There just isn’t enough time in life to be ordinary. That seems to be the theme for the designer shoe brand Steve Madden, at least in the past. I’m used to seeing glittering platform shoes that Cardi B might wear. However, in recent years, the brand has offered some solid, everyday products for people like me. I decided to test the Steve Madden Men's Waldorf Oxford because I wanted to try some basic business dress shoes. I don’t even plan to go to any weddings, but you never know when you need to dress up.
The Waldorfs are just really well-made Oxford dress shoes that fit comfortably, have a slightly pointy toe, and are made of actual leather. The sole is made of synthetic material for durability reasons. Holding the shoes in my hand before trying them on, they felt light enough to not weigh me down all day.
A curious discovery: The tongue lifts up almost like an entryway for your foot. I noticed this because, once you loosen up the laces and lift up, my foot would slide in nicely. If you pressed a button for the laces to tie on their own I would not be surprised. (Important sidenote: They don’t do that.) Wearing them all day long wasn’t a problem. I like the understated style, just a couple of simple cross-stitches. There’s a white emblem on the back of the shoe and the flat sole is meant for daily work duties, not mountain-climbing.
On that theme of no-frills: The Waldorf Oxford is available in either black or tan. Hey, I have mentioned that these are solid, practical dress shoes for guys like me who don’t care a lot about fluff and pretense. I ordered them on Amazon, they arrived in a plain white wrapper and slipped them on, and I’m planning to wear them for work. They will likely work quite well next time I go to a wedding or an after-work hoedown.
Are they ordinary? Not at all. When I wore them, I kept mentioning to people that the brand has a cool backstory and the tongue rises out of its portal when you loosen up the laces, almost like magic. I don’t know about you, but that was enough for me.
Steve Madden Men's Waldorf Oxford
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