Long Term Test: JC Penney Stafford Camlin Wingtip Boot – $60
The snobs they had not faith, but many doubts
Too cheap! Not Welted! Wasteful! They heeded.
Yet some adventurous souls tried them out.
And all expectations were exceeded.
The leather held, the soles stayed well attached.
Black shoe creme gave them great and needed depth.
They looked better with each ding, scuff, and scratch,
and saw use when the weather looked like death.
Now eighteen months of time have passed and gone
These Camlins start to barely show some wear
But held they did through winter fast and strong
While other pricey shoes received more care
The moral found in this tale shall be writ:
Not ALL cheap shoes are destined to be shit!
Sadly, the Camlin is no longer available, and their replacement leaves much to be desired.
Head here for the original review.
I love my Camlins. I went until about September, maybe into October before using the black polish on them and I can’t believe I hadn’t done it sooner. They are holding up just as you mentioned. I wonder why JCP would have done away with such a great product (granted JCP has made a lot of seemingly poor choices as of late).
I first stumbled upon this blog when some search I can no longer remember led me to your article about using black polish on these. I ended up going out and buying a pair, but the 12s ended up being way too big and the 11s not big enough, so I didn’t keep them. Which is too bad, because I’d love to have a set of boots like yours in my closet.
Given the cult following these boots have developed, I can’t believe JC Penney killed the line instead of expanding it.
Thanks, I’m jealous all over again
Wow that last pic looks great, really wished I had jumped on those to hold me over while I save up for some Daltons
Packed mine last minute yesterday for a business flight out to Chicago. Smart move, heading out into the elements today with them.
Wearing my JCP Stafford wingtip oxfords today due to the mucky weather. Still haven’t done the black polish trick but would like to soon. Way better looking and more comfortable than my crappy Cole Hanns that cost two (three?) times as much.
Wore mine yesterday! I changed out the laces to yellow for a pop of color and use them as casual boots. I rotate a LOT, but mine don’t look more than a week old. They probably get 40-50 wears per year. I may switch the laces again and put them back into dressy rotation.
We don’t get much boot weather down here in Miami, so mine are practically band new still. Should get another few years out of them, easily.
ALL the props for the Shakespearean sonnet. Iambic pentameter is not easy to achieve. Much like finding the stylish but cheap workhorse boot. Well done, as always.
It’s been discussed here before both by Joe and in the comments, but the unfortunate reality is that we’re (broadly speaking) the opposite to JCP’s historic market. They tried targeting us and their core overwhelmingly rebelled. I’d bet the Camlin boot is a casualty along this line.
I am aware, it was more of a rhetorical, tongue-in-cheek comment.
Oh man, as a Chicagoan, I apologize for our weather. It’s rough out there…
Oops, fair enough.
It’s fine, somethings don’t translate well in plain text.
I bought these early last year, and they’ve held up beautifully and look great after using the black polish on them. The only issue I have is that the lug sole squeaks like you wouldn’t believe on certain tiles (mostly in the halls of where I work) and I’ve been thinking of getting them re-soled with leather. Not sure if it would be worth it or be too risky.
I wore them again, today. This time I wore them with a beige tieless suit, white/blue tattersall shirt and navy sweater vest… And I kept the yellow laces because that’s how I roll.
I dunno man; may want to go with a slightly darker black.
A good brushing and an application of leather cleaner/conditioner has worked well for me!
I wear mine a lot, and the only thing I’ve done to them is two applications of black shoe creme, and one application of brick-colored shoe creme. Probably going to go back to black next time I need to spruce them up. Other than that, just wiping off the mud/dust/grime with a damp cloth every now and again. These have been wildly easy to take care of.
These were my first buy after browsing your site for a few weeks. Been a follower ever since and my boots are still hanging in there and looking better each day. Thanks again for the tip!
I forgot what grass looks like…..
What is this mythical ‘grass’ you speak of?
I bought a pair of Camliin’s and a pair of Steve Madden Evander2 boots on the same day. The much more expensive Evander2’s literally fell apart and I wore them half as much. The Camlin’s are still going strong and look great.
BTW, I used a Dark Brown polish instead of black, they look fantastic with a gray suit!
Alas….the one that got away.
I still wear mine all the time. They’ve especially come in handy lately here in DC when the Bean Boots are just too rugged.
I had a very spirited debate with my mother last Fall when I was visiting the parents in Florida. She obviously hated what JCP was doing to her and the other baby boomers. I could not make her understand how it was the only thing bringing 30-year-olds like myself into JCP. Oh and how she LOVES her coupons…
“But mom, if I can pay $15 regularly for a shirt… or you use a $5 off coupon for the same shirt listed as $25… who’s really winning?”
SIGH.
I keep kicking myself for passing up a pair of these when they were on clearance. They dug into the top of my foot, but I could have loosened them up a bit, I’m sure. And for the price, they’re the best of what I’m looking for.
I haven’t done a thing to mine. Not. One. Thing. And they’ve held up extremely well.
I wear mine regularly when trudging through small amounts of Chicago snow. They really do look better with wear.
*Snaps*
Hey Joe, remember that time you kept torturing us poor souls that didn’t get a chance to pick up a pair?
Whew, me neither! Can’t believe it hasn’t come up in a year and a half.
I love mine. I beat the hell out of them and they just keep looking better (with the occassional black cream refresher). Best $60 I ever spent on shoes. My only regret is that I didn’t buy two pair.
No worries, left behind the wife and kids to 10 inches in Ohio so I’m pretty sure I would have been in the same boat by staying home, minus the shoveling duties of course 😉
dont have em, and would never have a reason to wear them, but its awesome when deals like this work out for ppl
“they’re all black”
likewise. I got mine back in the fall on final clearance and have yet to black-polish them. I feel like I need to do this this weekend now. Great to see how these have turned out over time.
I’m wearing mine right now, as I have been every day this winter. They’re pretty filthy from all the salty slush I’ve been trudging through. This article makes me want to give them some loving, considering how good they’ve been to me.
I loved these boots, but I’ve sadly worn all the way through the heel. I know they can’t be resoled, but I’m wondering if I could just get new heels to put on them? Any thoughts on whether or not it would be worth it for boots this cheap? Was looking at these from J&M as a replacement (http://www.johnstonmurphy.com/product.aspx?c=1332&pid=98288&VID=98288), but they’re out of 12’s and said they won’t be reordering any more this year.
Thoughts on an alternative in the sub-$200 range?
I got the Stanford Cutter boot last winter and added it to my cold weather rotation. Sadly, the leather began tearing and they won’t last past this winter. A $30 boot will always be a $30 boot.
I actually ended up finding a shoe repair guy who would put new heels on them for $28 total. Not bad, and it should get me at least another couple seasons out of them. Still looking for a long term upgrade, but this will do for now.