Crockett and Jones Oxford Review – Connaught
Crockett and Jones is a British Shoemaker founded in 1879 in Northampton, UK. The founders are brothers-in-law James Crockett and Charles Jones. Crockett and Jones have a great history, and I think it’s worth reading about. Crockett and Jones export to over 30 countries. For over five generations, Crockett and Jones have been making high-quality shoes. I will review one of their famous shoes: the Connaught, which is a brown Oxford shoe.
Connaught is a capped toe Oxford with five eyelets and leather outsoles. The Connaught made of burnished calf leather and comes in three different colours on Crockett and Jones’ website.
Crockett and Jones Connaught Oxford Sizing
- Brannock between 11 and 11.5
- Connaught in UK 10.5
- Everyday Sneakers in UK 11
- Allen Edmonds Strandmok US 11.5
- Tricker’s in UK 10.5 ~ UK 11 depending on the last
I purchased these Oxfords in a UK 10.5, and they fit perfectly on my feet. I usually wear UK 11 or US 12 for sneakers like Nike or Adidas; but for dress shoes, I typically wear UK 10.5. My Allen Edmonds Strandmok brogues are US 11.5, and for Cheaney monk straps I wear UK 10.5. The 10.5 fits great on my feet. I like my shoes to be not too tight and not too loose. I hate it when my toes touch the front of the shoes.
I find that oxford shoes have a tight opening because of their enclosed shape around the vamp. In comparison, derbies have a more comfortable and flexible space around the collar due to the structure. But Oxfords give a more secure feel around the collar, and I don’t have to tie them too tightly for the shoes to be secure.
The last used for the Connaught is a 236 last. Crockett and Jones say that this last is very traditional and currently Connaught is the only style built with this last. They also say that the 236 last has blunt and round toes with a slightly shorter forepart. I think that this last makes my feet look smaller than they are, which I prefer sometimes.
Crockett and Jones Connaught Leather
The leather used on this Connaught model is burnished calf leather. ‘Burnished’ means that the leather has been pressed, therefore making the leather smooth. The burnished leather on these is amazing – it’s smooth and at the same time very sturdy. I enjoy polishing these and would definitely buy a pair of boots that are made of the same leather.
Over time, I did make the colour a bit darker than it was initially. The original colour of the shoes is closer to burgundy, rather than what you see here. I used Saphir ‘Cognac’ colour gradually to achieve this shade. The original shoes were a little too red for my taste; I felt like the beacon of Gondor had been lit when I walked around in those! On their online store, they also have Connaught in black calf and dark brown, so Crockett and Jones do give you different options to choose from.
Crockett and Jones Connaught Soles
Crockett and Jones Connaught have a single leather sole. Oxfords with leather soles are very classic; and if the colour of the shoes was black, it would be like the ones from the James bond movies. Although aesthetically pleasing, unfortunately the soles are very, very slippery! I had a hard time getting used to them. Compared to the other shoes with leather soles that I have, these were more difficult and I find myself sliding every now and then. It’s not a slip where I would fall, but I feel like the soles didn’t grip the ground very well. When I eventually get them resoled, I will most definitely have Dainite soles fitted.
The soles are Goodyear welted, which means that they can easily be resoled in the future. As I mentioned above, these shoes have a single leather sole, so it will be no time before I’m asking them for a resole.
Crockett and Jones Connaught Price
Connaught Oxfords are priced at £445 on their official online store. It is tough to find Crockett and Jones sales; and even if they are on sale, the discount is not a lot so the price will not change much.
Is it worth £445? In my opinion, yes, absolutely. Considering the quality of the shoes and the fact that I can get them resoled, I should be able to wear these indefinitely. Also, during the self quality check, I wasn’t able to find any issues or even a scratch on these. All the dirt and scratches that you can see on the shoes now is from using the shoes.
Overall
Overall, I am happy with these shoes. The quality of the leather is amazing and I get a lot of compliments when I am wearing these. They are formal shoes so they don’t go well with Jeans, (I tried it, it looks weird). But I have been wearing them with my suit, and with chinos too, since they’re not black.
Crockett and Jones also have a model called Connaught II, which is made with a different last and has rubber soles fitted to it. Anyone who wants Connaught but was not satisfied with the last they used, or who wants to have rubber soles, should probably check those out too!
