort of lightweight stitched welt construction instead of bonding (unless these stitches are a bit of fakery).
Look, they’re not Alden, nor Allen Edmonds, or even the also-Spanish made Magnanni, but they sure do look and feel incredible for occupying territory in the canvas-sneakers price sector. They’re lightweight but not flimsy. The buckle doesn’t feel like it’s going to tear off. And despite not having the thickest soles, they’re plenty comfortable.
Great toe, nice feeling suede, and a brushed/matte buckle.
The interior is lined with a combination of some sort of textile and what appears to be sheepskin. The pics on the Zara website make it look like they have some sort of traction to the sole. That’s not the case. They’re smooth, synthetic soles, and it just must be the stitching that gives it that weird look on the web.
Not the beefiest soles, so here’s to hoping they hold up.
The suede uppers have a nice, short & soft nap to them, and there’s no silly burnishing. Toe shape is perfect. And while they’re on the trim side when it comes to width, they’re not elongated or anything like that. No half sizes available, but a 10 fit my 10.5 feet just fine.
Recently wore them during a 5 mile, round-trip bike ride down to dinner with some friends, and they were comfortable the whole way. The other shoe option for the night was going to be a pair of canvas sneakers, but these had just showed up that afternoon. They played nicely with some dark linen-blend jeans* and a light blue/aqua polo. Not quite sure they’d look right with shorts, (you could give this a shot) but they’re a nice casual upgrade for jeans and chinos.
Zara does free shipping and free returns, and they even come with a pre-paid, already printed out for you return shipping label. But at this price, that label probably won’t get used very much.
*A warning on these jeans. They’re final sale via GILT, very slim, and have a low rise. But they’ super comfortable, breathe well, and are made in the USA.
Would it be possible to get a shot from directly above?
One here:
http://static.zara.net/photos//2013/V/1/2/p/2051/202/107/2/2051202107_2_1_3.jpg?timestamp=1365502355547
Gracias.
Joe how is the sizing? True to size? Zaras lack of half sizes is leaving me in a pickle.
Nice looking, worth a shot. As for Spanish-made goods at cheap prices, it’s not hard to imagine a EuroZone company of any size eager to trade euros for dollars right now, as a hedge against a {insert-non-German-European-country-here} default.
I got a 32, and usually wear a 32 in Levi’s 514s. These fit MUCH slimmer than 514s from the thigh down. Not quite jeggings on my thunder thighs, but man, they’re right up on there.
As far as the waist goes, it’s fine. And the linen really does help them stretch a bit and move with you. But yeah, expect a close fit. I love em’, but risky at best since they’re now final sale. And the rise is pretty low.
“And while they’re on the trim side when it comes to width, they’re not elongated or anything like that. No half sizes available, but a 10 fit my 10.5 feet just fine.”
A 10 fit me awfully nice.
Joe, how wide are your feet? I’m a 10.5 in most everything, but I do I have wideish feet so I”m curious if I could get away with the 11s. Are you right up on the toebox in the 10s, or do you have some space?
There borderline wide, but I can get into most regular width shoes. I did have some space in the toe on the 10s. No cramping. So, an 11 might have you slipping around at the heel.
I very nearly got these a few weeks ago, when you first talked about them here http://dappered.com/2013/06/zara-massimo-dutti-summer-sale-quick-picks/. Instead I got the suede Sport Mocc with Tassels in the Sand color. I love ’em so far. Got them in just before the 4th and they’ve barely left my feet. Really comfortable and the construction seems really good for 50 bucks. Plus I love the color and look, very summer-on-the-beach, and since everyone and their dog has been wearing boat shoes it’s nice to have something to stand out a little bit.
These look great. Just bought a pair. Thanks for the tip and review!
Interesting. I saw some dubs on sale for around $50 at Zara about a month back and really regret not pulling the trigger as this low barrier to entry was perfect for a occasional wear shoe like a double monk. I was concerned about fit and quality but this is intriguing.
I like these shoes. They look comfy and are affordable. I think I’ll order a pair later. On second thought, I just found out they are sold out lol
they’re out now. saw the post too late
Joe, thinking of copping those jeans. Are they raw and/or selvedge?
The rounded toe is borderline cloggish to me… like those slip-on Birkenstock clogs that were worn by seemingly everyone I knew in college.
Word of warning with Zara:
I ordered these shoes (with a number of other items) a week ago Saturday, Zara placed a hold on my credit card (I checked, so I know they did), and then I heard nothing until the following Friday when I received an email from them stating that they couldn’t process my order.
I looked up their contact # in the States on zara.com (as the email didn’t leave a number), and called to find out that they had cancelled my order due to some apparent billing reason (no idea why, as they had pre-charged my credit card 6 days prior). They stated that I would have to manually go through and reprocess another order, as they couldn’t reinstate a cancelled order, and by the way, 40% of the items I ordered were no longer available in the size that I wanted. Thanks, Zara.
The customer serivice rep was very nice, and this is still an open claim, so I’ll post up again as to my final results…but geez, what horrible customer treatment with regard to processing this thing. You pre-hold my funds and then cancel my order? WTH?
anyone looking to sell these in a size 8 or 9?
geez, im tempted, 514s fit me well on thighs but are not slim enough on the ankle, so im wondering if these would be too big on thighs, especially since 32 is sold out. i normally wear 31 in 514’s but was thinking 32 would be safer. would love the linen in them though.
anyone see these in the stores? wondering if its worth stopping by tomorrow
Oh yeah. Price drop to $39.99 and they have size 10 back in stock. Perfect. That’s a deal.
Looks like a few returns have been put back out. Sizes 9 and 10 available.
Just ordered a size 10.