My First Pair of Leather Shoes : Whole Cut Oxford Boots by The Row
After Long Admiration, I Finally Got The Row's Quiet Luxury. Unexpectedly, the First Item I Bought Was a Pair of Leather Shoes, My First Pair of Leather Shoes. So, I'm Recording This Experience and Summing Up the Differences Between Various Leather Shoe Styles, the Details of Good Leather Shoes, and My Thoughts on Visiting The Row Recently.
01
After buying these shoes, I learned about different types of leather shoes and their distinctions: Loafers, Moccasins, Oxfords, and Derbies.
Loafers and Moccasins are quite similar, both being slip-ons without laces, and both can be accessorized with tassels. Loafers actually have their origins in Moccasins.
However, Moccasins have soft soles and uppers, usually made from a single piece of soft leather that wraps around the foot. They have flat soles with no heels, and the upper and sole are sewn together, making both parts very flexible. The most famous variation of Moccasins is Tod's driving shoes.
Loafers, on the other hand, can have separate soles and often feature heels. They are generally stiffer and have a more polished finish. Traditional loafers include the Penny Loafer, which has a slit across the upper to hold a coin. The Row, as a brand that seeks unique designs, features a loafer (shown on the left below) with a single piece of leather and no slit. There’s also the Tassel Loafer with tassels. The most iconic loafer is the Gucci Horsebit Loafer.
On the left is The Row's Novus Loafer, and on the right is the Lucca Moccasin. The softness of the leather and soles are different, as are the overall styles.
Oxfords originated in 17th-century Scotland and Ireland and got their name from the uniform shoes worn by Oxford University students. Initially a symbol of nobility and intellectuals, they are now the most formal dress shoes, suitable for occasions like weddings and business meetings. Plain Oxfords are even more formal than the loafers described above.
Oxford shoes feature enclosed lacing, where the flaps with eyelets are stitched directly to the upper, creating a clean and elegant look when tied.
Below is a women’s version, but since it's a flat moccasin-like design with Oxford-inspired uppers, the official description calls it a “lace-up Oxford shoe” but it's essentially a regular Lace-Up in Leather.
Although Awar is similar to a Moccasin with its flat soft sole, it at least incorporates the upper design of an Oxford shoe. It's also a traditional Plain Toe Oxford.
Besides plain designs, there are also Brogue Oxfords, which are characterized by perforations. Brogue is not a shoe style, but rather a decorative technique.
Derby shoes are an improvement on Oxfords, designed for people with higher or wider insteps that might find Oxfords difficult to wear. Derby shoes add a separate flap on the upper, allowing for an adjustable fit through open lacing. They are more casual than Oxfords. Because of the open lace design, the tongue is naturally connected to the upper.
On the left is a Derby shoe, where the toe extends to the tongue in one piece. On the right, an Oxford shoe has the ankle and upper flaps as one.
My Oxford shoes from The Row have a unique design where the tongue is removed, and it’s a whole cut Oxford with no distinct sections. The upper and the flap are made from a single piece of leather, which makes it particularly simple and sleek.
Unlike the shoes above, which have uppers that fall below the ankle, this one is a small ankle boot.
These shoes have a thinner leather upper, and removing the tongue makes them perfect for summer wear. I’m particularly short, mostly due to my calf length. I’ve even compared my legs with Giselle Bündchen’s, and while our thigh lengths aren’t too different, my calves are at least 20 cm shorter.
Berluti is famous for making whole cut Oxfords, their signature shoe style. However, Berluti is a men's brand, so they don’t have women’s versions.
02
The Row is indeed expensive for a reason. The white cloth bag I used to stuff the shoes with feels like high-count cotton, softer than even Sunspel's cotton T-shirts. The box is very sturdy with a pull-out design. Even the paper stuffed inside the shoes to maintain their shape is of the highest quality I've felt so far.
The Row's insoles are half insoles, with two different colors in the image. The forefoot is slightly lower, and the heel is a bit higher, which follows ergonomic principles. We need more grip at the forefoot, and it's okay if the heel is higher. The satin shoes I bought from Pedro Garcia, for example, have a higher heel in the back. Also, The Row's leather shoes have a split in the heel section, where the most pressure is applied, turning it into a soft rubber sole, while the rest of the shoe remains a leather sole.
The seam on the half insole is likely hand-stitched. For more formal loafers and Oxfords, The Row uses hand stitching. The brand's entire footwear collection is made in Italy. Aside from a few styles with suede or eel leather, almost all of The Row's shoes use calfskin, which has a finer texture.
03
Recently, I visited The Row at Dover Street and found that the only items that truly suit me from The Row are the leather shoes, leather goods, and some accessories.
Half a year ago, when I was organizing the Beijing boutique guide, we couldn’t find a single store worth revisiting. Most of the shops were full of random streetwear brands, and it’s the big department stores like SKP and Lane Crawford that are more reliable.
To be honest, The Row’s cashmere sweaters aren’t the best value for money. There are many brands specializing in cashmere that offer better options. However, a new style this year made from 60% cashmere and 40% silk is quite nice, although I felt the opening fabric wasn’t roomy enough—it doesn’t keep things as warm as I’d like.
The Row, Prune Goldschmidt ,La Collection, Le Kashaand many other brands I’ve written about—more than 80% of their long coats, dresses, and trench coats just don’t suit me. At 158 cm, even with shoulder pads, I can’t pull off that kind of silhouette.
The Row, Khaite, and over 98% of cashmere and minimalist brands I’ve written about—I just can’t wear their pants. The smallest size, 0, has pant lengths that reach down to my coat hem! So, I usually don't write about pants.
A new design trend I’ve noticed this year is the raw-edge design, intentionally leaving frayed edges. Aside from The Row, La Collection’s new Achilles Coat also features a raw-edge belt.
The first two images are from The Row's 2025 SS Menswear collection, where even the cashmere sweaters are designed with raw edges, making them look deliberately undone. I feel this design might not be very popular, but it could appeal to younger people who like streetwear.
Epilogue
Just a simple post to share a great purchase. For now, I'm mainly focusing on The Row’s leather shoe collection.
I’ve recorded The Row boots in a Youtube unboxing video
pamperherself
