John Varvatos Boat Shoes: Universal Soldiers By creativemonkey14 on Jul 15, 2009 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

I bought the John Varvatos Beekman Oxford Stone shoes when they first came out in late 2008. I was looking for an alternative to the classic Sperry Topsider Boat Shoes. I didn't want to just be a part of the crowd, I wanted to be unique within my social stucture. These shoes definitely set me apart in the sea of Topsiders. I don't know of anyone else that has them among my peers, and I get compliments wherever I wear them. They are a definite confidence booster.They are an amazingly high quality suede, and are more white in real life than in photos. THEY DO RUN A HALF SIZE SMALL. Just thought I would clarify that. I wear a US10.5 and bought the 10.5. They were too small. I had to wear them with socks around the house for about a week to break them in. THEY WILL STRETCH. So if you get a deal on them in your size and can't go a half size larger, it is possible to do.FOR THE LADIES: these shoes are not like Womens Sperry Topsiders. They are designed longer for a man's foot and will look like you are wearing men's shoes if you buy them for yourself. If you want to look like you are wearing men's shoes, then by all means: go for it!IF YOU HAVE WIDE FEET: these shoes are not for you. They run a perfect M size.OVERALL: I LOVE THESE SHOES! I wear them more often than not, and are a perfect go-to for summer occasions. Dress them up with a suit/jacket or dress them down with a pair of shorts. John Varvatos nailed the perfect boat shoe. I even wore them in my wedding last month with a light grey Calvin Klein Suit.