Hoyt Monk Strap Shoes by Beckett Simonon Review

Posted By Ibropalic on Nov 14, 2018 | 0 comments

Monk Strap shoes offer style with ease, and Beckett Simonon’s Hoyt Monk Strap shoes let you get them at a very competitive price compared with dress shoes of the same quality. They also have a more ethical approach to the supply chain, which the typical dress shoe company whose products are found in most department stores don’t do.

A great product for a decent price from a company that you don’t have to hold your nose to give money to? That’s something you just normally don’t hear about.

If you want to add a pair of monk straps to your wardrobe or get a quality dress shoe, Beckett Simonon would be one of the best starting points.

A Bit About Beckett Simonon

Before we get to the Hoyt Monk Strap review, we should probably mention the company Beckett Simonon. They do things a little differently than most other shoe companies, which merits a bit of a plug.

Instead of having a multi-layered supply chain, Beckett Simonon is direct-to-consumer. Normally, getting a pair of shoes means going to a store, which buys from a distributor (or several of them) and they buy from the factory. Instead, you’re buying right from the factory.

Additionally, Beckett Simonon takes pains to source materials and labor ethically wherever possible. This means small shops that pay good wages and quality materials. They aren’t Fair Trade certified at the moment, but that may change.

Their shoes are also made-to-order or at least employ a made to order model. So the way it works is that instead of producing a set number of shoe designs every so often and just hoping they sell the inventory, the exact number of shoes in the exact style and in the exact size is made.

This means you have to pay up-front in a pre-order, and wait for your shoes to arrive. Typically, they arrive within 90 days of the end of the month you order the shoes in. While that means you have to wait (darn it!) it also means that Beckett Simonon doesn’t have to carry inventory and thus only make you pay for what you order, rather than subsidizing other aspects of their operation.

That’s a good thing because handmade European shoes aren’t cheap.

Beckett Simon shoes are produced in their factory in their home base in Bogota, Colombia. While you’ll see an MSRP of $300, their dress shoes are perpetually “discounted” to $199 before shipping.

At less than $200? That’s a steal.

Most dress shoes you find in even high-end stores like Nordstrom’s or Men’s Wearhouse will cost you that (or more) and are machine-made in factories located all over the world. Often, they’ll be made in the same factory as the dress shoes that go to Walmart or Payless; they just get a different label slapped on them and that’s pretty much the entire difference.

With Beckett Simonon, you get a handmade product, as ethically sourced as possible, for a decent price and from people who really care about what they’re doing. You also get a rare product, as not every shoe style will necessarily be offered again.

Hoyt Monk Strap Shoes by Beckett Simonon

Hoyt Monk Strap shoes by Beckett Simonon are the classic monk strap shoe style. Beckett Simonon offers classic shoe styles in classic colors. Oxfords, brogues, derbies, and loafers abound. The quarter has the classic large strap, with the classic two-buckle closure, one at the vamp and the other at the front of the cuff.

Monk shoes occupy a gray area in footwear, as they are semi-formal. Depending on the maker, they are either a casual shoe or a formal shoe with an alternative closure method. These are more of the latter. The toes are capped, with a narrow, rounded toe box like most dress shoes. Dressy enough for all but black-tie, but stylish enough to be worn with a smart pair of jeans.

The leather is full-grain calfskin, and since Beckett Simonon uses quality lasts, you can expect a fit that’s true to size. Color selection is somewhat limited, but the colors available will satisfy anyone. You can choose tan, brown, an oxblood-like Bordeaux and – because it just goes with everything – black.

The lining is leather as well,

The outsole and heel is leather, with a rubber heel cap. The shoe is resoleable, and the welting process is the Blake construction method wherein the insole is stitched directly to the outsole. While not quite the tank-like construction of work boots, the Blake method does make a shoe resoleable. Thus, you can have it re-soled so long as the last is kept in good condition.

The Hoyt Monk Strap is offered in sizes 7 to 14, with half-sizes available between size 8 through 11. Size 12 and up is in whole sizes only. The width is the standard medium D width.

The factory backs the shoes with a 1-year warranty and throws in a dust bag for storage.

What Beckett Simonon is offering is a handmade, stylish European dress shoe at a much better price than you’d typically pay for one from most European shoemakers. Additionally, they do their best to ensure that it’s made ethically, with ethically-sourced and ecologically conscious material suppliers. Not only that, you know you’re supporting them directly rather than dozens of middlemen.