RECOB Men's Cap-Toe Lace-Up Shoes in Cowhide Leather, Black or Brown

Men's lace-up shoes with a cap toe, in black or brown

These RECOB lace-up shoes are a classic dress shoe: a pointed toe with a stitched cap, a low-cut upper and a low heel. The supplier gives the upper as cowhide leather and the sole as rubber.

You choose black or brown, in EU sizes 39 to 44. The brown pair has a darker shaded toe; the black pair is even and polished.

At a glance

The piece: sold as an Oxford, laced like a derby

The supplier sells these as Oxford shoes. Look at the photos and you see open lacing: the side panels with the eyelets are stitched on top of the front of the shoe. Shoe people call that a derby. For you it mostly means a little more room over the instep, which is welcome if you have a high one.

A row of small perforations runs along the cap seam, and RECOB is printed in gold on the insole. The watch and the black case in some photos are props and do not come with the shoes.

Who they're for

For you if you need a smart pair for work, for a wedding or for the two times a year you wear a suit. Black is the safe choice for formal days. Brown is easier with jeans and chinos.

Closer look

• Cowhide leather upper (supplier, not yet verified by sample)
• Rubber sole (supplier)
• Pointed toe with a stitched cap and small perforations (photos)
• Open lacing with four pairs of eyelets (photos)
• Low heel and a low-cut upper (supplier and photos)
• RECOB on the insole (photos)

Materials: what the supplier states

The supplier states a cowhide leather upper and a rubber sole. We have not yet checked the leather with a sample, so we pass that on as the supplier's statement. The lining material is not given, and neither is the heel height.

Size and fit

The shoes run from EU 39 to 44. The supplier gives a conversion table between EU, UK, US and other systems, which we copy below. It is a general conversion and says nothing about the inside length of this shoe.

A pointed toe takes up length at the front, so if you are between two sizes we would take the larger one. Laces let you tighten the fit over the instep.

Size conversion

Source: the supplier's conversion table. It is a general size conversion, not a measurement of this shoe.

Styling

Black goes with a navy or charcoal suit and a white shirt. Brown works with a blue suit in daytime, and it is the better match for dark jeans with a blazer. Keep your belt close to the colour of the shoe and you are done.

Occasions

Wear them to a job interview, a wedding or a graduation ceremony. They also suit an ordinary office day when you have an important meeting and want to feel a bit more put together.

Care

The supplier gives no care instructions. As general practice for smooth leather shoes, brush them after wearing, use shoe cream in the matching colour now and then, and let them rest a day between wears. If they get wet, let them dry at room temperature, away from the radiator.

The wow detail: the shaded toe on the brown pair

On the brown shoes the toe and heel are darker than the rest, as if someone polished them by hand for years. It gives a new shoe some character from the first day. On the black pair you get a clean, even shine instead.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from our partner warehouse in China. Usually 8–15 business days to your door, with tracking. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 30 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as they are unworn and in the original box. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 30 days and we refund you.

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