Stafford Cognac “Deacon” Wingtip Boot or Black Cap-Toe “Gunner” – $51.99 ($99)
NOTE: You’ll need the 20% off code (there are always codes) VIPSAVE for that $51.99 price ^
How appropriate that they’re calling this new cognac Stafford boot the “Deacon“, being that it’s a nicer Camlin, complete with a better sole.
Hooray for Homophonic Humor*
These are legit. Both pairs. The new Deacon takes the old Camlin and improves on the few details that could have gotten a boost. The Gunner is a new model, and is on par in terms of quality & design as last year’s Camlin (only in a black, cap-toe option). Being that both, with sales, will go for between $50 and $70 a pair, JCP is once again the best place to find a great looking pair of boots for an absurdly affordable price.
About the Deacon: Four bits have been upgraded in comparison to the Camlin:
- The Leather is even better: Forget using black shoe polish to give the Deacon’s leather some depth and color variation. They already have it. The leather is just as soft and pliable (ridiculously so for this cheap), but this time around there’s some more variation to the color. The Camlin’s color, while just fine for a $50 – $60 boot, was awfully uniform. The Deacon has more variation in shading, and it looks terrific.
- The Sole is Sleeker: Gone is the slightly nubby sole of the Camlin. Instead, a still-grippy yet lower profile sole has been used. Much sleeker looking for city-wear, and thanks to the texture on the rubber/synthetic bottom, you won’t be sliding around as much as if it were an all leather or smooth synth bottom.
- Eye up those eyelets: They’re now reinforced with grommets instead of simply being punched. It’s a small detail, but for a boot this inexpensive, it helps make them look a little more finished.
- Sizing seems to be true: No more sizing down a full size. A 10.5 fits like a 10.5. Some say size down half a size, but a 10 on my normally 10.5D feet felt slightly cramped through the ball of the foot.
Styling is almost identical to the Camlin (the medallion is slightly different, and now there’s now an extra line of broguing up at the top of the boot’s shaft), the shape is still sleek without being pointy, and they’re once again comfortable right out of the box. They’re the Camlin, only better.
About the Gunner: Maybe it’s just because they’re all black (it’s black, none more black), and thus, can’t have the depth that color variation delivers, but the leather doesn’t look quite as good on the Gunner when compared to the Deacon.
!!!**NECESSARY PRICE PERSPECTIVE INTERRUPTION**!!!
They’re a $50 boot for crying out loud, and the leather is still great for the price.
Like the old Camlin, the leather just looks super-uniform out of the box (especially in bright sun, as seen above). Some wear and tear will probably help that out. there is some wrinkling already on the boot shaft, but again, the leather is quite soft and flexible. Those wrinkles shouldn’t crack and develop into flakes.
Silhouette, sizing, and sole are all the same as the Deacon. A quarter-brogue cap-toe with some perfs and pinking around the heel, there’s a lot of clean space on these. That can be a bit of a challenge for less expensive leather, but they look good and dressy here. Oxford-style closed lacing might have been a nice added touch, but that might be asking a lot, being that they’re built on the same chassis & frame that the Deacon is made on.
PRICING: Both the Deacon and Gunner were going for $55 with a code last week. They “retail” for $99, but it appears that JCP is applying their “always 30-50% off” model to these things when you combine ever present sale prices and codes. Going for $51.99 through tomorrow with the 20% off code VIPSALE. That’s good news. Seems like more than a few of you picked up a pair late last week or over the weekend. Feel free to leave your impressions in the comments below…
The new Deacon and Gunner between a pair of well worn Camlins from 2012.
*And as always, also, alliteration
**Miss J is actually back on America’s Next Top Model. And who knew that America’s Next Top Model was still on.
I really just need to stop reading Dappered. Everytime I do, my wallet gets skinnier. Damn you, Joe.
Saw a pair in store last week and they do look a lot more refined than the Camlin’s. Wasn’t in the game for a new pair of shoes, but realizing I had a $10 rewards coupon to boot (no pun intended) I was able to snag a pair online last night for $38, about $6.00 cheaper than my Camlins I picked up two years ago. Even took the risk and ordered TTS. Looking forward to giving these a go this fall/winter.
Wasn’t last year’s boot the “Kent,” not the “Camlin”?
The toe on the Deacon definitely looks pointier than the Camlin. I like it. Think I’ll pick up a pair at the end of the week and retire the previous model.
Interesting note about sizing. I’d seen on reddit to go down between a .5 and full size, similar to most other boots. Pulled the trigger last week on an 8, in lieu of my standard 8.5/9 in most other shoes. We’ll see how it goes – I’ll reply to this message whenever they arrive for future reference.
I say this because the photo says “with last year’s Camlin,” when there wasn’t a Camlin last year (and I certainly don’t remember it looking that good!)?
What about caring for these? Leather conditioner and polish?
I have a pair of Deacons on the way, but I sized down — I hope they fit.
How does JCP make money on these?
I love my Camlins so much, I’m thinking about buying a pair of Deacons just so I have something for when the Camlins break down.
I’m wearing my walnut Daltons right now, and damn if I can’t see much of a difference. For ~$50, this is a no-brainer. Esp. given the full grain leather.
And the 11.5s are out of stock…….. guess ill have to try in store this weekend
For people wondering about sizing down. I had my foot mapped at Red Wing and I am between an 11.5 and a 12. I bought these last week in store in an 11 and they fit perfectly. Size down about .5 size smaller than normal.
I believe the Camlin was two fall seasons ago. We’re all just trying to forget the boots JCP made last year.
Don’t sign the death certificate on JCP yet.
$48.74 was my total using VIPSAVE:
original $99.99
sale $64.99
item total(1)$64.99
COUPON -$16.25
TOTAL: $48.74
Total item discounts $51.25
Ordered the Deacons last week after seeing the Thurs. Handful. Can’t wait, what a deal. If they fit well, probably gonna get the Gunners too…
Yeah, so…guess I’m going to have to buy these…
Wearing these in the office right now!
Like you said, the leather is super. There was some initial stiffness when I first tried them on, but after an hour of wearing them, they feel like I’ve been wearing them for years.
If these last anywhere near as long as the originals, I’ll be more than happy.
Next on the shoe list is a pair of Chippewa Cray Horses, which are likely to be the last boots I’ll ever buy…
I’m wondering where a brown wingtip boot fits in; I already have some brown leather 1000 milers I wear casually with jeans/chinos and some brown suede chukkas. Seems this would fit in the same categories?
I wore mine for two seasons of snow without any issues. Pretty good traction in light snow.
Thanks man!
SIze 9 just went out of stock online. Guess I’ll just have to visit a store…
Joe – I understand these are TTS but a comparison to the Camlins would be great.
What size do you have for the Camlins and what size fits you in these new ones? Thanks!
That is great news. I’m going to stop by a store to see about sizing. Hopefully they’ll fit well enough, as this will be a good solution for when I travel north in the winter.
How did you size?
Same as the Logan oxfords; I went a half size down and they feel perfect right now.
Heavier suiting, flannels, tweed and the like.
Joe, what socks would you recommend on these boots? I tried on a the Gunner and was true to size but I have smaller ankles and the boot shaft is too loose for me of course wearing a casual calf length sock.
I got a 10 and a 10.5. I usually wear a 10.5. The 10s were a little tight for me, and that was wearing some thinner socks.
It’s 25% off (not 20%) if you use a JCP card, and they show you the JCP card savings ($48.74) before checkout, whether you’re going to use one or not.
9.5 in the Camlins. 10.5 in these. But lots are saying size down half a size. I tried on a 10, and they were a little cramped through the toe box on me.
With my old camlins I’ve worn everything from thinner dress socks, to medium thickness cotton socks, to semi-thick merino wool when it’s cold out.
You’re totally right. It has been awhile. August of 2012 is when I picked up my pair of Camlins. Updated above.
Thanks for the clarification! I used JCP card, so I guess that was the difference.
Have to respectfully disagree on the finish. I found the toe ‘burnishing’ to be quite poorly executed. Before my first wear, I applied some burgundy polish (Kiwi’s ‘Cordovan’) which provided some great lustre and depth. They look a lot like an AE Bourbon finish, actually. The leather did not take to the wax-based polish all that well, however, so I would suggest a creme for anyone else intending to add a little something to the color.
Are these suit worthy?
Same here- I wear a 10.5, and Gunner in 10.5 was spot on.
If you had to pick between the brown or black, which would you get? I have a pair of LL Bean boots for when things get terrible but something for winter, rain, ice, minimal snow (I live in the south) would be nice. I wear many gray trousers (sometimes khaki or green chinos or brown trousers) and I only have one pair of black shoes (cap toe true Oxfords) so the black boot may appropriately expand my black shoe collection while offering some protection from the elements.
Ugh. No 11.5’s. If I’m typically a pretty solid 11.5 do y,all think I can get away with an 11? Showing no in store options anywhere near me…
9, 9.5 and 10 are out of stock for the Deacon
Depends what you are using them for. If you want to incorporate these into work attire/business casual, some cognac conditioner and neutral shoe polish should do the trick. I plan on making these my “beater, wear out to a crowded bar with no fear” boots, so I will probably go light on the shine and throw some dark brown polish on it to darken them a bit more.
Duly noted. I’m wondering if this is poor QC or what – I’ve seen such mixed feedback. Is it even possible for shoes to have the same sizing variations that say, levis do?
Brown would be more versatile given the color pants you tend to wear.
same boat here adam. i am thinking of trying to bite the bullet at 11 if thats in stock tonight. worst case i think would be some aggressive breaking in and shoe-treeing
Buying these today. Thanks, Joe.
Tried these on in-store, then actually bought online over the weekend. I found I liked the fit best at half a size down (for me, an 8 1/2 rather than a 9). Ended up paying the $51.99 price for both.
I would double check I placed an online order for Deacon size 9 and 9 1/2 on Saturday and it processed. On Sunday I got a cancellation email from JCP. Checked via website with order # and sure enough cancelled my order and no backorder.Called customer service and was told no back orders as they weren’t buying additional stock from the supplier. I would contact them to see if this is really the case. I ended up getting the last size 9 in store. See the pic of my order
I would double check I placed an online order for Deacon size 9 and 9 1/2 on Saturday and it processed. On Sunday I got a cancellation email from JCP. Checked via website with order # and sure enough cancelled my order and no backorder.Called customer service and was told no back orders as they weren’t buying additional stock from the supplier. I would contact them to see if this is really the case. I ended up getting the last size 9 in store. See the pic of my order
Got both for $103 using both the JC Penny sale and VIPSALE discount. Used their measuring chart to figure out exactly my size. Thank you Dappered for being so freaking awesome.
I just ordered mine for $58 (VIPSAVE) and I couldn’t be more excited!
These look really nice but I would never have a reason to wear them
FYI, there’s a 10 pt/$ promo going with Chase Ultimate Rewards. So that’s an extra 10% off, basically.
Am I the only one who wonders why they’re both named after characters from Nashville?
I say absolutely to both. The only time I ever wear black shoes is with black or with a more formal charcoal suit.
Anybody want to suggest how to wear the black cap toes? Because I love these boots and need them in my life but can’t find a good reason to get them in black
Same here. Bought them last night at the Manhattan JCP (which is such a depressing place btw). Great fit, will be breaking them in this weekend!
Well I’ll have to grab a pair (or maybe both). Office is a business dress/shirt and tie atmosphere and these would be great in the fall and our brutal winters….save my nicer shoes from the elements.
Gahh! I ordered a pair last night and everything went alright. Got an email today saying the availability status has changed from ‘In Stock’ to ‘Not Available’. I called the helpline because they still said that they were in stock online. The guy said sometimes when the status changes and the emails are sent out, someone updates it and they come right back into stock so there was a chance to reorder. I’m thinking, “Sweet….gonna get them anyway” as he checks and says they’re ‘In Stock’ again. We go through the whole process of getting them reordered and he stops me and says “aww…sorry, they just went out of stock again”. I’m not sure what kind of inventory system they have over there, but it’s making me depressed. Still mockingly says ‘In Stock’ on the website.
I recieved mine today and they are going back. They are nice looking and the quality looks good but they are took heavy for me. I’m a slim guy and these boots have a wider profile which make my feet look huge. I usually go for more European style shows. However, they are nice and an amazing deal. bummer.
Excited to receive the Deacons in the mail this week. Even more excited that they have the depth and color variation that we crave.
Here is my data point: 10.5 in athletic shoes, 9 in G.H. Bass, 9.5 Johnston & Murphy.
I found the Deacon 9.5’s to be the correct length, but they are wide through the heel like most American shoes.
I’m an 11.5 usually and got mine in store, tried both the 11 and 12, and was happy in the 11s (I got both the Deacon and Gunner). Still happy with them after 8 hours at work on my feet in them today.
“Sheer volume.”
Oh why didn’t I think to check out something like this before ordering!?!
I had a chance to try these on in-store. Totally worth the money if they fit you properly. My two comments: 1.) I wear an 11 in Nike sneakers, 10.5 in pretty much everything else, and had to wear a 10 in these. 2.) Either I don’t know how to wear these, or you need kankles to make them fit. I couldn’t tighten the top of the boot on my ankle without smashing the leather together, and there seemed to be too much leather just below the ankle that made them look bulky. But the leather is nice. 50 bucks is a steal if they look good on you.
I was just wondering how these stack up to the old Camlin! for 50 bucks heck ya I’ll give these a shot.
Agreed. I’m somewhere between a 10 and 9.5 normally but require a size 9 for the Gunners that I tried on in the store yesterday. Same as my Camlins. I actually didn’t pull the trigger, despite the marked price of $62.99 and a $10 off coupon. Something about the toes and blutcher openings combined with all the black leather didn’t look great in my opinion. The Deacons definitely looked like the better of the two, but unfortunately I am not in need of brown boots.
Got a pair of deacon and gunner. Ordered 9 & 9.5 in both with 9 being the correct fit. I usually wear 10.5 in athletics and 9.5 in Clark desert boots. Both have a great slim profile although the tongue just says leather, while the online description says full grain leather; it does feel pretty supple.
Does anyone have an alternative to the shoelace? The ones that came with the shoes are ridiculously long….
The Gunners fit exactly the same as the Cognac Logans for me. Had to go down a full size from 13 to 12. I’m not sure if there is a discrepancy between the Deacon and Gunner, but the TTS didn’t work for me. The Deacons are probably the nicer looking choice overall, but I have no need for them owning the Logans. Regardless, I ended up paying $1.99 for the Gunners by stacking a bunch of reward points and using the discount code.
If you can get these in the store ($10 off in-store coupon on the jcp home page) rather than order them on the website, do it. My order for size 10 Deacon online order was cancelled do to unavailability.
FWIW, when I tried these on in the store, a 9.5 in the Deacon fit exactly the same as a 9 in the Gunner. Not that I expect miracles for $50 or anything. I even held them up to each other sole to sole, and if there was a difference between those two sizes, I sure couldn’t tell.
I ordered the Gunner and sized down one full size (from a 10 to a 9.) It fits perfectly. Very comfortable. The leather is decent quality for the price. No visible blemishes.
I usually wear a 9.5 (and even a 10 in some variations of shoes). Bought a 9.5 and a 9 figuring I’d be all set between those.. ended up having to go into a store to return them for an 8.5, and it fits perfectly.
I have no idea why we can’t just figure out a standard unit of measurements across the board for shoes, suits and pants, and fucking stick to it.
9.5 should mean something, not just “bigger than a 9”.
I nearly purchased these boots today only to realize I personally did not like the look of them. I’m looking for a good dress boot or shoe to wear with my new light grey suit. Any suggestions? I love broguing as well as wingtips but I just can’t seem to find a nice pair for a reasonable price as a student in highschool.
They took my order and told me they’ll ship by October 5th, so not “gone” just backordered.
I really wanted to like the deacons,, but a 10.5 was a little loose and a 10 was tight. I wear a 10.5 in virtually everything except for running shoes. Ended up with neither…sad.
Picked up a pair of Deacons and they look great, but some QC issues. First, the sizing was way off for me – I wear a 10 in Nikes and an 8.5 or 9 in most dress shoes – even with thicker socks the size 8 boot has a little bit of wiggle room. Also, when you tie the laces the last two grommet areas have to overlap to close the boot. Can’t beat them for the price and they’re getting compliments, but I’d suggest trying a few sizes with some different sock options.
I agree, I actually went to JC Penny to try them on, the smallest they had was the 8, I had “white socks” on, but even with those they where to big… Might have to go down to a 7 🙁 They are out of stock online, hope they have them again soon and the ones I tried on looked awesome.
I bought this and recommend sizing down a half size, despit the review. My pair ran very big.
Can the Gunner be work with business casual in an office setting?
I received my Gunners yesterday. I used Dr. Maartens Wonder Balsam on
the boots- a mixture of coconut oil, lanolin and beeswax- to soften and
protect the leather from water, salt and other liquids.
I threw them
on today and walked a mile and half to start breaking them in. As I
live in SoCal, they probably won’t see much rainy weather but who knows.
I will update after 5 months to critique how they held up.
Anybody else find it hard to lace up the Deacons all the way to the top without a severe overlap of the lace flaps? Does anyone have a solution to this issue? It’s the only thing standing in the way of me buying a pair, and I really would like a backup for my Camilins
UNDER $40!!!!
Goodness gracious, this sale too good to pass up. Just ordered size 12 for $42.49 (in store pickup) with additional 6% cashback through eBates, totaling $2.55 more off.
Looking at a grand total of $39.95.
BF sale = $49.99
RMN15 takes 15% off (there are other 15% off coupons so google search if not working) ($42.49)
Shopped through eBates & they’re offering additional 6% cashback, or $2.55 more off.
Sizes 12 & 13 all that’s left. Run, gentlemen, run!!