This is a guest post by RMRS Los Angles style correspondent Scott De Baets – he has been helping me review menswear & grooming products so we can give you more specific guidance on new brands and what classic items to add to your interchangeable wardrobe. Welcome to the team Scott!
These honey oxford dress shoes were provided by business owner and shoe designer Jose Luis Rocha. J. L. Rocha has an office in San Diego, California and make the shoes in Mexico (close to where my father was born). Click here to visit their website!
Interested in having your product reviewed? Click here to contact Antonio and his team.
Are you thinking that you want a dress shoe which is more visually interesting than your standard oxford?
Well look no further – we have found a winner.
Oxford style shoes are popular because they add both sophisticated style and a touch of visual interest to a suit or a pair of slacks.
There are a variety of details that are present in an Oxford, including toe caps, closed laces, and sometimes punched leather holes called brogues.
The shoes we are reviewing by J.L. Rocha are Style 901, a beautifully designed, honey-colored all-leather Oxford.
Let’s be clear, these shoes are not the conservative shoe that you’d want for your only pair or brown dress shoes to wear with a suit.
These are hand-made in Mexico and the flavor of the shoe design – especially the toe – is more European than North American. That I mean by this is it is elongated with a more pronounced toe-point.
Brown & Black Oxford Shoes
Black colored Oxford shoes are more formal than brown Oxford shoes.
Brown shoes do have an important place in the wardrobe of a Real Men Real Style reader because they add footwear variety.
Real leather shoes, like those we are reviewing hereby J.L. Rocha, need time between wearing so having multiple pairs will ultimately prolong the life of all your shoes.
When I saw the honey color on these shoes, I instantly fell in love with them.
They are lighter in color and more red hued than my other brown shoes. I already had three pairs of dress shoes so this one could be a bolder choice and did not need to fit the “wear to work every day†requirement that is required of some of my other pairs. Once I saw the color in person after opening the box, I knew I had made the right choice.
Just as you vary the color of your shoes, so you can diversify the style of shoes you purchase. For a 60 second rundown of shoe varieties click Dress Shoes in 60 Seconds which is part of the Real Men Real Style article archive.
Leather Upper
Fine dress footwear is made from leather, and the number of pieces of leather used to make the shoe is the manufacturer’s choice. Some Oxford shoes can be made to look like they are cut from a single piece of leather, while others use layering techniques and toe-caps to add dimension to the shoe. The highest degree of formality has the fewest added leather layers and typically come in black patent leather.
The Style 901 Oxfords from J.L. Rocha have the added dimensions of leather and closed laces, typical of medium-formal Oxford shoes. You would not wear these shoes with a tuxedo for a white tie dinner, but they are perfect for the office, a nice evening dinner, and a weekend around town.
Detail Work
Oxford shoes can be identified by their closed lacing, meaning that the eyelet tabs are sewn under the top (known as the vamp) of the shoe.
The toe cap is a piece of leather sewn over the toe of the shoe. Often the toe cap of Oxfords will include a decorative pattern of small punched leather holes, called brogues.
Rather than actual brogues, the J.L. Rocha Style 901 shoes employ a brogue-like look achieved with patenting – stamping the leather around the toe-cap. There is also a subtle pattern stamped around the edges of the leather throughout the shoe, which adds intrigue and detail to the design.
The stitching is smooth and strong, consistent with what you will find in well-made hand-crafted shoes. Please note that the shoes seem to run large; I generally wear a size 14 but the size 13s fit me well.
Leather Soles and Heels
The bottom of shoes that come in contact with the ground, or soles, can be made out of a variety of natural or man-made materials.
Leather soles are the choice of many shoemakers, but some companies use rubber soles for added traction (and cost efficiency). Sewing the sole to the upper part of the shoe is the preferred process, and the method used by any quality shoe manufacturer, however, some companies use glue to fuse those two shoe parts together.
The hand-sewn leather soles and heels from J.L. Rocha are comfortable and won’t take many wearings before they are broken in to your feet. Even if they eventually needed resoling, these shoes, with their timeless design and superb crafting, will last for a long time and improve with age.
These shoes are extremely light in weight and easy to wear. I loved the sound of the leather heels on the marble floors within the office tower where I work.
Pairing with clothing
The honey colored J.L. Rocha Style 901 shoes will work with a variety of suit colors, including light grey, navy, and brown suits, as well as with both light and dark trousers. For more on pairing clothing with shoes, check out the Matching Shoes with Suits to one of Antonio’s article archives.
Cleaning and Upkeep
Finally, once you have made and investment in fine footwear, like the shoes from J.L. Rocha, clean and condition the leather to ensure that you prolong the life of your shoes and protect your investment. Antonio has some points for keeping your shoes looking their best in his Leather Honey Interview
When your J.L. Rocha shipment arrives, each shoe will come individually wrapped with laces inserted so they could be worn without delay. The shoes also came with soft storage bag and an extra pair of laces. Be sure to hold onto the box as it is the perfect place to store your shoes when you are not wearing them.
J.L. Rocha – Company Details
J.L. Rocha, named after founder Jose Luis Rocha, is a San Diego-based leather goods manufacturer that sells shoes, leather jackets, and belts, all handmade in Mexico.
Because J.L. Rocha’s product line is limited to just a few types of apparel, they can really focus on designing and making each piece a superbly-crafted item.
You will find that the J.L. Rocha website is easily navigated, and shipping is prompt. As an added benefit, when you purchase a pair of shoes, a return label is included so you can ship back any old pair of shoes, which J.L. Rocha then gives directly to homeless men in the San Diego area. This was a nice bonus when ordering the shoes. ethically motivated companies are gaining a lot of traction as a tool to separate companies from their competition.
Click here to purchase your very own pair of JL Rocha brogued leather Oxford shoes.
This is a guest post by RMRS Los Angles style correspondent Scott De Baets – he has been helping me review menswear & grooming products so we can give you more specific guidance on new brands and what classic items to add to your interchangeable wardrobe. Welcome to the team Scott!
These honey oxford dress shoes were provided by business owner and shoe designer Jose Luis Rocha. J. L. Rocha has an office in San Diego, California and make the shoes in Mexico (close to where my father was born). Click here to visit their website!
Interested in having your product reviewed? Click here to contact Antonio and his team.