I've been working in sales now for 9 years. In that time, I've struggled to find a comfortable work shoe. I was one of those guys who went to Kmart or Pay-less shoes, only to have the pair wear out in 6 months and frankly, not even feel very comfortable in that time! So, I went shoe-shopping one day. I hit up all of the major retailers and some of the small ones. Basically, after a good 8 hours of shoe shopping, I found these shoes to be the best possible pair for me. They BREATHE, which means my feet don't get sweaty anymore. Prior to buying these, the best pair of shoes I had ever owned were a pair of Merrell Moab Ventilators Men's Merrell Moab Ventilator. The problem is, they aren't really very dressy - although they were breatheable and comfortable. Also, this review is being written in the middle of winter with a bit of snow on the ground outside -- not the best time for the Merrells....
I purchased my initial black pair at The Walking company. For the record, they are a GREAT outfit! However, they didn't have a size 11 in brown -- and it wasn't available to order. So, I quickly came home and snapped up a pair on Amazon for $30 less.
As a result of these shoes, I will probably be a lifetime Clarks customer. I had the opportunity to try several different brands with the polyurethane soles, but they felt too "synthetic" and unnatural to me, and each time I kept going back to the Clarks with their rubber soles. I had also heard about the polyurethane soles suddenly cracking, splitting, or coming apart on some the competitor's shoe brands, which made me a litle nervous. I was a little surprised to get home and see they were made in China, but I suppose that's rather unavoidable these days. The research that I've done seems to indicate that you won't be finding too many Clarks made elsewhere, but they seem to have retained a good portion of their quality.
I will update this review accordingly if the shoes do not hold up to my expectations, but so far, these are the best dress shoes I've ever owned.
The Moral of the story -- Stop buying endless pairs of $10-$20 discount-store shoes that don't feel that great and fall apart after 6 months, and get a GOOD pair. You -- and your feet -- deserve better!
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From the manufacturer
One Year, still comfortable, but wearing out
I first purchased a pair of Clark's 4 years ago, and was amazed. I have issues with my lower knee's and lower back, and my stride is abnormal. So my right heel always wears uneven. With cheaper shoes (Dockers, Nunn Bush) I have to replace the shoe's about every 6 months. My first pair of Clarks lasted well over 2 years, and they were incredibly comfortable, so when it was time, I didn't hesitate to buy another pair. I purchased these casual Oxfords in October of 2013, and noticed (December 2014) today that the soles are breaking down along the stitching. I will be able to wear these for a few more months, but am not as happy with this pair as I was with my first. Still a great brand, but these particular shoes aren't as good.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2011
- Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2018
- Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
- Wysiwyg16Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2019
Fantastic British product not cheap, import only?
- J HanlonReviewed in Canada on April 17, 2019
Clark's was nuts to discontinue this shoe!
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on February 5, 2018
Love these shoes they fit like a glove from day ...
- JeffReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2017
Yes great shoes but the conversion from USA 10 isn't the ...
