I now have the distinct pleasure of owning a pair of tan anticato cap-toed oxfords on the 001 last in size 45 from Archibald London. I'd like to share my thoughts with all of you.
First, some background. I am a lover of fine, well-made shoes, that look and fit beautifully, and have over the last year and a half of serious interest in amassing a good shoe collection, and have collected over 25 pairs from Allen Edmonds, Alden, Crockett and Jones, Edward Green, CNES shoe makers (MTO), vintage Hanover, and vintage Florsheim. I have also purchased a pair of Carminas for someone else. I am by no means the greatest expert on shoes, but I consider myself well versed enough to comment on the quality of shoes based on my experience.
Secondly, a caveat: @ArchibaldRoh provided me with these shoes for review. He asked only for my honest appraisal—nothing more, nothing less. I will not be biased in any way towards these shoes because they were offered to me so generously.
Now, the review--
Packaging: I was remarkably impressed with the care and attention given to the packaging and accoutrements provided. Clearly, Archibald London values its customers and cares about the little details that make a difference. Not only was I given two shoe bags, but also a pair of extra laces and an animal shoe horn. This far exceeds the norm from other shoe makers. Allen Edmonds usually provides just one shoe bag (exception: anything Ashley touches, she’s amazing), Carmina only provided one shoe bag, and both CNES and Crockett and Jones provide two bags with no other accoutrements.
Now on to the shoes themselves.
Style: What I look for in a shoe is timeless elegance. I do not want a fad shoe, something that I think would look ridiculous in a few years. Even if I am going to go with an untraditional colour, like green or blue, I want the fundamental design of the shoe to be such that I can imagine wearing these shoes for the rest of my life, and never thinking that these belong only to a certain time and place. In effect, if I can't imagine myself wearing these in the 1920s, 2020s, or 2120s, I usually don't go for the shoe (with exceptions). To this end, these shoes match my aesthetic sensibility. The toe is neither too almond, nor too round, and though it has a rather long cap, the shoes are well proportioned and classically designed. Of note is the detail of the five eyelets being placed further apart towards the toe, narrower near the top of the tongue. Moreover, the stitching work is beautiful across the whole of the shoe, with not a single stitch out of place or loose. These shoes can stand toe-to-toe with any of the best of men's shoes on the market in terms of style, and I’d say these belong in competition with Crockett and Jones handgrade and Edward Green on this front.
Hand welting: These are my first pair of hand welted shoes and I must say: I am in love. The detail I would like to most point out is something which is rarely ever found anymore: the stitching matches the fudging on the welt. That is to say, the stitches actually fit into the grooves, which is more or less an impossible task for most modern, goodyear welted shoes. This detail provides no structural benefit, but my God is it beautiful. Otherwise, the welting is 270 degrees, which befits a superior elegant design, and the stitch density of 10 per inch--excellent. Once again, I'd say Archibald stands toe to toe with the best of quality, and in respect the details of the welt, I'd say they have Crockett and Jones and Edward Green beat, at least in their RTW lines.
The soles: Closed channeled stitching is a mark of superior elegance, and the work done on these single-oak soles with quarter heels is impeccable. The heels are nailed beautifully in groups of three triangles of three nails each on three of the corners, with one corner taken up by the rubber of the quarter heel; however the waist is flat, not fiddle backed. With the exception of the waist not being fiddle backed, these features are such as one would expect from only the top end of men's shoes. I'd rank these as superior to that of Allen Edmonds, Alden, Carmina, and mainline Crockett and Jones, on par with Crockett and Jones handgrade, and below that of Edward Green and CNES MTO. My only marginal gripe is that I think a bit of brown dying on the sole edge might have been nicer than just a black, but this is marginal.
The leather: The shoes are constructed of beautiful, full grained, high quality calfskin that has been vegetable tanned. The leather is of superior quality. Only my Edward Greens and CNES shoe makers MTO have obviously finer quality calf skin. I'd place these on par with Crockett and Jones mainline, which I take to be slightly superior to Allen Edmonds and Alden's best calf.
The colour: Though called "anticato tan", these shoes are really a deep, rich brown. I absolutely love the colouring on these shoes, and I find them amongst the most handsome of brown shoes I have. The colour is rich with subtle variations across the shoe. These are certainly my favourite brown colour I've ever purchased, even moreso than Edward Green's dark oak, or the vegano brown I have from Allen Edmonds. Nevertheless, I would suggest changing the name to some form of “brown”, as there is nothing tan about these shoes at all. Admittedly, “tan” has a lot of variants in the shoe world, but this is clearly a brown shade.
The insides: Full leather interior in a tasteful (actual) tan. I especially love the detail of using a rougher leather for the inner heel to give more immediate grip. I believe this will help me greatly, as I tend to get blisters on my heel from breaking in new shoes. I will report back on this detail in the next review, to tell you if it did indeed help. Anyway, the insides are comfortable and well made.
Fit: Despite having wide American feet, with help from @ArchibaldRoh, we determined that my best fitting would be 45, which is a UK 11. I generally wear 11.5 EEE US, and my Edward Greens are 11.5/12 e, and my Crockett and Jones are 11.5 E. These shoes fit wonderfully and are very comfortable, although I have not walked or stood in them for very long. I have plenty of room in my problem area (the toes) and my heels fit snugly without much in the way of slippage, all of which should disappear in time. They are already very comfortable, although of course I will have to break them in, and I anticipate that comfort will increase once I do so. I can't foresee these causing me serious problems, but I will return with more discussion of how they feel after I've worn them regularly.
Flaws: My one and only major complaint about these shoes is the unfortunate side effect of the toe cap being so big: there is simply no way one will avoid getting creasing in the toe cap. I tried setting the crease myself, but to no avail: there is no way my feet can bend without causing creasing in the toe. This is the downside to the design. It is by no means a deal breaker to me, as I have substantial real estate to mirror shine anyway, but I do like a flawless cap-toe and prefer it. Likewise, I did notice a very slight flaw in the leather on the right shoe, but this is so minor as to go unnoticed. Again, my only real gripe is that given the design of the toe cap, it is impossible that there shall not be creasing along the bottom edge of that cap toe, and given this would not be resolved by longer toe stiffeners (as is the problem with Allen Edmonds sometimes), I'd chock this up to simply a consequence of choosing the longer cap toe.
Personally, I’d recommend Archibald consider a shorter cap toe so this isn’t a problem in future models/designs.
Overall: These shoes are truly high-end, high quality men's dress shoes which I believe to approach Edward Green in quality. They are timelessly elegant, and not at all too continental or fashion-focused, which so many shoes are. From what I gather from the website, the intent was to merge the best of Italian and English shoe making traditions, and my immediate impression is that they have truly succeeded in this respect. What makes these truly exceptional, though, is the pricing. If you buy these at the normal, 440 GBP ($607.00) price (which I believe is with VAT included), I'd say you're getting a great deal. You're getting Crockett and Jones handgrade quality at slightly less than main collection prices. At the Naked cost of 279 GBP ($385.00), you are almost robbing them. Crockett and Jones handgrade costs $840, Edward Green costs $1,285. You are getting a comparable shoe for quite literally half or a third of the price. I actually am concerned that the company is charging too little for their shoes. This is an insane value—I mean, absolutely absurd level of value. I can unequivocally state at this point, that my first impression of these shoes lead me to suspect this is the greatest value in men's shoes world-wide in terms of cost/quality comparison. Their only competition in this respect is CNES MTO.
First impression ranking: 9/10. Exceptional.
I will return with a report once I have worn these outside several times and broken them in. Sadly, this may take till the spring, as Illinois is a frozen tundra, and there ain't no way I am wearing these shoes on ice as I am neither suicidal, nor do I want to wreck these great shoes with salt, snow, and ice. I'll wait till I have solid ground to walk on, as much as I am tempted to show these beauties off.
Still, if my first impression can be judged, I'd say this:
Gentlemen, buy these shoes. Buy. These. Shoes.
I'll be ordering another pair for certain. At this price, there is absolutely no reason not to do so. If you like a more conservative, English style look, that is classically elegant and timeless, with almost all the features of the highest of the highest end shoes, than these are the shoes for you.
First, some background. I am a lover of fine, well-made shoes, that look and fit beautifully, and have over the last year and a half of serious interest in amassing a good shoe collection, and have collected over 25 pairs from Allen Edmonds, Alden, Crockett and Jones, Edward Green, CNES shoe makers (MTO), vintage Hanover, and vintage Florsheim. I have also purchased a pair of Carminas for someone else. I am by no means the greatest expert on shoes, but I consider myself well versed enough to comment on the quality of shoes based on my experience.
Secondly, a caveat: @ArchibaldRoh provided me with these shoes for review. He asked only for my honest appraisal—nothing more, nothing less. I will not be biased in any way towards these shoes because they were offered to me so generously.
Now, the review--
Packaging: I was remarkably impressed with the care and attention given to the packaging and accoutrements provided. Clearly, Archibald London values its customers and cares about the little details that make a difference. Not only was I given two shoe bags, but also a pair of extra laces and an animal shoe horn. This far exceeds the norm from other shoe makers. Allen Edmonds usually provides just one shoe bag (exception: anything Ashley touches, she’s amazing), Carmina only provided one shoe bag, and both CNES and Crockett and Jones provide two bags with no other accoutrements.
Now on to the shoes themselves.
Style: What I look for in a shoe is timeless elegance. I do not want a fad shoe, something that I think would look ridiculous in a few years. Even if I am going to go with an untraditional colour, like green or blue, I want the fundamental design of the shoe to be such that I can imagine wearing these shoes for the rest of my life, and never thinking that these belong only to a certain time and place. In effect, if I can't imagine myself wearing these in the 1920s, 2020s, or 2120s, I usually don't go for the shoe (with exceptions). To this end, these shoes match my aesthetic sensibility. The toe is neither too almond, nor too round, and though it has a rather long cap, the shoes are well proportioned and classically designed. Of note is the detail of the five eyelets being placed further apart towards the toe, narrower near the top of the tongue. Moreover, the stitching work is beautiful across the whole of the shoe, with not a single stitch out of place or loose. These shoes can stand toe-to-toe with any of the best of men's shoes on the market in terms of style, and I’d say these belong in competition with Crockett and Jones handgrade and Edward Green on this front.
Hand welting: These are my first pair of hand welted shoes and I must say: I am in love. The detail I would like to most point out is something which is rarely ever found anymore: the stitching matches the fudging on the welt. That is to say, the stitches actually fit into the grooves, which is more or less an impossible task for most modern, goodyear welted shoes. This detail provides no structural benefit, but my God is it beautiful. Otherwise, the welting is 270 degrees, which befits a superior elegant design, and the stitch density of 10 per inch--excellent. Once again, I'd say Archibald stands toe to toe with the best of quality, and in respect the details of the welt, I'd say they have Crockett and Jones and Edward Green beat, at least in their RTW lines.
The soles: Closed channeled stitching is a mark of superior elegance, and the work done on these single-oak soles with quarter heels is impeccable. The heels are nailed beautifully in groups of three triangles of three nails each on three of the corners, with one corner taken up by the rubber of the quarter heel; however the waist is flat, not fiddle backed. With the exception of the waist not being fiddle backed, these features are such as one would expect from only the top end of men's shoes. I'd rank these as superior to that of Allen Edmonds, Alden, Carmina, and mainline Crockett and Jones, on par with Crockett and Jones handgrade, and below that of Edward Green and CNES MTO. My only marginal gripe is that I think a bit of brown dying on the sole edge might have been nicer than just a black, but this is marginal.
The leather: The shoes are constructed of beautiful, full grained, high quality calfskin that has been vegetable tanned. The leather is of superior quality. Only my Edward Greens and CNES shoe makers MTO have obviously finer quality calf skin. I'd place these on par with Crockett and Jones mainline, which I take to be slightly superior to Allen Edmonds and Alden's best calf.
The colour: Though called "anticato tan", these shoes are really a deep, rich brown. I absolutely love the colouring on these shoes, and I find them amongst the most handsome of brown shoes I have. The colour is rich with subtle variations across the shoe. These are certainly my favourite brown colour I've ever purchased, even moreso than Edward Green's dark oak, or the vegano brown I have from Allen Edmonds. Nevertheless, I would suggest changing the name to some form of “brown”, as there is nothing tan about these shoes at all. Admittedly, “tan” has a lot of variants in the shoe world, but this is clearly a brown shade.
The insides: Full leather interior in a tasteful (actual) tan. I especially love the detail of using a rougher leather for the inner heel to give more immediate grip. I believe this will help me greatly, as I tend to get blisters on my heel from breaking in new shoes. I will report back on this detail in the next review, to tell you if it did indeed help. Anyway, the insides are comfortable and well made.
Fit: Despite having wide American feet, with help from @ArchibaldRoh, we determined that my best fitting would be 45, which is a UK 11. I generally wear 11.5 EEE US, and my Edward Greens are 11.5/12 e, and my Crockett and Jones are 11.5 E. These shoes fit wonderfully and are very comfortable, although I have not walked or stood in them for very long. I have plenty of room in my problem area (the toes) and my heels fit snugly without much in the way of slippage, all of which should disappear in time. They are already very comfortable, although of course I will have to break them in, and I anticipate that comfort will increase once I do so. I can't foresee these causing me serious problems, but I will return with more discussion of how they feel after I've worn them regularly.
Flaws: My one and only major complaint about these shoes is the unfortunate side effect of the toe cap being so big: there is simply no way one will avoid getting creasing in the toe cap. I tried setting the crease myself, but to no avail: there is no way my feet can bend without causing creasing in the toe. This is the downside to the design. It is by no means a deal breaker to me, as I have substantial real estate to mirror shine anyway, but I do like a flawless cap-toe and prefer it. Likewise, I did notice a very slight flaw in the leather on the right shoe, but this is so minor as to go unnoticed. Again, my only real gripe is that given the design of the toe cap, it is impossible that there shall not be creasing along the bottom edge of that cap toe, and given this would not be resolved by longer toe stiffeners (as is the problem with Allen Edmonds sometimes), I'd chock this up to simply a consequence of choosing the longer cap toe.
Personally, I’d recommend Archibald consider a shorter cap toe so this isn’t a problem in future models/designs.
Overall: These shoes are truly high-end, high quality men's dress shoes which I believe to approach Edward Green in quality. They are timelessly elegant, and not at all too continental or fashion-focused, which so many shoes are. From what I gather from the website, the intent was to merge the best of Italian and English shoe making traditions, and my immediate impression is that they have truly succeeded in this respect. What makes these truly exceptional, though, is the pricing. If you buy these at the normal, 440 GBP ($607.00) price (which I believe is with VAT included), I'd say you're getting a great deal. You're getting Crockett and Jones handgrade quality at slightly less than main collection prices. At the Naked cost of 279 GBP ($385.00), you are almost robbing them. Crockett and Jones handgrade costs $840, Edward Green costs $1,285. You are getting a comparable shoe for quite literally half or a third of the price. I actually am concerned that the company is charging too little for their shoes. This is an insane value—I mean, absolutely absurd level of value. I can unequivocally state at this point, that my first impression of these shoes lead me to suspect this is the greatest value in men's shoes world-wide in terms of cost/quality comparison. Their only competition in this respect is CNES MTO.
First impression ranking: 9/10. Exceptional.
I will return with a report once I have worn these outside several times and broken them in. Sadly, this may take till the spring, as Illinois is a frozen tundra, and there ain't no way I am wearing these shoes on ice as I am neither suicidal, nor do I want to wreck these great shoes with salt, snow, and ice. I'll wait till I have solid ground to walk on, as much as I am tempted to show these beauties off.
Still, if my first impression can be judged, I'd say this:
Gentlemen, buy these shoes. Buy. These. Shoes.
I'll be ordering another pair for certain. At this price, there is absolutely no reason not to do so. If you like a more conservative, English style look, that is classically elegant and timeless, with almost all the features of the highest of the highest end shoes, than these are the shoes for you.
