Customer Reviews Johnston & Murphy Melton Classic Dress Cap Toe Oxford

I have been wearing this brand and style shoe for approximately 15 years and really like them. I like the appearance and they take a good shine. They are also comfortable for dress work shoes. That said, even though I take good care of them and although they have very little exposure to any outdoor weather conditions, the uppers on every pair have cracked after a few years and on one pair the uppers fracked before I replaced the heels or soles.

J&M's very traditional cap toe oxford. Very handsome design that can scale across a pretty wide range of outfits and formalities, esp. if you get it in burgundy, which to me is ever so slightly more playful compared to the traditional black. Functionally, these are very comfortable dress shoes, with cork midsoles and a Goodyear welt (for easily replaceable sole). A few oddities though: the leather feels unusually stiff and a bit plasticky, even after breaking in. Also, the leather has a weird shine to it that I've never seen before. If I had to hazard a guess I would say that J&M invented some sort of lacquer coating to disguise lower grade leather, but that is just a guess. Aesthetically I normally like an extra bit of a shine so it does not bother me, but YMMV. It doesn't seem to protect the shoe much though, as it is very easy to scratch through the coloring and expose the different-colored layer below. Also, regarding the leather, there is a significant amount of creasing that appeared after just one wear, and in my particular case, shine out to two different shades of burgundy even though I polish them identically. Strange, but not a huge deal. Finally, and this actually IS kind of annoying, as others have mentioned, one side of the tongue is stitched to the inside of the shoe, which makes it sit slightly asymmetrically and makes it very difficult to thread laces through one of the holes. All those anal details said though, the Melton is a comfortable, good-looking shoe that I'd buy again, perhaps in the more casual brown, though probably not at MSRP. If you can knock off the price though, it's definitely a great buy.

I like these shoes. They are very well made. The leather cuts, the stitching are clean and precise, even as regards the fine leather liner. The shoe tongue is stitched on one side that keeps it from crumpling up under your sock as you pull it onto your foot. The leather is top shelf, smooth, but not so soft that it will not hold its shape. It is a dress shoe, after all, and one wants some structure from a good dress shoe. I have three pairs of Allen Edmonds, but these are my go to shoes just because of the quality of materials and construction, which is much better than Allen Edmonds. The only reason for four stars is because of the hardness of the heel strike. Allen Edmonds is the same way. But the fit is great. I have a wide foot. My regular size has always been a 10 E or EE, but that size is too large in the Melton. Returned for a 9EEE, and it is spot on.

Based on my purchase experience and the two most important features for me: width and size. 1) a triple EEE width is true 2) size is half too long.

I wrote a negative review of these shoes after two weeks of ware (in Dec 2014), but once they broke in, I have enjoyed these shoes, so I thought I'd do an update review. They are well made and look good. The tongue that's stitched to one side is something I've gotten used to. So is double knotting the laces to keep them tight. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase of the Melton.