Customer Reviews

Bostonian Men's Marco Oxford, Chili Calf/Deerskin, 10 W

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I work in a corporate training environment; I need shoes that look professional but also fit/feel well. I've tried brands ranging from Johnston & Murphy to the "Unlisted" models you find here at Amazon.

The problem many of you may well be aware of with dress shoes is first couple of times you wear the shoe are crucial in setting where the crease will go. In other words, you want to make sure the crease does not interfere with the toe cap of the shoe. This particular model of Bostonian I believe is ingenious. The toe cap is a beautiful sheen leather whereas the midsection is purposely textured and more flexible. So when your feet bend to walk the crease easily is "covered" discretely by the texture leather. I love this styling.

Now on to the Pros and Cons:

PROS:
1. Textured styling I described above.
2. Leather soles. Just like your grandfather's shoe. Very well made.
3. Rubber heal.
4. All leather interior is breathable. Many leather shoes (one pair of my Johnston & Murphy's are all leather inside however the make my feet sweat like crazy.).
5. Form-fit my feat very well. True to size. Very comfortable.

CONS:
1. I am NOT sure if this can even be called a Con but I am anyway because of what I notice; I have purchased three pairs of these shoes. One black and two Burgundy. The first pair of Burgundy's were made in Italy as indicated on the SOLE of the shoe. The Black and the second Burgundy were made in India. For some of you this may be an instant turnoff.. but let me just say the leather is identical to that of the leather of the ones made in Italy. I do call into question, very MINIMALLY, the quality of construction. The seams on the ones made in Italy were flawless. The seams on the shoes made in India were a bit rough around the edges. Although not very discernible to the eye if you look very closely you can see what I am talking about. Now does this turn you off to a pair of $41 pair of shoes? For me NO. In fact I bought three pairs total.
2. On a side note, the Brown pair of shoes.. the toe cap and textured leather are noticeably different in color. You will not find this with the Burgundy and Black. Also, the Burgundy colored shoes are really a very dark brown.

IN SUMMARY:
Buy these shoes if they are at $41 (give or take... this is what I paid). I will now retire my Johnston & Murphy's as my everyday shoes and these Bostonian's will now be my training presentation/instructor shoes.

As manufacturers continue to shed unprofitable lines and present "one size fits all,"it becomes increasingly difficult
for those of us who wear narrow sizes to find shoes that fit in
anything other than the most expensive brands. These shoes
are well made and an excellent value. The only negative
is that are made from a wider last and have an internal spacer
to make them narrow. The heel tends to wallow a little bit in
my particular case.

Recently bought a pair of the Marco Oxford Bostonians at a great price from Amazon and received the package early. The shoes fit well, but I'm disappointed with the quality. My first 3 Bostonians were made in Italy, but this one was made in India. I could tell the difference in the quality - the leather is dull, the stitching unrefined, the make and look are not quite the same as my old pairs. I read from other reviews that some of the recent purchases were made in India, but I gambled. Hope that they last as long as my old ones.

These shoes are no longer being made in Italy but in India. The quality of the material utilized and the construction is cheap and nothing like they used to be. I have worn this same style of Bostonian (Marco) for several years, and was completely satisfied. This is a cheap imitation of what used to be a great, comfortable, well-constructed shoe. Return to having them made in Italy!

This was my first ever shoe purchase from the internet and I am very pleased. Mostly, because they didn't cause blisters on my heels and I was able to be on my feet all day with no discomfort.

These were indeed made in Italy--and made well.

If these become available again, slip into a pair. They're comfortable enough to dance in at a wedding and sharp enough for the office. The ladies complimented them several times.

These are great shoes, very comforatble, and break in quickly. I'm not sure why some folks are getting shoes that were made in India; mine are clearly marked on the sole, and inside the shoe, "Made in Italy".

I deducted one star, as the soles started "chunking" the first couple of days I owned them. While some may say this is normal, I've been wearing leather soles for decades, and this is the first time I've seen actual divets in the leather from 2 days worth of wear.

Overall, I do recommend them though.

Beautiful black leather and deerskin shoes that are of the quality you'd expect from Bostonia. An amazing price as well!

If you see the description: made in Italy, be careful! They are made in India. I have written to amazon to let them change. But if you still see made in Italy, be careful! Everybody knows the difference.

Bought these seven years ago. Apparently there are "made in ___" discrepancies but I was only recently noticed the "made in Italy" printed inside and on the sole. These are my most comfortable dress shoes and I have them in brown as well (see below). The brown pair does not have the same "made in Italy" stamp on the sole or inside. They are the longest-lasting shoes that I've ever owned and I still drop them in my rotation once or twice per week. I also frequent JM's which have had to undergo massive reconstruction. For < $150 seven years ago, I don't think I can make an argument for less than five stars for the ones made in Italy.

The brown pair I would rate lower, probably three stars. The leather is stiff, lacks detailed texture, feels thicker and makes my feet warm. It's so different from the black pair that I've always suspected they were a different shoe despite looking nearly identical. The top edge of the sole of the brown pair has cracks all around, despite being half the age of the black pair. The brown pair is oddly loud when walking and the heel often strikes twice - if my office wasn't carpeted I would probably have to discard them for that reason alone.