DAMON

I highly recommend these shoes

Long Story Short, I am very satisfied with the Damon plain toe blucher. It is my everyday shoe that can be dressed up or dressed down. It is comfortable, versatile and well built. A great shoe at an excellent price. The Look The Damon plain toe blucher is a versatile, somewhat conservative looking shoe. It is very reminiscent of the classic American plain toe bluchers like the Allen Edmonds Leeds and the Alden 9909. As a midwestern American, I like it! I usually wear it with chinos and a button up shirt, but it also looks great with a sport coat. Depending on your local customs, I don’t think it would look out of place with a casual suit. The Madison Last The Madison last is the most comfortable dress shoe lasts I have worn. The last is a round toe last with a generous toe box, medium instep and a fairly narrow heel. The last looks long, but the extra length allows the wearer comfort in toe box without sacrificing the sleek look with a bulbous looking toe. This last works well with my particular foot, as I have a narrow heel and wider forefoot. The look of the last is reminds me of the Alden Barrie last and other classic, American round-toe lasts. The last is likely named after U.S. president James Madison Sizing I would recommend ordering your size based on your UK Brannock size. My feet are 13 C on a US Brannock device, I ordered the stock offering in UK 12 F since UK 12E was not a stock option. The length is pretty good, the ball of my foot lines up with the flex point of the shoe. The fit is roomy in the front of the shoe and fairly secure in the heel and instep. The quarter facings nearly touch when laced tightly, but I think that is intentional with this pattern. Full disclosure: I wear boots much more often than shoes, so my standards of how the heel should feel based on my experience with 6-inch boots rather than shoes. This is the first pair of shoes where I am satisfied with the fit in both the forefoot and the heel. Maybe I could have gone down to a 12E for a snugger fit in the heel and instep, but I was concerned that it would be too narrow in the toe box area (Also, E width would mean paying extra for an MTO). Break In Break in was fairly easy to me, no discomfort in the forefoot and no blisters from heel slip. I wore these for a full work week and I walked about three miles each day at my job. I had no blisters, only minor discomfort from the heel slip of a new, Goodyear welted shoe. Finishing The shoes came to me looking excellent! They came in a nice box with shoe bags. The shoes were polished to a mirror shine. I could not find a defect in the leather or the stitching. Excellent finishing, no further comments Outsole and Walking Comfort The Damon Shoe comes on the Vibram Eaton outsole, a softer studded rubber sole. The outsole is similar in profile and grip to a Dainite sole, but is softer and wears quite a bit faster. I walked over a gravel driveway on the first day I wore these shoes and they chewed up the heel a bit more than I would like. I think the grip is slightly better on these on wet surfaces than Dainite. The shoes are comfortable to walk and stand in, but the comfort and shock absorption is typical of goodyear welted shoes with a single leather midsole. Value This shoe punches above its weight in a major way! I think this shoe is of superior finishing and quality of both Allen Edmonds and Alden, but is at a lower price than both! This shoe cost me about $350 when I purchased them, and I think they are a steal at this price. I think Toni could charge $500 for these shoes (Please don’t) and it would be a good deal. I think that TLB Mallorca fits in a similar quality tier as Carmina and Alden while charging much lower prices, TLB is rather similar to grant stone in that regard. Additionally, the versatile style and comfortable fit ensure I reach for these shoes very often. They are a staple in my wardrobe, I wear them every other day. In terms of cost per wear, these shoes are great Conclusion I highly recommend these shoes! They are versatile dress shoes that can be worn year-round to a variety of formality levels. The Madison last is comfortable and works great with this pattern. The price is very fair for this level of quality. I am looking forward to purchasing my next pair in the Madison last. I want to try TLB’s other lasts at some point, but I really like the Madison last.