Crockett & Jones is no doubt one of the most famous English shoemakers in the world. All production lines are still kept in England with classical spirit of the shoemaking legacy they possessed for such a long time.
MenDetails has already made some reviews of Crockett & Jones and this time we would like to introduce “Harvard II” their iconic penny loafer with unlined suede upper and rubber sole variation
Crockett & Jones Harvard II
The most noticeable feature of this pair of penny loafer is the unlined construction which adds so much comfort from the first wear. Though they do have some thin lining at the toe puff and around the heel cup, those linings are there just to hold the shape of the shoe last and don’t decrease the super comfy feeling whatsoever.
We chose the dark brown suede version to match many occasions in our lifestyle. In our opinion, this Crockett & Jones goes so well with many options of your outfits, from knit t-shirt and jeans until the navy suit.
Goodyear Welted Rubber “City Sole”
Moreover, the unlined construction comes with the rubber called “City Sole” in which Crockett & Jones co-operated with Harbourough Rubber Co., Dainite sole, to develop this thin but sturdy leather sole specifically for Crockett & Jones shoe. The thin profile of this City Sole makes the whole silhouette of Harvard looks more formal than typical original ‘Stud’ Dainite sole
The rubber sole is stitched to the upper with Goodyear welted construction method to reassure the higher standard of classic leather shoemaking and make it easier to resole in the far future. Combining those unlined suede upper for softness, rubber sole for flexibility while walking and the durability from GYW construction, made this pair become one of our favorite shoes in no time
Last 376 from Crockett & Jones
Last number 376 was created by Crockett & Jones specifically for their unlined penny loafer collection. The toe shape is roomy and the heel cup is quite narrow to prevent any heel-slip problem which may occur.
Last 376 has a roomy round toe with a little shorter profile comparing to other iconic loafer last such as Last 325 on their Cavendish tassel loafer. Readers could see from the photo below when comparing 8.5UK Harvard in Last 376 and 8UK Cavendish in Last 325 that the overall length are almost the same here
MenDetails suggests choosing your normal size or the same size as your other Crockett & Jones normal width shoes. Personally, we have relatively wide feet with 265 millimeter feet length, mostly wear 9.5US sneakers, and we could fit in 8UK Harvard unlined suede version nicely or even 8.5UK if you prefer a quite loose fit yet, surprisingly, without any heel-slip problem
How to wear ‘Crockett & Jones Harvard II’
Dark brown suede shoes is our favorite to pair with casual style like a nice polo shirt or t-shirt with denim jeans like this pair from LVC 1944. The texture of raw denim fabric is going so well with the suede leather character and we ditch the socks to make a perfect tropical stylish casual ASEAN suitability like in Thailand, Singapore and so on.
Furthermore, we believe this Crockett & Jones suede loafers can be sported in some more formal occasion as well. Pairing them with a nice pair of trousers and sport jacket or even a full suit like we are doing here. However, it is wise to have some dark color pair of sock in this relatively more formal style rather than going full sockless.
Nowadays in 2022, Crockett & Jones unlined suede loafers “Harvard” is available in ASEAN in Bangkok and Singapore by The Decorum Bangkok and The Decorum Singapore. And since they are the official retailers, they do have many other collections of CJ shoes. Another one we eyeing on is another Havard in unlined Shell Cordovan which look so yummy in our opinion.
Taking a visit to The Decorum Singapore if you guys are living there and say hi to Mr.Charles for us. Tell him you are referred by MenDetails.com and enjoy some friendly classic sartorial conversation over there.