Quality men’s shoes can elevate an already stylish outfit. However, poor shoes can only bring it down. Unfortunately, I have come across a few stumbling blocks in my searches for well-crafted, durable, and stylish men’s shoes. Sometimes they are beyond my budget. Other times they are too fashion forward. Still, other times I have found the price to quality ration is out of balance; that is to say I don’t think I’m getting enough shoe for my money. So, when Beckett Simonon reached out asking me to review a pair of their shoes, I gladly accepted. Their business model intrigued me, if the quality was as good as advertised, and the price seemed right, I was in. But first I had to find out for myself.
Business Model
Beckett Simonon uses a made-to-order business model standing out from the crowd of men’s shoes producers. What this means is that your shoes are pre-ordered and shipped when the production run is complete. You may have to wait a little while for your shoes, but this process helps Beckett Simonon control their inventory and costs, giving you a better price for yours shoes.
What I also love about this model is that it allows Beckett Simonon to pay their European and South American craftspeople a fair wage. Currently, those factories are located in Portugal and Colombia. Additionally, the reduction in inventory and overhead enables the brand to run a more environmentally friendly production. I think when both sides of the equation (customers and producers) win, it adds some additional intangible value to a product that can’t totally be explained in dollars and cents.
Beckett Simonon Review 
Beckett Simonon Review
Quality
When assessing the quality of men’s shoes, I like to look at three things: the leather, the stitching, and the comfort/fit. Quality leather should look like skin and not be completely smooth. You should be able to see the grain. It should also be soft, but firm. You don’t want your shoes falling apart on you, but the leather should still be flexible. Beckett Simonon’s leather is fantastic. I’ve been really impressed by the softness and and ease of breaking in my Dean Oxfords.
The blake stitching on these shoes is near flawless too. I struggled to find a stitch out of place. Beckett Simonon also let me know that these soles are recraftable again and again. So, if you take care of them, they will last years longer than any lesser quality shoes you could buy, more than justifying the higher (but reasonable) price tag.
While fit is subjective, any quality shoe should be comfortable provided that the last suits the shape of your foot. Once I broke these shoes in a little, which took quite a short time thanks to both the high quality leather and blake stitching, I loved the way these felt on my foot. I tried an 11D (US sizing) in the Deans and found them comparable to other 11D American-made shoes as well as 10F English shoes.
Beckett Simonon Review 
Beckett Simonon Review
Pricing
Beckett Simonon’s shoes are generally priced between $300 and $350, with their sneakers running a little lower. However, they tend to be discounted closer to $200 to $220. Personally, I prefer when brands just show the actually price instead of the potential discount, but I also hate haggling and negotiating prices. So, that’s probably just a personal preference. Regardless, the pricing is fantastic. If you were to run a comparison with other shoes in the $200 range, these shoes would blow any competition out of the water.
Conclusion
Overall, I’m incredibly impressed by everything I’ve seen from Beckett Simonon. From the company culture, to the quality, to the price, I feel entirely comfortable recommending these men’s shoes. The only drawback I have noticed is the wait time from when you order your shoes until you receive them. However, if you’re building a classic wardrobe over time and not looking for a fast fashion fix, that shouldn’t be any cause for worry. Buy quality products, build over time, keep them for years.
