Bostonian Men's Ipswich Lace-Up Oxford Shoe

After exhaustively searching for shoes both in stores and online (my size is rarely kept in stores), I found the Ipswich to be just right for me. I needed a nice, business casual shoe that I could wear all day.Ecco became a favorite of mine a long, long while ago, but none of the styles I liked were available in my size. Note that these are much more expensive and (to me) in a different league. I still have two pair that I do not want to give up. They are my benchmark for business casual shoes.My goal was to find shoes under $90.In my price category:Clark's seemed a bit too shiny and of slightly lesser quality.Nunn Bush had the same feel Clark's gave me with a bit less appealing style.Dockers and Deer Stags were very low on the price scale, but also on the bottom of perceived quality scale for me.In general, it seems the shoes crafted in India (as these Bostonians state they are) seem to be of slightly higher quality and finish than the ones of Chinese origin.When I ordered, my hope was that the Bostonians in my size were the same look and quality as the smaller ones found in stores. In fact, they are.The leather is a bit dull for my taste, but I was able to condition and shine them to add just enough gloss to look nice without being cheap or fake. After ten days of wearing them, I see no cracks, odd creases, nor splits in the leather.The sole of the shoe is dusty from being used, but does not show any wear. I am on concrete for part of my day.The laces are attractive and stay laced, a detail that I used to overlook until a bad experience.They feel neutral as far as support and I have no need for correction, so they work for me.I would not go running in these, but they are good as an office shoe and for the 8 minute walk to and from my car each work day. The arch support is good and again, average (someone with flat feet would likely need inserts).The liner is nice and appears as new even after wearing these shoes to ten days of work. The inserts are basic, but fine with me.My only minor complaint is how the shoe rubbed the back of my heel and just above. The pressure after a few hours of wearing prompted me to do a bit of stretching on the leather in that area when I got home the first night. Now they are just fine.While not expensive, they are stylish and comfortable. I feel they will be durable as well.I recommend them given their price point and the related quality and look.

These shoes are well worth the money. They hold up well, and are surprisingly light. I'll definitely be buying a second pair. One thing I did notice though, is that the back of the shoe is a little high and the side-wall, which is ridged and thin, rubs the bottom side of my ankle. I use these shoes for meetings and short walking. I don't know that I would recommend them if you are doing a lot of walking, although the weight and the comfort of these shoes would help with that. Maybe worth a try... and maybe I have low ankles and it's just me.Also to note, the durability and scuff resistance is pretty good. The "leather" if that's what it is, looks like good quality and strikes a nice balance of shine and matte. I would imagine this shoe could be polished. Also, I've gotten shoes that smell like gasoline, or the inside of a Harbor Freight, cheap 3rd world tool store. These didn't have ANY offense smell, and were ready to wear right away.

I needed a simple pair of black dress shoes as my "go-to" shoes for work to replace a pair I'd worn out. I tried these on at a store and liked them so checked to see if I could get them cheaper online. Sure enough, Amazon had them for less. Since I'd tried them on already I didn't have to worry about getting the sizing wrong. The fit is as expected; I generally wear an 11.5 and that's exactly what fits me in this shoe.They have a good shine to them out of the box without looking like a tuxedo shoe or going overboard. The toe is (to me) a comfortable middle ground between squared off and rounded that looks professional and relatively conservative. Nothing flashy, but perfect for an office setting. I also haven't noticed any squeaking or over-the-top noise (like a heel click) when walking in them. I've found that some other similar shoes sound loud when walking over hard floors, but not these.They are extremely comfortable, and given that I am going to wear them most days to work, that was of upmost importance to me. Part of the reason for this, and one of my favorite things about this shoe, is how light they are. They are easily the lightest oxford / dress shoe I have ever had, and that contributes immeasurably to how they feel. Many dress shoes feel clunky and can get obnoxious after you've had them on all day, but not these. Their light weight and the overall construction make them very comfortable to wear even for long 10+ hour days at work.As far as durability, I've only had them for a week, so it's hard to pass judgment yet, but they have taken the ordinary abuse of walking around an office and city without showing any scuffs or anything out of the ordinary. Time will tell how they hold up long term, but for this price, they won't break the bank even if they need to be replaced.