
Following our previous Beckett Simonon shoe reviews, we were excited to try more of what the Colombian shoemaker offers in its line-up. With a limited range of styles in my current shoe rotation, I was keen to see the monk strap options available.
In this review, you will discover the Beckett Simonon Hoyt double and Leonard single monk strap shoes with me as we explore the following topics:
Monk Strap Shoe Specifications
- Brand: Beckett Simonon
- Made In: Bogotá, Colombia
- Style: Monk Strap Shoe
- Formality: Business Professional
- Upper: Full-Grain Calfskin Leather
- Construction: Blake Stitch
- Price: $219 USD [Buy From Beckett Simonon]
- 20% OFF with Code “BU20”: $175.20
Ethically handmade in Beckett Simonon’s own Bogotá workshop, both monk straps are crafted from full-grain calfskin leather using a Blake stitch construction.
Meanwhile, the interior lining is wholecut vachetta leather meaning that there are no seams and the heel is made from vegetable-tanned leather.
Overall, these shoes are more-or-less identical in terms of construction save for their aesthetics, which I’ll be exploring in the following section.

Style & Appearance
As mentioned above, both shoes underwent very similar construction methods with the same raw materials. However, apart from the general last shape, they are unique shoes in terms of appearance.
As you may have gathered, both are distinctively different types of monk strap. In fact, it’s quite interesting to compare them side by side.
Firstly, we have the black Hoyt double monk strap and its eye-catching balmoral toe cap. The leather strap is wide and the tips curve nicely across the upper to be attached with polished steel buckles.
Meanwhile, the bordeaux Leonard single monk strap shoes feature a smooth plain toe and give the illusion of being a wholecut shoe. Its single leather strap features a much more simplistic design and the quarter stitching sits lower on the upper.
Interestingly, the Leonard’s single steel buckle has a more ornate design compared to the Hoyt’s slick clasps.
This minute detail helps in accenting the Leonard’s more casual, rustic aesthetic against the Hoyt’s professional city vibe.
I’d go as far as to say that the buckles epitomize the stylistic difference between the two quite nicely. However, I’m getting ahead of myself and we’ll talk more about their formality in the dress code section later.
Finally, if the Hoyt appears somewhat larger in the images, that’s because it’s a US size 10 whereas the bordeaux Leonard are size 9s.
Fit & Comfort
Overall, I’m quite fond of how Beckett Simonon’s footwear feels on the feet. You quickly appreciate the wholecut vachetta lining as well as the suede finish on the heel that prevents chafing.
As for the footbed, there isn’t much cushion and it’s quite firm without being hard. If this is a little too rigid, all Beckett Simonon shoes are supplied with spongy inserts.
Meanwhile, the toe box is comfortably spacious without being chunky and there’s plenty of room for even the hammiest of toes.
Finally, a feature that I particularly liked was the elastic thread beneath the buckle. This allowed the straps to give a little so that they weren’t too tight. Yet they were still firm enough that I didn’t fall out.
In fact, I found that I could use a shoe horn just to slip them on and off without ever needing to use the buckles. Presumably, this design feature was to prevent the leather straps from wearing too much over time.
With regards to the sizing, I found that Beckett Simonon was very true to size and consistent across their models too. As a 42 EU, I usually sit somewhere between US 9 or 9.5. In this case, I found the size 9 monk straps to be quite cozy indeed.
Dress Code & Formality
As hinted above, the Hoyt and Leonard monk straps offer very different levels of formality. While much of this is influenced by their respective colours, the designs also play an important role.
Firstly, like Beckett Simonon’s Yates oxford, the monk straps are surprisingly versatile dress shoes. They can be worn with surprisingly casual clothing. Yet, they can be rendered formal enough for cocktail attire depending on their colour and design.
Beckett Simonon Double Monk Strap Formality
With regards to the Hoyt double monks, this pair is made from black leather, which automatically renders them particularly formal. However, the balmoral toe cap is reminiscent of traditional oxfords and will add emphasis to this.
Furthermore, the sleek form of the straps and polished steel buckles render this a particularly dressy and consequently formal shoe. As such, black would be the best colour choice for this style.
Consequently, these are ideal shoes for business professional wear while giving you something a little different to typical Oxfords. Similarly, you could consider these for cocktail attire or even black tie optional events.
Beckett Simonon Single Monk Strap Formality
I do have an affinity for bordeaux leather. Offering a similar use to brown shoes, the reddish hue gives you something altogether unique. Yet in terms of formality, it brings things down a notch to around business casual.
The plain toe confirms this rather than echoing the formality exuded by wholecuts. The warm bordeaux colour instead evokes an elegant yet cosy Derby dress shoe while the large vintage-style buckle is quite rustic in appearance.
So far, I’ve had far more mileage from the Leonard single monk straps for the reasons outlined above. Unless attending events, you’ll rarely find me sporting particularly formal black shoes.
I’ll often work with my wardrobe to allow for brown dress shoes, which means that I generally wear more natural colours. For instance, my usual business professional attire consists of tweed suits. In fact, you’ll rarely see me wear black at all!
As you can see in the above photos, I wore the Leonard monk strap at the peak of autumn with a Norfolk-style tweed sport coat and grey checked slacks. I also threw on my Islay Woollen Mill flat cap and a Fair Isle-inspired jumper.
If you’re observant, I also channelled my inner Jerry Lewis with white socks but don’t tell BU founder Paul Anthony!
Presentation & Value For Money
The Beckett Simonon monk straps both come in identical packaging with the same accessories. Yet the first thing I noticed about the shoes was the information sheet on the inside of the lid.
This handy card breaks down the materials used to make the shoes as well as the model number and run. If you’re interested in these facts, it’s great attention to detail.
Furthermore, the shoes are supplied with the aforementioned inserts as well as dust bags, which have a nice felt interior and anti-static exterior.
We often rave about Beckett Simonon’s value for money thanks to their Group Made-to-Order business model.
As you effectively pre-order the shoes for a specific production run, the resulting cost for both you and Beckett Simonon are less than a typical shoemaker that has to ensure a consistent stock.
Therefore, you can pick up a pair of Beckett Simonon shoes for around $200 at full price. Given that you get a resoleable Blake stitch and high-quality full-grain calfskin leather, this is a very attractive price indeed.
However, you can also get a further 20% off when you use our exclusive “BU20” code during checkout. As a result, you can pick up a pair of premium dress shoes for as little as $160!
Closing Thoughts
If you’re in the market for a new pair of monk strap shoes, then Beckett Simonon offers an irresistible package that is compatible with most budgets.
The only thing to bear in mind is that shoe availability is dependent on the current campaigns currently running on Beckett Simonon’s website. If they’re available, then you’re in luck.
Nevertheless, you’ll also need to be a little patient as you’ll need to wait for the campaign to end and your own shoes to be manufactured. This can take somewhere between 8 to 10 weeks. However, it’s well worth the wait if you ask us!
Personally, I’m particularly fond of my Leonard single monk strap shoes and I will be giving them a lot of mileage. As a stylish casual dress shoe, they’re a great option for dressing down without foregoing elegance.
"Elegant and well-constructed shoes. Offering fantastic value for money, Beckett Simonon's handcrafted monk strap shoes are sensational quality for the price."Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
Further Reading
Once you’ve finished reading our review, feel free to peruse our wide range of shoe content such as the following resources:
Ethically handmade shoes for under $200 with your 20% code? Sounds too good to be true…!
Hi Carlos,
You better believe it! You can learn more about Beckett Simonon with our dedicated brand guide.
Best,
CP
Hi CP,
I noticed in one of the shots where you are standing on the stairs that the left shoe looks to have increased creasing in the vamp and quarter area. I know that all leather calfskin leather creases, but that shoe looks like a bit much for first or few times of usage to be honest. Have you noticed any issues with other shoes you’ve tried from Beckett? One last question can you determine the heel stack is leather or plastic/rubber material? On the site they never really show the bottom sole of the shoes. I’m interested in looking into some of their products to add into my AE or Thursday boots and shoes rotation.
Thanks,
Chad
Hi Chad,
Thanks for the comment. It’s a great question and I’m happy to answer it.
In the photo you mentioned, I had worn the monk straps maybe three or four times and I was standing on the ball of my left foot. I’ve worn them a lot since and they have creased a little but not by much. However, I’ve been using cedar shoe trees to retain their shape after wear.
The monk straps are among three pairs that I currently own, which also consist of the wholecut and full brogue that we’ll be reviewing in the coming weeks. As for the heel, I can confirm that they’re stacked vegetable-tanned leather with a rubber protector at the base to reduce wear and improve traction on all their shoes.
It’s interesting that you should mention Allen Edmonds (at least, I presume that’s the abbreviation that you used). We’ve reviewed a fair few Allen Edmonds shoes in our time so it was hard not to compare the two.
We actually filmed a video comparing the two brands, which will soon be released on our YouTube channel. At $200 (or $160 when you use the BU20 code), they’re nearly half the price of an Allen Edmonds shoe.
While it would be hard for Beckett Simonon achieve the same quality at their asking price, they give Allen Edmonds a bloody good run for their money! If you’re comfortable with Blake stitch constructions rather than the Goodyear welt that you might be used to with Allen Edmonds, Beckett Simonon are great.
In any case, I’m really happy with mine!
Best,
CP
Thanks for the response to my questions. I agree that shoe trees are a must for any good quality leather shoe. I have ordered three pairs from Beckett Simonon and used the code you provided (Thanks!). A pair of the Dowler Cap Toe – Tan, Yates Oxford – Brown, and Valencia Wholecut – Black. I like the Monk Strap, but already have a three pairs in the rotations from Allen Edmond (2 of them) and trying out a pair from Thursday Boot Company The Saint in black which I like very much to be honest.
Do the shoes really take six to eight weeks or do they manufacture them and just wait to ship them all at once? Never really read into this model and always bought shoes in stock at stores or online retailers.
Looking forward to further reviews of Beckett Simonon that you post in the future.
Thanks,
Chad
Hi again Chad,
If you want to learn more about Beckett Simonon’s manufacturing process and business model, check out our full brand guide, which covers all of this in detail. We actually really enjoyed writing this page as we got to learn a lot about Beckett Simonon’s history and ethics. It’s a brand that really resonated with me the more I learned about it.
However, yes, there will be a wait. Basically, Beckett Simonon launches a few ordering campaigns every month. Once these end, they then manufacture all the shoes in a batch. In short, it means that they can drastically reduce costs for both themselves and the customers as they don’t need to build out a stock.
Great choices, by the way, our reviews of both the Yates and Valencia will be coming out shortly. I have the Yates in brown and the Valencia in tan. I’m a big fan of the Valencia in particular!
I’m not as familiar as I should be of Thursday but just looked up your monsktraps. Very nice!
All the best,
CP