About the Author: Adam Terry is a thirtysomething salesman in the heating and manufacturing industry. He enjoys bourbon, boots, sneakers, denim, and working on his dad bod father figure.
In the world of retro trainer-style sneakers, New Balance has to be the Tom Brady of this field. The sneaker team from Boston has been around for decades, has an arsenal of versatile style options, and can regularly be found for a great price when compared to similar competitors. Following that logic, if New Balance could be considered the Greatest (Retro Sneaker Brand) of all Time, what does that mean for Target’s house brand Goodfellow & Co.? Will these Angus Vintage Sneakers be relegated to the practice squad, or can they compete like an all-star MVP?
Three colors.
CHIN UP PUP LET’S DOOO THIS.
My pair of Angus vintage sneakers in taupe was ordered through Target.com on a Wednesday afternoon. They shipped out of a Salt Lake City, UT warehouse via UPS SurePost that evening and finally arrived on my Nashville, TN doorstep almost exactly seven days later. Target offers free standard Ground shipping on orders of $35 or more, but I believe their RedCard holders always get that anyway. While this order wasn’t Amazon Prime fast, shipping was free and Target gave a clear delivery window when they were ordered. It seems like their typical delivery window is seven days, so with that knowledge, you can plan ahead if you’ll be ordering them.
FYI: Target has a WILD return policy. For most items, you have 90 days from invoicing (when the item ships) to return any unopened/unused items to a Target store or to Target online. For Target owned brand items, such as these sneakers from their Goodfellow & Co. brand, you have a full YEAR to return or exchange unworn/unused items so long as you have a receipt. If you don’t have the receipt, odds are you’ll get store credit or a Target gift card instead. Nice!
Score: 4/5 Stars – Easy ordering, normal shipping speed, but amazing return policy.
Unfortunately not delivered by Power Wheels. This shipping and unboxing experience was pretty normal.
This pair arrived in a cheap, but nicely branded and decorated Goodfellow & Co. shoe box. Inside, each shoe had some simple paper stuffing and the shoes were tied together with an elastic string. There were no other notable details or frills with this unboxing experience, and for less than $35 shipped, this is what is expected. It won’t blow your socks off, but it works.
Score: 4/5 Stars – Simple, understated unboxing experience for this price point.
Fresh out of the box, I like the two-tone color and vaguely retro aesthetic. The upper has at least three different materials used – a breathable, ripstop-like fabric for the toe box and quarter insets, faux “taupe” suede on the quarter overlays and eyestays, and gray faux suede around the front tip and rear heel counter. Add in some tonal and decorative zig-zag quarter stitching and some pops of navy blue on the tongue, tongue pull tab, heel pull tab, and midsole stripe.
Three different materials and tonal zig zag stitching give these sneaks a retro vibe.
The design is minimal without being boring. Versatile without being bland. Unobtrusive. You could easily wear these with a crisp white tee and navy joggers for a relaxed look for running errands. Switch out the joggers for jeans and throw on a gray Goodfellow & Co. polo and you’ll be among the best dressed “smart casual” dads in the after school pick up line.
On my specific pair, the right shoe arrived with a dark smudge on the toe box fabric. I can’t tell if this is an errant pencil smudge from the factory or if they picked up some character marks in the shipping box. Either way, it was noticeable from above and might cause someone out there to return them for a pristine pair. Since these would be destined for mower or dog walking duty, I don’t care enough to worry about it. Sometimes shoes look better with some patina!
Moderately padded around the ankles.
The interior is crafted with two materials – the front half is made with a simple foam-like textile, but the back half is made with a breathable knit fabric and moderately padded around the ankle. Most cheap sneakers use a cheaply made, open cell foam insole that gets glued down to the fiberboard base. The Angus sneakers have a removable insole that’s made from two different types of foam and is much nicer than you’d think to expect at this price point. You can tell that the insole foam won’t hold its shape for too long, but you could easily swap it out.
The sawtooth mini ripple gum outsole is honestly one of my favorite parts of this sneaker. It’s notably grippy and comfortable, but it also happens to be one area where Target has cut some corners to reduce cost, in an interesting way. The data tag on the reverse of the tongue notes that the outsole is made from manmade materials (thermoplastic rubber) and leather flocking.
Leather fibers incorporated into the sawtooth mini ripple gum sole creates strength and traction.
The patent for leather flocking notes that the rubber sole surface is coated with adhesive and placed within a flocking machine. Inside this machine, an electric field is applied to the chamber and recycled leather fibers are directed through a charged nozzle aimed at the rubber outsole. The charged nozzle helps direct the leather fibers to the tacky surface where they stick like flies on flypaper. After curing the adhesive to lock in the leathery bits, you now have a lightly granulated surface that is allegedly stronger and more durable than just the underlying rubber layer and less subject to peeling. This is a neat process, but the patent even says it’s just a measure to reduce costs by reducing the amount of rubber or plastic materials used. At the end of the day, the sole works and seems durable enough for a sub-$40 pair of shoes.
Score: 4/5 Stars – For the price, these are surprisingly usable and not that bad.
In terms of fit and sizing, I recommend trying a half-size larger than your true-to-size Brannock measurement. I tried this pair in a 10.5 and they’re a bit too snug. Going with your usual athletic sneaker size is probably the right call. If you wear a size 11 in Nike, Adidas, or New Balance, you’ll want to wear these in a size 11 as well for the right fit and comfort.
For size reference, I am a 10.5 D/E on a Brannock device and usually take a 10 D in most roomy dress shoes, including Alden’s Barrie last and Grant Stone’s Leo last. I take a 10.5 E in Allen Edmonds 65 last, as that last runs too narrow for me. I also take a 10.5 in Converse/Vans and an 11 in most athletic sneakers from Adidas or Nike. Have a size question? Email us!
A removable insole that’s made from two different types of foam and is much nicer than you’d think to expect at this price point.
Comfort is always subjective, but these were surprisingly comfortable out of the box. Who knows how long that will last, but if you’re in need of a cheap pair of sneakers for running simple errands around town, playing catch with the kids, or mowing the lawn, these are fine. You won’t be running any marathons or Tough Mudder events in these, but you knew that.
Score: 4/5 Stars – Fits slightly small, but otherwise fine. Initial comfort is fine, too.
All in all, I’m pleasantly surprised with these cheap fashion sneakers from our favorite neighborhood big box retail store. For the price, I think you’ll be more than satisfied with this pair of simple, stylish sneakers. While they won’t blow your socks off or win the MVP award, they’ll certainly keep your feet happy enough while you’re mowing the lawn, running to the mailbox, or dropping the kids off at the park. Best of all, if Teddy the teething pup gets them, you won’t even get that mad! These third string backups check a lot of boxes for those of us on a tight budget. Check them out the next time you’re in Target and let us know what you think. Cheers!
(If these don’t spark your interest or you’re looking for an upgrade and can spare a bit more cash, you can usually find pairs of New Balance 515s or similar styles for less than $60.)
Avg. Score: 4/5 – Decent pair of fashion sneakers for the price. Surprisingly not bad, Target!
Ang-GUS! Ang-GUS! Ang-GUS!
(Even the legends lift from the Gods)
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