I bought the J&M Melton as a compromise between a cheap throwaway shoe and an investment shoe like Allen Edmonds. I already own a pair of J&M suede bucks that I have immensely enjoyed wearing, so I figured these Melton oxfords would be similar in comfort and quality.

The Meltons look good, there's no doubt about that. But the leather is very stiff, unnaturally shiny, and has a very plasticky feel and texture, even after wearing them on numerous occasions. They're still no closer to feeling "broken in" than the day I got them. I've let them sit in conditioning cream to make them more pliable, but the leather does not seem to absorb the cream at all. It's almost as though there is some kind of non-porous, high-gloss finish baked or sprayed onto the leather, rather than the leather being dyed. The leather does not accept any kind of conditioning and feels about as good as pleather.

Between the cheap plasticky feeling and the high retail price, I cannot recommend these shoes. Do yourself a favor and a higher quality shoe, this one is simply not worth the money. Clearly price is not the only factor in quality - I've owned $70 shoes from DSW that felt nicer than these.