About the Brand

Beckett Simonon is an online retailer of premium men’s shoes and accessories. Their mission is to disrupt the “traditional” retail system for leather shoes, delivering beautiful, handmade products at an affordable price point.

In many ways, they’ve become the Warby Parker of leather goods. Beckett Simonon cuts out middlemen by working directly with leather artisans in Bogotá, Colombia. This allows them to offer gorgeous products at ⅓ of the price of designer brands (think Tods, Ferragamo, Gucci, etc.).

The big question Beckett Simonon asks of their products: can they really stack up against shoes made by leading fashion houses? I ordered a pair of tassel loafers and put them to the test against Tod’s Suede Loafers to find out. The results were surprising, to say the least.

Ratings Breakdown

Style: ★★★★

Beckett Simonon’s loafers have a sleek, narrow fit and their calfskin leather is very soft to the touch. I opted for black leather loafers, but wish I ordered Bordeaux, which is a deep and gorgeous purple color. My loafers cost $219, but to my eyes, they look more like $500 shoes.

Versatility: ★★★★

My loafers are definitely on the dressy side (see below) . While I can dress them up in a suit or down in a pair of jeans, you won’t catch me wearing them with overly-casual outfits.

Durability: ★★★★★

Beckett Simonon’s shoes are hand stitched using the Blake Method, and are built to last. Their soles are replaceable, which is a huge plus for me (the soles of my Tod’s loafers broke and cannot be replaced, even though they’re 3x the price).

Value: ★★★★★

My new Beckett Simonon shoes haven’t just matched up against a more expensive loafer, they’ve surpassed them in almost every way. From their build quality to their impeccable customer service (more on that below), Beckett Simonon should definitely be on your radar if you’re looking for a quality pair of dress shoes.

Products Tested

I opted for Beckett Simonon's Bernard Tassel Loafer in black. Wearing a size 12, I’ve been enjoying these shoes for four weeks now. I’ve worn them to formal events, to run errands around the corner and on long walks in Central Park. They’ve held up impeccably well in all of these settings.

Product Review

Beckett Simonon’s Bernard Tassel Loafers have been one of my favorite purchases of 2023 and they are quickly becoming one of my favorite brands. That’s a big statement - what makes me so confident? In short: quality, style and customer service.

Let’s start with quality. The Bernard loafers are made from full-grain calfskin leather from Italy that is Gold-Rated (that’s the highest distinction a leather tannery can earn from The Leather Working Group). To be honest, I’d never heard of The Leather Working Group before, but their rating system is spot on.

My Beckett Simonon loafers are incredibly comfortable and their calfskin leather has a beautiful, soft feel to it. They have a clean, shimmering look to them right now, but if we’re being honest, I’m more excited to see what they look like with a few years’ worth of patina. I fully expect them to last 10+ years, but if I wear them a little too hard, I know Beckett Simonon will replace their soles.

That’s more than can be said for my Tod’s loafers, which have completely fallen apart after two years. Worse, there’s no way to replace these floppy soles.

Next, let’s talk more about Beckett Simonon’s style. Their Bernard loafers have a pointed shape and a small heel that gives them a low and lean profile. Their black leather has a polished, glimmering look and is fairly scuff resistant. I’ve gotten more compliments on these shoes in a month than I have on all of my other shoes combined.

The best part? These shoes hardly make a sound when I walk. That was one of my biggest gripes with the Tod’s loafers. They were loud as high heels and their sound turned heads for all the wrong reasons.

I’ll touch more on Beckett Simonon’s customer service below, but it was nothing short of delightful. They politely handled my exchange request, and I was pleased to find some extra product in my shipment.

Shoe bags, extra sole inserts and a handwritten note from their Head of Production in Colombia. You’re definitely not getting that with your $1k Ferragamo loafers.

Customer Service

Beckett Simonon’s customer service department deserves a special shout out. I originally ordered a size 13 loafer in a different style that unfortunately didn’t fit. I emailed Beckett Simonon to initiate the return and within a few days, I had a response.

Beckett Simonon offered me not one, not two, not three, but four different return options. A full refund. An exchange for any other shoe in stock. Even a 110% store credit (I’ve never seen this before). Throughout our correspondence, Beckett Simonon’s customer service was prompt, polite and even checked in to make sure my exchanged shoes were a good fit.

What more can you ask for? Beckett Simonon’s amazing customer service feels even more important in the premium fashion space they play in, which is often bankrupt in the service department.

Is it worth it?

Yes. A thousand times yes.

Beckett Simonon cares about their customers and is delivering a premium product at ⅓ of the price of their peers. I honestly don’t see myself buying a “designer” pair of leather shoes again. I’m filling my closet with Beckett Simonon, and so should you.