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.
Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are about a week away from Spring dropping on us. As we transition from the winter cold to the summer heat and awaken from our overly insulated and layered style hibernation, we need to start thinking about our warm weather footwear options. It’s time to put away the insulated Bean Boots and lugged sole behemoths in favor of lightweight, breathable options such as chukka boots, plain toe bluchers, and snazzy suede loafers.
Nice suede, clean stitching, and an almond shaped toe elevate these modern classics.
While some people out there simply cannot fathom wearing a pair of loafers, others of us have taken the plunge and understand that the right pair can be incredibly versatile, easy to style, and effortlessly cool. J.Crew understands this, too, and recently launched a new version of their Camden loafer in suede with a leather sole. Let’s take a deep dive and see if they’re worth it.
The overall design aesthetic leans into the classic American Ivy style.
My pair was ordered on a Thursday evening after work. They were boxed up and shipped out the next day via UPS SurePost and arrived the following Wednesday afternoon. As a J.Crew Rewards member, standard ground shipping was free as well. So, I’ve got that goin’ for me.
FYI: J.Crew has a pretty standard return policy that offers simple returns or exchanges within 30 days of purchase. If you use their prepaid return label, you’re on the hook for $7.50 USD. Note that if you have a local brick and mortar store, you can return in store to save that cash.
Score: 4/5 Stars – Easy online ordering, quick shipping, but no free online returns.
A couple surprising extras, including cloth bags and a shoehorn, came in the standard J.Crew shoebox this time.
This pair arrived in J.Crew’s standard black shoe box which, from a design perspective, leaves a lot to be desired. However, we’re not here for a shoe box review. We’re interested in the shoes inside. So, taking off the lid reveals a pair of flannel cloth shoe bags, a mini plastic shoe horn, and a thank you/don’t wear these outside yet card. Typically, J.Crew says, “You’ll get nothing, and like it!”, so this unboxing was a pleasant surprise given the price point and history.
Score: 4/5 Stars – J.Crew throws in some extras to spice up the unboxing experience.
Fresh out of the box, I am LOVING the overall look and feel of these loafers. The overall design aesthetic leans into the classic American Ivy style with their supple suede uppers, smooth leather soles, neutral edge and welt color, and a gently rounded almond shaped toe box.
Softly textured suede hits the right midpoint, and the warm shade of “snuff” brown pairs well with many things.
Speaking of that suede, this upper leather looks and feels softly textured, somewhere between buttery soft and velvety smooth. It’s not too flat and it’s not too hairy; like Goldilocks finding her favorites, the hide selection and warm “snuff” color is just right. Snuff is a warm shade of brown that reads like a toasted caramel or earthy “baseball field” dirt. I find this shade to be super versatile and pair really well with all sorts of common and familiar menswear items, from grey wool suiting and khaki chinos to inky raw denim and olive green fatigues. While I can’t speak to the source of this leather (J.Crew wouldn’t tell me), it does feel more premium than the stuff you would typically find at Macy’s or DSW. I would not be surprised if this suede was sourced from C.F. Stead in the U.K., as it feels that good in the hand. (Even if it’s not from Stead, you’ll usually find that cheaper suede looks and feels nicer than cheap cow leather.)
One thicker than average stitch was the only very small complaint found on these well constructed loafers.
Looking through the details that we can see, the upper is stitched in a contrasting natural linen colored thread and the vamp does seem to be genuinely hand stitched. An educated guess would say these are manufactured by Duramas/Empresas ADOC in the same San Salvador factory that produces J.Crew’s Kenton boots alongside goods for other brands such as Brooks Brothers, Sebago, L.L. Bean, Bass, etc. Overall quality looks to be solid. Aside from one thicker than average stitch on a beef roll, these loafers are clean. The pinking along the sides adds a bit of visual flair and the penny slot up front is usable, should you wish to honor the old school traditions and insert your own copper Abe Lincoln.
Inside these shoes are lined with a soft (and comfortable) glove leather.
They look to be Blake stitched and resoleable.
These loafers are lined with a soft glove leather that feels great on the foot. At the heel, there’s a patch of rough out suede to add some traction and help reduce heel slip. Lifting up the non-removable (without tearing) sockliner shows that it’s made from three pieces – a leather top layer, an open cell foam comfort layer, and a closed cell foam or rubber comfort layer at the heel. Underneath is a paper fiberboard layer that’s used as a tuck – a stiffer layer that acts like a shank and a foundation onto which the shoe is stitched. Paper fiberboard is a cost saving material that tends to fail faster than thermopolymer or leather midsoles. I’m docking a point for that, but it’s not unheard of in loafers and similar shoes. These loafers look to be Blake stitched; the stitching underneath the leather and foam sockliner goes through the paper fiberboard tuck and leather layers before poking through the outsole and resting in the stitch channel. That makes these resoleable, although the welt is a decorative pre-stitched faux welt.
A recessed stitch channel in the outsole helps protect the stitching for longevity.
The Camden loafers have a leather outsole and a leather heel with a leather and rubber toplift. This leather does feel a bit thinner and softer than the high end vegetable tanned leather soles you’d find on brands like Grant Stone and Alden, but it’s perfectly serviceable for these shoes at this price point. I also appreciate that the outsole stitching is recessed in the stitch channel. This helps protect the stitching just a bit more, adding a touch of extra durability and longevity.
Score: 4/5 Stars – Surprisingly nice! These look and feel like a solid pair of loafers.
In terms of fit and sizing, I recommend trying your true-to-size Brannock measurement. I tried this pair in my usual 10.5 and they fit very well on bare feet right out of the box. Sadly, I think they would be a bit too small for me to wear my usual medium weight Darn Tough socks, but I could probably squeeze on a pair of thinner wool dress socks if I needed to for an event. Note that if you need narrow or wide sizes by default, you’re simply out of luck with J.Crew unless you’re in between two lengths and feel like rolling the dice on a pair a half size different.
Good looks on the outside, and initial comfort right out of the box (at least for Adam).
For size reference, I measure an 11 D heel to toe and 10.5 D heel to ball on a Brannock device. However, I usually take a 10 D in most roomy dress shoe lasts, such as Alden’s Barrie last and Grant Stone’s Leo last. I take a 10.5 D in Allen Edmonds 65 last, as that last runs a little 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!
Comfort is always subjective, but I find these to be very comfortable right out of the box. The glove leather lining feels great against bare feet and feels almost as plush as the “gold glove” deerskin lining in my Quoddy mocs. The insoles are soft and comfortable during this initial fitting and stroll around the house. I can’t speak to long term comfort, but as we know, the open cell foam that’s underneath the leather sockliner tends to degrade and collapse over time. However, odds are that you’ll wear through the single layer leather outsole before that point.
Score: 4/5 Stars – Fits true to size for bare feet and they feel great out of the box.
All in all, I think the J.Crew Camden suede loafers are surprisingly nice and a win for J.Crew. These loafers look great on foot, they fit well right out of the box, the suede uppers and leather linings are pretty nice, and the quality control (at least on my pair) looks to be very solid. While the Camden loafers aren’t as refined as a pair of Grant Stone Travelers or as casual as a pair of Sperry boat mocs, I think their design will be super versatile and easy to wear for most folks. Pair them with an airy tropical wool suit for your summer weddings or dress them down with a polo and medium wash denim for casual Fridays. Either way you shake it, the Camden loafers offer a ton of versatility and a bucket full of value even at full MSRP. Given that J.Crew tends to run a sale every other week, chances are high that you can land a pair of these for 25-40% off. At that point, I think they’re a steal and suggest you grab a pair while you can. They’re worth it!
Avg. Score: 4/5 – Recommended! Big fan of these smart casual suede loafers.
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