I won’t lie. I will proudly say that Suitsupply is one of my favorite brands. I won’t pretend that I really care where clothes are made from. Of course, I would go bespoke everything if I could but I am not a billionaire, or even close to a millionaire for that matter so won’t try to pretend that this is my taste. The fact is that Suit Supply makes pretty well-made clothes at a pretty damn good price. And more importantly, makes clothes that have good style and design.
So when they asked me to take a look at their new range of quality shoes, I was happy to oblige. I was intrigued too to see what they are up to on that front as I know that they are always trying to make their offering better and more appealing to a larger group of consumers. So I agreed to do a review/write up in exchange for some great articles of clothing (that I will soon model for all of you) and here is my take on what I found of their current collection.
Now, let me first start off by saying that Suit Supply shoes are Blake Rapid Construction. They are NOT welted. So for all of you who are more snobby than me and wear welted only shoes, well this post might not be for you but for those of you wearing Department store bought shoes like Santoni, Ferragamo, To Boot New York, Magnanni etc and the like, then stay tuned for something that just might appeal to you.
The Models:
Suit Supply gave me two models to take a look at. One being a very elegant wholecut oxford in this cognac-like brown with subtle burnishing. A very Italian looking shoe in my humble opinion. The other being on the other end of the European spectrum of shoe design, having a far more British like appeal, in a black brogued double monkstrap.
Both of these models are apart of their A/W ’19 collection and can be found in stores and online.
The Quality:
Now, comparing apples and oranges is a mistake so I won’t do it here and I do not expect you to do so either. I am not a personal fan of plain Blake Stitched Construction but that is simply my taste and is not the end all be all. Some people hate Goodyear welted shoes, want a flexible shoe and do not give two thoughts about whether or not they can resole their shoes. But I do find the Blake Rapid construction far more appealing as it adds an extra layer of comfort, quality and durability to the sole. That being, when judging these one has to take into account the likes and comparisons with respects to the shoes at hand. The reality is that most of the planet wears blake-stitched and glued shoes and not welted or Blake Rapid for that matter. These two constructions are far the minority.
Therefore, let’s get to it. These shoes cost $449.
The finishing is flawless. It is what one would expect when buying from a good Italian factory that can make mass-produced footwear. Think, the factories that make Ferragamo and Gucci. Those are very large factories that pump out good quality blake stitched shoes with flawless finishing. That’s what these shoes were. Flawless blake-stitched shoes, but not for the Gucci/Ferragamo/Santoni price that often extends upward of +$600. So, in reality, you are getting a $150 discount for not paying for these designer names and on top of that, more than just Blake, but actually Black Rapid. Because truth be told, while I do love Santoni’s welted footwear, I have to say that these Suitsupply shoes were just as good, if not better than what those brands are pumping out for 25% more in retail price. And that is the reality of Suitsupply in general. They tend to make the same quality as the big designer brands of the world but for a much better price.
Being between the pricing of TBNY and Magnanni (higher than both) but lower than Santoni and Ferragamo, I must say that the finishing was better than the first two brands and on par with the latter for a lot less of the price. It’s impressive to say the least and help to show you that sometimes, you are paying for a name.
