There’s a moment in time for every company when they need to make a crucial decision: stick with the status quo or take a risk that can elevate the company to new heights. That’s where Oliver Cabell found itself last year.
We think the Oliver Cabell 1 was one of the best minimalist sneakers out there and their reputation was well-known across the market. But as we saw with the Greats Royale when they changed from a Margom Sole, products need to evolve.
Are the new Oliver Cabell Low 1’s worth the $188?
The previous Low 1’s were made in Spain. Now Made in Italy.
Oliver Cabell Low 1 Details
Before we get into the details, though, yes, the price is higher but yes, it is worth it. Jon from The Kavalier theorized that the change for Greats was a decision between sticking with Margom and raising the price, or switching to a non-Margom brand and keeping their affordable entry price.
Oliver Cabell has decided to go with the former and have made one of their most iconic sneakers even better.
Oliver Cabell’s original sneaker was made in Spain with Shore 70A rubber sole. In other words, this shoe was in between extremely soft material and the usual tough, rugged substance that we see on most retail-brand shoes.
Oliver Cabell Low 1 Design
Their design is a very clean silhouette with very little flourishes on the shoe itself to give the shoe a strong minimalist look. However, while they’re keeping the silhouette the same, Oliver Cabell has completely revamped everything else.
Now, Oliver Cabell is making their shoes in the Marche region of Italy, the place where most production is done for major luxury Italian brands. Their new supply chain uses higher quality calfskin leather that truly improves on the original Oliver Cabell 1 shoe. Unlike other minimalist shoes in the sub $200 price point, this new leather has no squeak or noisy characteristics that tends to come up after heavy wear over time. The characteristics of the leather creasing are also reflected in the new calfskin leather. While all leather shoes crease with wear, the way a finished leather wrinkles is very telling of the quality and the new Low 1 can compare favorably to any much higher priced sneaker.
They’ve switched to a Margom sole which is used by many high-end sneaker brands such as Common Projects, To Boot NY, and Buschemi. This puts Oliver Cabell with the likes of the best when it comes to the sole of the shoe.
Oliver Cabell has even taken the details into account. They’re focusing on the logos as well, changing the process from gold stamping to screen printing so that they can achieve the perfect look on each shoe.
Oliver Cabell Price Change
Yes, the price has gone up on the Oliver Cabell Low 1, but it’s nearly worth calling this shoe the Oliver Cabell Low 2 because of how many improvements they’ve made. They now have improved calf-skin leather, they’re using the critically-acclaimed Margom sole, and they’ve even gone so far as to perfect most minute of details including the logo application.
So, if you’re considering going for the Oliver Cabell Low 1, but don’t know if the increase in price is worth it, I’d recommend that you take the chance. While you’re paying a small premium for the new shoes, you’re receiving even better quality and on-par construction that rivals the expensive luxury brands.
