UPDATE: Since this is a “featured” post for the week of 3/2, took a look at the JC Penney site and these are now down to a silly cheap $43.19 w/ the code VIPEVNT.

Praise the Shoe Gods, or, perhaps ridiculously long supply chains. These shoes, despite the current in-store experience not reflecting the previous regime, look like they fell out of the Wooster/Ron Johnson administration.

Sidenote: Has anyone been in a JC Penney lately? Have they not almost fully reverted to what they were before? Yes, that was their goal, but good grief… their stores look like an AARP sponsored St. John’s Bay fashion show got trampled by a power-walking pack of grannies stampeding to the grand opening of a new year-round Christmas Craft Store. You can hear them whip cracking their broken-spirit husbands among all that retail clutter now… “Hurry UP Harold… we’ll miss the Spoon Santa seminar!”

Just like the Camlin Boot… minus the boot.

Gone is the plexiglass rigid “leather” of the Kent boot. Back is the surprisingly supple (y’know, for $50) leather of the well loved Camlin boot, as well as it’s closer dress-shoe oxford cousin, the Ashton. The toe shape is terrific, the sole isn’t clunky, and they’re comfortable out of the box.

They haven’t totally solved the sizing issues though. Consider sizing down by half a size. Heading in-store is probably your best bet, and it seems like these things have made their way into plenty of brick & mortar locations.

Back, but this time as a Blucher.

One drawback (and maybe it’s not a drawback) is that like the Camlin boot, this new shoe is a derby/blucher. That means these shoes have more casual, open-style lacing, instead of the sleeker looking (and more dressed up) closed oxford style. Not a big deal since they’re meant to be worn casually/business casually, but still, some will prefer the look of the old Ashton oxford. Feel free to beat these things up. They’ll probably look even better.

List price is $60 but since it’s JC Penney, they’ll always be on some kind of sale. Here’s to hoping they make a boot version for the fall. Or heck, why not a similar shoe in suede?

Slim enough & grippy sole. And no, those aren’t real stitches… just faux for looks.