In Review: The $60 Banana Republic Marden Suede Double Monk Shoe

Banana Republic Marden Double Monk – $59.99 ($158)

NOTE: These are on sale and getting an extra half off cut at post time. Works out to $59.99. Most common sizes are also available (9 through 11.5) for now. Deal expires Wednesday, 3/4/20. UPDATE: They turned this deal back on. An extra 50% off sale items is now running, again, through Monday 3/9/20.

Suede looks great in spring. Suede bucks and monks perfectly walk the line between casual and smart, which is what our wardrobes do as a whole when it finally warms up. Throw those factors in with a weirdly good sale, and you get a sixty dollar pair of double monks which you could start wearing now, keep on wearing clear through the summer, and beyond.

Not bad for sixty bucks.

That first warmer weather happy hour meetup. Spring weddings. Graduation parties. Derby Day. Wear them with jeans and a blazer now instead of chukkas (all blues!), wear them with chinos and a polo when it gets mega hot. Wear them with a linen, cotton, or tropical wool suit to a warm weather wedding. There are a lot of ways to wear suede monks. And these “Marden” double monks from BR will fill all those needs quite nicely.

They’re not super sleek or pointy or elf-like. Much more of a buck silhouette. That means they’ll look better dressed down (chinos and polo) but can also pull lots of duty dressed up. The color of the suede is a nice, rich, medium tan. Neither bone white nor a whiskey soaked orange. A little richer in direct sun, a little lighter and more subtle in the shade (that’s normal for suede). The cap toes are a nice, subtle, styling choice, and the slightly darker (read: not pure chrome) buckles help keep any blinding shine knocked down.

Simple cap toes. Nice suede uppers.

BR’s shoes have been weirdly comfortable these last few years. The ortoholite insoles have good cushion, and the overall structure to the shoe is solid. They’re not some flimsy pieces of junk, yet they aren’t over engineered brick sh*thouses either.

The soles are NOT crepe. And that’s good. I don’t know who does BR’s website copy editing, but that’s a mistake/continuity error in the”product details” section. They’re the standard leather or leather-like sole with a bit of texture on the ball of the foot for grip, and a rubber heel in the rear. Stitched looking welt is almost certainly fake, but it’s attractive none the less.

Ceramic yard bird has seen better days. 

Fit seems true. MAYBE a half size large if you prefer super thin socks or sockless? My normally size 10.5 D feet took to a 10.5 just fine, although I did cinch one of the top straps down to the last hole available. The other shoe I did not have to do that. It appears I have one fat foot. Great. Anyways, they (the shoes… my feet too) are staying. Not going back. Not at this price.

I wore the hell out of an old pair of DSW suede single monks for years, and I honestly can’t recall what happened to them. (They might have gotten donated to the thrift store during a move?) But with the warmer weather fast approaching, I’m in need of a replacement. BR’s Marden is that replacement.

Sun’s out monks out.

Currently marked down and the extra 50% off deal knocks them back to just under $60. Cardmembers should be able to save an additional 10% off at checkout with the code BRCARD.

That extra 50% off sale items deal ends tomorrow now ends Monday 3/9.