Anthony Veer Men's Roosevelt II Monk Strap Dress Shoes - Genuine Full Grain Leather, Goodyear Welt Construction - Perfect for Office, Wedding & Formal Occasions

The fit is perfect. They are a bit snug, but that is normal on leather shoes till you break them in. The color is beautiful and the shoe is very well crafted. There is one detail on the making of the shoe that I'm not sure if I like, and that is that the piece holding the upper buckle is an elastic cloth. I see benefits to this when taking off the shoe and maybe being more comfortable, but I'm afraid that it might permanently stretch and then be a problem. Time will tell. They also come with a couple of nice extra bonuses: extra pair of insoles, shoes bags (made out of natural fibers) and a brass shoe horn with it's own little bag. These were a really nice touch. Good job HWC Shoes!Side Note: For those that have never used shoes with leather soles, please note that they are a bit slippery at first.So if all looks good why give 4 stars instead of 5?Well it all comes to the details, and it's why I have included pictures. There were 2 craftsmanship details on my right shoe. I specify they were both on the same shoe, because: they are both details related to the finishing of the shoe and maybe the shoemaker was tired when they made this particular shoe. So what were the details:1- The painting on the edge of the out-sole in the inner side of the shoe is lumpy. As if the dye was semi dry when applied or they didn't bother to smooth it out. I don't mind this that much as it's not noticeable from afar, and I can always fix it by sanding it a bit and applying an edge renovating cream or, for something stronger, an alcohol based dye.2- The prong of the upper buckle was not fully closed and it came off as I was buckling the shoe. This was an easy fix. I just put the prong back in and closed it with a pair of pliers.Yes, these are minor details, but I shouldn't have to fix a new shoe. Therefore, I had to take a star off, because even though the paint issue is negligible the buckle issue isn't.This is the second pair of Anthony Veer shoes I've purchased and I am now a loyal customer for life. The quality is superb, the comfort is amazing, the craftmanship is second to none. Oh and you get a quality brass shoe horn in every box of shoes you get! I get compliments all the time from men and women. Like all handcrafted leather shoes, you have to break these in. It shouldn't take longer than a couple weeks with regular use. These shoes have leather soles, keep than in mind if you don't like shoes that call attention. I like the sound leather sole shoes make. I feel like you can hear the quality as you take your steps. They are not obnoxiously loud, just the right amount of sound and pitch. Not a crazy high pitch sound that some other leather soles make. I use them everyday for work, I'm a Banker, and even after work when we go out. They definitely get used a lot but they stay looking new. The soles last a long time too. I'm a big guy so any leather sole shoe that lasts longer that 6 months is good in my view. Well if you can see when I purchased these, it's almost been a year! Soles still going strong! Great shoes, definitely worth every penny! Even if you dont have a lot to spend, see it like this. You can buy these shoes that will last you forever, or you can buy cheap shoes at that blue letter department store named after a character in the show Friends and spend more a month later after they're ruined. You get what you pay for!**Update**The manufacturer contacted me to let me know what happened with my shoes. They very quickly arranged a replacement get sent to me at no extra cost. I have updated my rating to 4 stars for the wonderful support. The issue itself still happened but I am glad their support and warranty was so responsive and friendly. Will easily look for more products from them.I do not normally write reviews of products and would hardly call myself an expert. The product was wrapped and presented great. The bottom metal post on my right shoe that goes through the hole on the strap had already fallen out when i received it. I had to put it back into place when i received it and i pinched it closed with some pliers. Its not the end of the world but that mixed with the black dye that ended up on the back of the straps made it seem like very poor quality control. I gave it two stars because the shoes seem to be ok so far but i have my doubts they will last long.PRO: The details on the shoe are very good, the company does a good job showing its quality. Each shoe was in its own cloth bag and included a free metal shoehorn. The overall quality is above average and something you would expect from a $150-200 shoe.CON: These shoes run BIG, I'm not talking about a 0.5 difference, I'm talking about at least a 1.5-2 difference. I'm a size 12 and I had about 1.5" of extra room which made the shoes uncomfortable to walk in, thus its return. Also, as the shoes have smooth leather soles, there is no grip; walking a few steps on a wood floor didn't feel so safe, so walking fast on a smooth floor would be dangerous.The first pair I received appeared used, with slight scuff marks on the sole and wrinkles on the straps from multiple adjustments, so it was probably a return. I was actually cool with that, but nobody checked to assure quality before sending that pair to me. One buckle was missing it's tang, hence was unusable so returned it. And left a review commenting on the quality issues.The cool part is that Hand Welt Company (a.k.a Anthony Veer) reached out of their own accord to make things right. The second pair were clearly new, and flawless. Fit was pretty much as expected, though slightly narrower than other brands so you might need to go 1/2 a size up. Quality is evident, with heavy, hand-stitched sole, good leather, and quality fit and finish. And, they come with a nice shoe horn and a second cushioned insole for sizing.Great quality, look fantastic, good stitching and they have a really nice leathery smell to them. Much higher quality than I expected. Packaging is a+ with little cloth bags etc. I even got a free (I think steel?) shoehorn in the box. My only complaint is that they need rubber soles put on at the cobblers (I do that with all my shoesbthat don't have them already like ted bakers etc and it's only a £10 to do) to protect them and make them less slippery as they only have rubber on the heel. Still all-round, a fantastic pair of shoes for the price. I am impressed, 5 starsSo very comfortable!Snug enough as the pinch for the first few wears but now so fitting.Could benifit from a tad more resistance on the sole, just a wee bit to slick. I can see myself needing to get them re shod eventually.Smart, soft and so very suitable for day to day office wear.It felt a bit tight first but the leather loosened after a week to fit me perfectly.Very comfortable and really well madeTotally Fabulous