Jack Erwin Leroy Double Monk – $225
Imagine a shoe company that makes nice quality shoes with stitched soles, good leathers, shipping is free both ways, they don’t try and hide where their shoes were constructed, and you don’t have to play any discount games or risk 2nds quality issues to get the pair you desire for around $200…
A novel thought. Not many do that. But Jack Erwin does. And has been for a few years now. And they’re still going strong.
Perfect shape. No chisel. Not overly elongated. Not stumpy.
Some of us were afraid that with their recent mega sale, Jack Erwin was in trouble. But that sale passed and their new fall/winter collection came in, and it appears that our worries were unfounded. These things are still made in Portugal with mighty fine materials. They’re also fairly priced, even at full retail (and recent event aside, Jack Erwin just doesn’t do a lot of sales).
A true dark brown. Darker in person than on their website.
While Jack Erwin has done Goodyear Welted shoes as well, these monk straps are a Blake construction. That means a slimmer sole and more flexible shoe (while not quite as weatherproof). These are super simple. No broguing. No burnishing. Just a simple shape, classic toe, and no right angles. Even the buckles have had the corners slightly softened and rounded.
Blake Stitched in Portugal.
I gotta say that I was really impressed with the materials. The suede uppers were dark, even, soft, and smooth (even if our online pics make them look a bit rougher… suede is notoriously difficult to photograph). The suede comes from the Italian tannery Sciarada, while if you go for the smooth full grain uppers, that leather comes from either the French tannery du Puy or the Italian tannery Conceria Carli. It might sound weird to specifically point out the interiors, but the linings and in-sole are particularly nice. Glove soft, well cushioned, and immediately pliable. That’s not something some of Jack Erwin’s competitors (*cough* Meermin *cough*) can necessarily say.
Buckles aren’t matte but they don’t shout. Nice rounded corners look classy too.
Fit seems true here. A 10.5 standard D width fit my normally 10.5 D feet just fine. Maybe a little snug at first, but I’m a borderline wide foot. And since we don’t keep any samples from companies, ever, I was hesitant to walk like crazy in them. I wouldn’t size up though. With free shipping and free returns, even if my advice doesn’t fall true for your feet, an exchange or a return will be easy.
I think there’s room in the middle. That is the place where someone who has an eye for good aesthetics and nice quality can buy something at a price that won’t satisfy the cheapskate, nor would it satiate the shoe snob who measures his own self worth by how much he spends on footwear. Jack Erwin exists there. And their existence is classy, smart, and subtle.
Enter here to win a pair of Jack Erwin Leroy Double Monks in your size and preferred leather/color. Sadly, just standard D widths for now. Deadline for entry is 11:59 PM ET on 10/16/18. One entry per person. Thanks to Jack Erwin for providing one of their latest models for giveaway!
UPDATE: Congrats to J. Zoffer who won the drawing for these Jack Erwins!
