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TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRIEF HISTORY
Before founding Beckett Simonon in 2011, the team ran a leather goods brand sold in retail stores. This experience highlighted a broken retail system where products were priced at 8 to 10 times the manufacturing cost, creating an unaffordable market even for the designers. Additionally, the traditional retail model resulted in waste and negatively impacted producers and the planet, with high profit margins often compromising factory workers' dignity and safety.
In response, Beckett Simonon was founded to offer high-quality products at reasonable prices through an innovative approach. By managing all aspects of production, crafting products to order, and selling exclusively online, they eliminated unnecessary costs and waste. This model benefits producers, artisans, the planet, and customers, ensuring well-made products that can be worn and repaired year after year. The journey has been enriched by the support of customers who enjoy Beckett Simonon shoes as much as the team enjoys crafting them.
Brand Website: beckettsimonon.com
AUDIENCE & CUSTOMER'S PERSPECTIVE
How would you rate Beckett Simonon as a brand?
How would you rate Beckett Simonon as a brand?
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PRODUCTS REVIEWED
Beckett Simonon: Luxury Shoes on a Budget
Beckett Simonon's Dean Oxford Shoes
Watch the videos here:
Today, we're diving into a shoe brand that's new to me. Upon opening the box, I was instantly intrigued by the wealth of detailed information about the brand and the product. However, as you know, I don't take these claims at face value. Flowery marketing often falls short when put to the test. So, let's see if this brand, Beckett Simonon's Dean Oxford Shoes, lives up to its promises from a quality standpoint.
DISCLAIMER: The mentioned brand sent this product for FREE. However, we are NOT PAID to do this review. All statements and expressions made about the products are Tanner Leatherstein’s independent review. The brand did not get to see the final video until it was published live. They also agreed to our terms and conditions that we will post our honest review about the brand and/or product and that we might disagree with the information provided in their shop or website.
Tanner Leatherstein’s reviews are not meant to be conclusive or definitive. The purpose of this video is for informational and educational purposes only. We recommend that as a consumer, you exercise your due diligence and research on the products before adopting the opinion of Tanner Leatherstein.
First Impressions
When I received the box, I expected just another submission for The Chopping Block. However, upon opening it, I felt something different. Inside was a pair of beautifully crafted shoes and a booklet filled with detailed information about the brand, the materials used, the craftsmen involved, and their ethical business practices. Was this just clever marketing, or a genuine commitment to quality? Intrigued, I visited their website and became even more excited. But before I get carried away, we need to put these shoes through our rigorous tests to separate marketing fluff from reality.
The Chopping Block Tests
Upper Leather Test
I applied acetone to the upper leather, and nothing came off. This indicates an aniline finish, revealing a beautiful calfskin with a natural grain, as the company claimed. The leather comes from Italy's renowned Gruppo Mastrotto Tannery, which is LWG gold-certified. This is top-notch leather.
Inner Lining Test
Applying acetone to the inner lining also yielded no reaction, confirming it as undyed crust leather. This cowhide inner lining is an excellent choice for natural temperature control, moisture absorption, and odor management.
The leather here was claimed to be full-grain Vachetta leather. Whenever I hear "Vachetta," I always check for vegetable tan content. However, I noticed green residues, indicating the presence of chrome in this leather. This suggests that it is indeed vegetable-tanned leather, but it has undergone a combination tanning process, starting with chrome and followed by heavy vegetable re-tannage. This makes it an excellent choice for its intended use. However, given this process, I wouldn't call it Vachetta. It's a combination-tanned leather—beautiful and high-quality—but the labeling is the only issue I would point out.
Sole Leather Test
The sole leather here is also full vegetable-tanned cowhide. It's a beautiful piece; I can smell the distinctive sour scent of the vegetable tannins. This is exceptionally high-caliber sole leather, perfectly matching the quality of all the other leather selections we've seen here.
Conclusion
These are some of the best shoes we've ever had on The Chopping Block, priced at just $219. Every detail provided by the company was confirmed by our inspection. I've seen inferior shoes sold for $600 or more. If brand prestige isn't a concern for you, you can save $400 to enjoy something else.
You don't need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to get superior quality. If this inspection doesn't prove that, I don't know what will.
So, if you're looking for high-quality, affordable shoes, this brand might just be your new go-to.
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