Saddle shoes are not just for sock hops and costume parties. They are a popular type of oxford shoe that many men, women, and children wear. The style originated in Europe in the 1800s and continues to be a staple in shoe manufacturer product catalogs today.
Therefore, you can find a nice variety of color combinations to match your wardrobe.
How We Review
Since we cannot possibly try on every pair of saddle shoes that are created, we rely on customer feedback from many different sites to inform our opinions. In fact, customers are the best source of information because they purchase the shoes and can then compare the shoes to the ones they currently wear.
Additionally, if shoes run small or are made from cheap material, customers often provide this information as feedback to the company or seller. Consequently, we feel confident that the shoes chosen for this review represent the best on the market today.
Product | RATING | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
Reading Room Romance Oxford Flat for Women | ||
Club Professionals Saddle Shoes for Men | ||
Kennett Jr. Plain Toe Saddle Shoe for Boys | ||
Keds School Days Sneaker for Boys and Girls | ||
School Issue Upper Class for Women and Children | ||
FootMates Cheer 3 Saddle Shoes for Infants and Toddlers | ||
Sadie Saddle Shoe for Women | ||
Dora Saddle by G. H. Bass & Co. for Men, Women, and Children | ||
Orvis Classic Saddle Shoes for Men | ||
Suzie Classic Saddle Shoes by Royal Vintage for Women |
Top 10 Saddle Shoe Brands
Reading Room Romance Oxford Flat for Women
Key Features:
Synthetic upper and sole with a leather lining, ¾ inch heel, lace closure, sizes 5.5 – 11.
Pros and Cons:
With close to 900 reviews, these shoes earn a 4.4 out of 5 stars on the ModCloth website. Customers love the style and comfort. Reports indicate no break-in needed. They are moderately priced and lightweight.
However, customers report that quality is low, and the sole is only partially rubber with the rest being a piece of fabric that wears out quickly and can be slippery on floors. The shoes begin to show wear after only a few uses.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Club Professionals Saddle Shoes for Men
Key Features:
Full-grain upper, cushioned insole, extra traction on turf, DuraMax rubber sole, and waterproof.
Pros and Cons:
With over 75 reviews on Foot Joy, this shoe scores a 4.7 out of 5 on comfort, durability, and performance. While these are made for the golf professional, many customers report using them as daily wear shoes, which makes them very versatile. They fit true to size.
However, some customers have reported that the newer style shoe is prone to a defect where the sole comes loose from the midsole.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$$ |
Kennett Jr. Plain Toe Saddle Shoe for Boys
Key Features:
Comes in multiple colors including bone/navy, chalk blue multi, sand, and grey multi, genuine leather upper; Suedetec that wicks moisture away; insole does not come out.
Pros and Cons:
The shoes have a breathable liner and moisture-wicking technology to keep little feet fresh and comfortable. It has a lace-up design and comes in a variety of stylish colors. Customers love the classic design, cushioning, and durability.
However, they disliked the fact that the shoes are easily stained and may wear out quickly. They fit true to size but only come in little and big boy sizes from 10 – 6.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Keds School Days Sneaker for Boys and Girls
Key Features:
For girls and boys, soft leather upper, padded ankle collar, rubber sole, comes in little and big kid shoe sizes 10-6, colors are white/navy and white/white.
Pros and Cons:
These shoes are designed for daily wear and comfort, and they can fit the dress codes of many different school uniform policies. Also, customers report that these are easy to clean and can be put in the washing machine on delicate cycle. They fit true to size and have exceptional quality and durability, which is needed for kids shoes. Accordingly, there is an all-white version but not an all-black version.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
School Issue Upper Class for Women and Children
Key Features:
Fabric lining and insole, lace-up design, cushioned footbed, one-inch heel, leather upper, Women sizes 6 – 10.5, medium and wide widths available.
Pros and Cons:
While this style is for women, there is a similar style for children also available at Zappos. Customers report that these can be stiff when first wearing them. Moreover, they will need a break-in period. Most reviewers think the shoes run true to size, but the reviews are mixed when it comes to comfort and support, probably due to the stiffness of the leather.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
FootMates Cheer 3 Saddle Shoes for Infants and Toddlers
Key Features:
Colors include black/white, taffy (brown)/white, navy/white, ecru (tan)/white, light blue/white, rose/white; medium or wide widths; sizes run from 3 (infant )to 1 (little kid); leather upper lining and footbed; rubber sole; lace-up closure.
Pros and Cons:
Customers report that this shoe runs a half-size large, so you will want to order a half-size smaller. However, the width is true to size. They also believe the shoe has excellent arch support for children. Moreover, toddlers have no problems walking in the shoes, and many parents report repurchasing larger sizes as their kids outgrow them.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Sadie Saddle Shoe for Women
Key Features:
Leather upper, comfortable memory foam insole, 6/8-inch heel.
Pros and Cons:
The website recommends purchasing the black/white saddle shoe in a half-size larger since these run small.
However, the other colors are true to size. Customers report that the shoe is lightweight and can be comfortably worn all day with no break-in time required. A few customers didn’t like that the tongue did not match the saddle. Eastland also carries a saddle shoe style for men as well.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$ |
Dora Saddle by G. H. Bass & Co. for Men, Women, and Children
Key Features:
Comes in black/white, grey/white, soft grey/silver; leather uppers and leather sock lining; one-inch heel; tonal color blocking; five-eye lace-up
Pros and Cons:
The shoe comes in a variety of colors. Customers report this shoe runs narrow but is very comfortable. Bass also has several other styles of saddle shoes to choose from in addition to the Dora, including the Piedmont, Parker, Buck 2.0, John, and Noah. These come in men’s and women's styles and sizes.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$$ |
Orvis Classic Saddle Shoes for Men
Key Features:
Full pebble grain with cordovan leather saddle, rubber sole, cushioned footbed, nylon laces. Additionally, they come in two different color combinations: brown leather saddle with suede and or brown leather saddle with ivory.
Pros and Cons:
These saddle shoes are authentic reproductions that have been made with a tapered toe and a low profile to appeal to those that love the retro-style. Customers love the comfort and authenticity.
However, the shoes are more expensive than others in the group and are only made for women.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$$ |
Suzie Classic Saddle Shoes by Royal Vintage for Women
Key Features:
These shoes are reproductions of the originals that come in three different color combinations: black/white, blue/white, and brown/white. Also, the shoes have welt stitching with real leather uppers and tan-colored rubber soles.
Pros and Cons:
These saddle shoes are authentic reproductions that have been made with a tapered toe and a low profile to appeal to those that love the retro-style. Customers love the comfort and authenticity. However, the shoes are more expensive than others in the group and are only made for women.
QUALITY | PRICE | RATING |
|---|---|---|
$$$ |
The distinctive black and white design of the Oxford shoe, best known as a saddle shoe, is recognized by many people worldwide.
Although the saddle shoe has been around Europe since the 1800s, it did not become popular in the United States until the 1940s and 1950s. Kids and teenagers mostly wore them, but many adults could be seen sporting the look as well since the design is gender-neutral and can be worn by both men and women.
While the black and white style is most common, saddle shoes can be any two-toned design with the distinctive saddle-look in the center.
Today, many men’s Oxford shoes carry the trademark saddle design in an array of two-toned color combinations. In addition, the saddle shoe style has been carried over to other shoes such as women’s pumps and children’s sneakers.
Moreover, it is a timeless style that many people love, and manufacturers continue to provide stylish options.
Saddle Shoe FAQs
What are saddle shoes made from? Saddle shoes are usually made from leather and suede. However, today you can also find the shoes in vegan or faux-leather material.
What is an Oxford shoe? An Oxford is a particular style of dress shoe that has eyelets for laces that are placed under the vamp or upper part of the shoe. This placement gives the shoes a sleek, more sophisticated style. Saddle shoes are often referred to as Oxford shoes.
Who can wear saddle shoes? Men, women, and children can wear saddle shoes. The style, however, does not fit everyone. Over time, the form has become most associated with men and golf. Also, the shoe style is most recognized as a uniform shoe for children.
How high is the heel on a saddle shoe? Saddle shoe heels are generally no more than 1-inch in height. There are some designs for women that look like saddle shoes but are pump-style that have two to four-inch heels.
Why are saddle shoes only black and white? The traditional color for saddle shoes is the white shoe with the black saddle for contrast. Today, saddle shoes are made in a variety of two-toned colors.
Are saddle shoes only for golf? While golfers often sport saddle shoes on the course, they can be used for daily wear for men, women, and children so long as they do not have turf cleats on the bottom.
Where can I find saddle shoes? A quick internet search will provide many different options for purchase if you are unable to find saddle shoes in your local market. Individual manufacturer websites along with shoe warehouse websites can be excellent starting points. We have provided a few links below for easy access to our selection of saddle shoes.
How do I clean saddle shoes? You can easily clean leather shoes using saddle soap or a leather cleaner. To avoid stains setting in on the shoes, especially the black and white designs, you should clean them as soon as possible after they become dirty. If the dirt is allowed to stay on the shoes, it may stain them permanently.
Overall Price Range
The prices for saddle shoes run from about $40 to several hundred dollars. The lower priced shoes are not made from leather and have more inferior quality parts. They may not last if you want to wear them every day.
Additionally, excellent quality and durability can be found in the $80 to $120 price range. These shoes are often made of genuine leather.
The most expensive of the saddle shoes are for men. Also, these can run several hundred dollars and are made from exclusive materials and manufacturers, though some less expensive but quality shoes do exist in the market.
Verdict
Shoe manufacturers produce an excellent variety of saddle shoes that replicate the ones of the past with the comfort and durability needed today. Additionally, they also create the shoes in a variety of colors for men, women, and children. Although men's shoes have the most color choices because men tend to wear oxford shoes more than women.
FootMates seem to make the best shoes for infants and toddlers and were the only one to make this list.
For children, School Issue seems to be the best value for kids that like to wear saddle shoes as part of their school uniform. Adults have more options and price range. If you can afford it, save up for the Suzie Classic Saddle Shoes by Royal Vintage.
However, if those seem too much, then the next best option is the Sadie Saddle Shoe by Easton. Finally, for men, the Club Professionals by Foot Joy receive excellent reviews, and they can be worn while on the golf course or walking around town.
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