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Johnston & Murphy
- 169-year-old footwear brand Johnston & Murphy is best-known for traditional dress shoe styles, but it's proving that it can make modern shoes just as well.
- The Johnston & Murphy XC4 Collection is designed to tow the line between business-casual and athleisure - a style that appeals to modern professionals who commute or are constantly on the go.
- Starting at $129.99, the shoes range from performance-styles sneakers to classic loafers and oxfords.
- We tested out the XC4 Collection and found them to be comfortable all day long and much more protective from rain compared to similar styles.
The sentiment that Johnston & Murphy is strictly a traditional dress shoe brand is rooted in its very origin.
Founded in Newark, NJ in 1850, Johnston & Murphy was originally named The William J. Dudley Shoe Company after its founder. It began as a small, house-made brand, but quickly gained popularity after fitting shoes for President Millard Fillmore that same year. Going on to make shoes for every succeeding president thereafter, and consistently offering similar classic styles to the public, have stamped tradition into the ethos of the brand.
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but the nearly 170-year-old brand is completely disproving that with a new line of business-casual footwear. The new Johnston & Murphy XC4 Collection is breaking the tradition of classic dress shoes by adapting to the popularity of casual dress codes and athleisure style.
Johnston & Murphy
The Johnston & Murphy XC4 Prentiss Plain-Toe
Designed to fuse sportswear comfort and functionality with business and workplace-appropriate styles, each shoe in the XC4 Collection features advanced comfort technology, waterproof sock liners, and other function-minded attributes. The combination of materials and technology make them great for professional men who live life on the go. With silhouettes ranging from performance-style sneakers to true loafers and oxfords, there's a pair for every guy's style.
The men of Insider Picks fit right in the category of guys who value comfort on commutes and the ability to transition between casual and business casual environments, so we gave them a try. We found them to be more comfortable than traditional dress shoes, dependable for traveling in the rain, and an overall solid buy.
Shop the Johnston & Murphy XC4 Collection now starting at $129.99 or keep reading to keep find out our full thoughts.
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