Over the next few months, Men’s Style Pro will be reviewing some of the best footwear that we can get our hands on. From boots to high-top sneakers, you’ll get a full run of what’s hot right now and why you might want to add them to your footwear collection. Even if you don’t make any immediate pick ups, you’ll want to keep them on your radar or drop a few hints for what you want under your tree.
First up for review are the Blake constructed, brown leather double monk strap shoes from Suitsupply.
Blake Constructed Monk Strap Shoes – Suitsupply || M3 Black Jeans – 3×1 || Black Henley – Forever 21 || Tan Leather Jacket – Punk Royal || Hunter S. Thompson Inspired Aviator Sunglasses – Boast USA x Reds || Hat – Forever 21
As the double monk strap shoe market continues to widen with almost every brand dipping their toes in the pool, there are a few things that can set brands apart from one another. Known for their well-tailored, made-to-measure suiting, Suitsupply also has some quality footwear. I picked up these monks from their premium collection and based on looks alone – they’re impressive. Instead of reviewing them straight out of the box, I ran them hard for two weeks to see if they could take a beating. Before getting into a deep review here are the specs;
Monk Strap Specs
- Made in Tuscany
- Double Leather Sole
- Full leather insole
- Full leather heel
- French baby calf leather
- The sole of the shoes has the seem completely covered and finished with nails*(see why this is important below)
- Price $299
The Campus Refresh
Blake Constructed Monk Strap Shoes – Suitsupply || Long Belted Cardigan – Onassis Clothing || Green Striped Wool Tie – Suitsupply || Blue Flannel Pants – Suitsupply || Denim Shirt – H&M || Houndstooth Waist Coat – Bar III || Sea Dragon Limited Edition Watch – Zodiac via Hook+Albert
Here the Men’s Style Pro take on the Suitsupply Monk Strap:
- Comfort: with a double leather sole and leather insole the comfort level rates highly (8 out of 10). Why not give them a 10/10? Like most leather shoes, there is some breaking in time. Also, the vamp was a hair tighter than I expected. After two weeks of wear, the comfort issues were gone
- French Calf skin leather: the leather is supple and weathers well. The leather color is lighter in real life than shown on the Suitsupply site, but, that’s not an issue. The color is rich & beautiful. The hand-painted dark burnished captoe make the shoe extremely versatile. They pair well with black denim or bold blues
- Silhouette: with a rounder toe and a sleek vamp these monks are extremely versatile. The two looks styled here are on opposites ends of the style spectrum, but, the monks pair perfectly with both. Where some footwear brands create a more square and extremely sleek monk, limiting their wear to tailored suiting, this pair works with just about everything
- Wear & Tear: after two weeks of beating these shoes up, they stood up well. After being caught in the rain and having no moisture seeping through the double-leather sole, I was sold
Overall, these monks are deserving of a strong A rating based on quality, price, visual aesthetic and wear & tear
Photography by Lauren McGrath @lo_mcgrath
