I’m often asked by friends if Ralph Lauren Polo canvasshoes are worth getting over Converse-related canvas shoes or canvas shoes by other brands and if it’s worth getting because they are made in China.
Well, unless you purchase a canvas shoe made with Italian leather and pay the premium if they are made in Europe, the truth is that many canvas shoes are made in China. My Converse All Stars are made in China. My Vans canvas shoes, Nike canvas shoes, Skechers canvas shoes, Kenneth Cole Unlisted canvas shoes were also all made in China.
A lot of canvas shoes are made in China, with the exception of my old school Airwalks, which were made in Korea and Lacoste canvas shoes which are made in Peru.
My thoughts on canvas shoes, because they are inexpensive is too not be overly picky of where they are made and to not be too self-conscious if they are made in China. If you want to wear those Chuck Taylors or Jack Purcell’s, chances are they are going to be made in China.
And if you are going to wear them daily and put them through a lot of stress, don’t expect them to last as long as your running shoes or sneakers.
And as for Ralph Lauren Polo canvas shoes, I own several of them as I love the design, I love the polo emblem on the sides and I tend to wear a lot of Ralph Lauren clothing anyway.
In a past review, I reviewed different types of Ralph Lauren canvas sneakers.
This time around, I take a look at the Ralph Lauren Halford Matte Cordura Canvas Sneakers which features the following:
- Rounded toe.
- Lace-up front.
- “Polo”-embroidered faux-leather tongue.
- Rubber “Polo” tag at the heel.
- Padded insole. Treaded rubber outsole.
- Canvas stripes at the inner and the outer sides.
- Signature embroidered pony at the outer side.
- Cotton, polyester.
- Imported.
The biggest difference this time around is that they have a suede upper, there are also canvas stripes on the sides and the Devon Red and Pac Royal shoes I purchased, came with another set of shoelaces (black). Also, the front portion of the sidewall has a design on the rubber, which I actually prefer versus the plain versions that Ralph Lauren canvas shoes typically featured in the past.
If there was one thing I didn’t like about this canvas shoe is that it uses a thinner rubber sidewall, there are bump and ridges right where the stitching is and can look like a crease.
Overall, the Ralph Lauren Polo canvas shoes are very good and I haven’t had one break apart and made me feel these shoes were low quality. I see some reviews saying they are “made in China” so they are not good quality, but the truth is that a lot of the canvas shoes are made in China, and as mentioned aside from Airwalks and Lacoste, many of the other shoes I have from major companies such as Vans, Nike and Converse were made in China.
I’m sure you can find canvas shoes made in the USA or other countries but a lot of them are made in China and that’s the reality for canvas shoes. And if you own a lot of shoes, more than likely, you won’t wear them daily, so you probably won’t don’t damage your shoes. For those who use it to walk long distances and even run with them, I wouldn’t recommend it.
The Ralph Lauren Polo canvas shoes are true to size and if you wear no-show thin socks, then get your true size, if you wear thick socks or regular socks, then always get a half size extra.
But in my experience with canvas shoes, I have never had any problems with Ralph Lauren Polo canvas sneakers. They are comfortable, attractive and you can often find them on sale at the Ralph Lauren website for $24.99 (they retail for $69.99).
And with these Ralph Lauren Halford Matte Cordura Canvas Sneakers, these are definitely an improvement over the versions that were sold last year.
