Disclaimer: Adro provided these shoes to The Peak Lapel for free for the purposes of this review. Read to the end to find out how you can win a pair for yourself!
Adro is a company we had never heard of before. When they reached out to us to ask if we were interested in taking a look at their shoes we were intruiged. They are based out of Mexico, and make a number of similar looking, but nice looking all the same, brogue and derby style shoes. The sorts of shoes perfect with chinos, corduroy pants, or dark denim. And, for a USD price of ~$100, they seemed like a bit of a steal.
Packaging & Experience
The website is not in English, but this is nothing Google Translate cannot fix. The cost is also in MXN and not USD. Again, this will be converted during checkout at some point. Shipping was pretty standard, as is packaging. To really sell to the US, they should update their site. But it’s usable in the meantime. B
Style & Design
These are quite sleek and good looking shoes. They have what is, in our opinion, the perfect toe-box shape, neither too round nor too pointy. The color is also spot on, yet unique, as an almost burgundy brown. The shoes are handmade, and the subtle burnishing really comes through, and gives these shoes some added visual interest which we really appreciate. The brogue-ing is also very well done, and looks great. The eyelets for the laces have metal re-enforcers. This makes these shoes more casual, but, for many, that will only add to their charm. The sole is a much lighter shade of brown, and is partially rubber with a Dainite-like construction. This adds traction, though the lighter color is up to personal taste as to whether you like that or not. Overall, they look quite great, and are a perfect business casual shoe, that would work all the way down to jeans and a polo. The shoes are also available in a number of other colors and finishes on the site as well. A-
Quality, Construction, & Fit
These shoes, as mentioned, are handmade. They also feature a Blake Stitched construction, which means they can easily be resoled, and are thus able to last a lot longer. At this price, this level of construction and detail is quite rare. In the hand, and on the foot, they feel excellent. They are comfortable out of the box, and fit true to size. There is a light padding to the sole which only adds to their comfort. In our experience, they required little-to-no real break-in period. They feel substantial and well-made, and are the sort of shoes that would be expected to last quite a while. They’re a noticeable step above the quality you’d find in Banana Republic shoes, and seem very similar in quality to something from Thursday Boots, or similar, perhaps the slightest step below.
Value & Conclusion
Adro Shoes — ~$100: Depending on the conversion rate, you might end up paying substantially lower (though you will have to pay for shipping). Considering that they seem to fit true to size, and also are of tremendous and rare quality for the price, it’s hard not to love these shoes. I only wish Adro offered some more variety in their offerings, but as a new company, they’re off to a great start. We understand the trepidation at ordering in a different language, currency, and out of the country. Still, at least in our experience, the shoes themselves are quite excellent for the price.
Giveaway
To enter to win a pair of Adro shoes in a US 11.5, simply subscribe to our weekly newsletter! Winner will be drawn on December 3rd, 2018, so make sure to subscribe before then in order to win. Giveaway is US only.
UPDATE 12/3/18: A winner has been selected, and the giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated! There will be more coming soon!