Oak Street Bootmakers
Country Loafer
Oak Street Bootmakera 430 Freestyle Last
US Men's Brannock: 8.5D
Oak Street Bootmakera 430 Freestyle Last: 9D
As usual; snug on my right foot but gave way very quickly!
Oak Street Bootmakers
I chose this pair because when I switch out of boots I need something that can act as a house slipper but also something that can take walking outside and running a small errand for work.
I struggle with sizing. My right foot is significantly bigger than my left. In previous OSB pairs I opted for a 8.5 but quickly switched to a 9 and was completely satisfied. OSB recommended that I go with a 9 to match that. As always, my left foot is perfect, and my right is snug. The leather is soft and comfortable enough that I am sure they will loosen and be perfect. I will opt for a 9.5 in the rough outs on the next drop to compare!
OSB is the best brand out there for customer service in my opinion! I ordered directly through their site and it was fantastic! Messaging through IG was extremely helpful for sizing suggestions and questions I had!
I have mainly wore my pair around the house but I run a resort that calls for me to work all hours of the day so they have spent a significant amount of time outside as well as indoors. Even some time on a skateboard on day 1 😂
So far the leather is fantastic! Not too thin to make me fearful of wearing thin but also not too thick that it’s causing issues. It’s molding perfectly to my feet and so far has taken my lifestyle well! I am in water a lot and have had some sprinkles splash on it and no water marks are visible from that! That’s a win for me!
Initial fit is tight. I always have issues with my right foot. The left foot is perfect, with a sock or with out it’s perfect. The right foot is snug, but I can feel it loosening up and becoming more comfortable. The 430 Freestyle last is all about conforming to comfort. The toe box is super big and yet slightly shallow to allow your foot to mold the shoe and it is doing just that! For my foot the instep is a bit shallow and thus it’s a bit snug on my instep but it’s perfect or holding the shoe on great and it actually prevents me from needing to adjust the straps to keep the heel tight. There is little arch support which is taking me a minute to get used to, my other house slippers are loaded with it. I am confident that the 430 Freestyle last will do its job and settle in and shape up to my points of pressure and end up a with a good and decent neutral natural rest for my arch and for my whole feet. The right heel (my big foot) can feel a bit of the welt when I step just right (I don’t really know how to describe it appropriately but I can feel the edges in my heel and slightly odd) but again I am counting on the last taking on my feet enough to be a really personalized fit! I’ll update all this at about 6 months!
So far no complaints here!! Everything I could comment on is not a fault of OBS, it’s the fault of my annoying right foot. The inside seam of the right foot where the heel and toe leathers meet is stitched together and that section of stitching I can feel on the inside of my right foot when I am walking in them (especially in a thicker sock) and after a while can start rubbing but it’s not a construction fault, it’s my stupid right foot! The construction is perfect so far!
So far the sole is good! Although my expectations are pretty low because it’s a house shoe. It slides a bit down my carpeted stairs but that’s ok! It’s flexible and compresses a small amount for some decent comfort that will only get better with time! I love that these have a 360 welt with a midsole so that the soles can be replaced! Feels so nice to have that in a slipper!
I am beyond excited to see where these go in terms of comfort as style but I am more here for the comfort! These may seem a bit high in cost for a house slipper but they are so much more than that and they are built to be more than that and tackle it with style and patina power! I would definitely recommend these based off my initial thoughts!