Curious about the Amberjack Slip-On? Check out my hands-on review to see if it’s right for you!
I’ve reviewed many Amberjack shoes. In fact, the brand and I go way back to the birth of The Original. I’ve worn their boots, and several other models as they’ve expanded.
When I was offered the opportunity to try their slip-on model (officially called The Slip-On for convenience), I jumped at the opportunity.
This is partly because I happen to be an admirer of Amberjack’s work. But, and I say this as a fan, I was also curious what they could possibly offer the world of slip-ons.
See, Amberjack’s whole deal is that they infuse traditionally uncomfortable shoes with comfort. They always succeed. But, slip-ons are comfortable by nature. So, is this shoe redundant?
I’ve been wearing it for some months now. Here’s what I think!
Amberjack: The Brand
As mentioned, I’ve worn many Amberjack models.
Brooklyn-based Amberjack focuses on infusing comfort into smart casual and business casual shoes. Though recently, they did release a tuxedo shoe as well.
Founder John Peters also wanted to build sustainability into the business, rather than doing any subsequent greenwashing. As such, Amberjack is the first shoe company that make business professional footwear completely carbon neutral.
They mail their shoes in the shoe box instead of double-boxing, and the dustbags are linen instead of nylon.
Construction-wise, they use vertically-sourced full-grain leather and the shoes are assembled in a fair-wage factory in Portugal. Not too shabby.
Amberjack The Slip-On Review
Here’s my hands-on review of The Slip-On, from the look to the function.
The Design
I ordered the honey tan colorway in a size 8.
Coming right out of the box, I immediately recognized that leathery smell. I also thought it looked like a slip-on cousin of The Original, which features a derby-style dress shoe upper. This might be because I also have the Original in the same honey tan colorway.
And, like The Originals, the athletic shoe components blend beautifully with the upper. In fact, since slip-ons are inherently more casual than dress shoes, they blend together even better. It’s a pretty cool yet classy aesthetic.
You can definitely wear this shoe with a suit on casual Friday, with linen shorts while on holiday, or just with a t-shirt and jeans. It’s undeniably versatile.
It looks like it has a three-piece leather construction. So, it’s fairly minimal, but still matches the two-layer outsoles.
There are also perforations on the side that give it an athletic accent without going full sneaker on you.
The toe has a patination design, which gives the leather surface a nice depth. It stops short of the top piece of leather though. Since The Original doesn’t have a cap-toe, the patination gradually fades instead of abruptly stopping at a point of stitching.
So, on the style side of things, the Slip-On gets an A. I’d give it an A+ if they could find a way for the patination to move up beyond the toe area.
I understand this would mean applying it with some visual strategy to the top piece of leather. But, I think it would add a lot of extra class.
Comfort and Fit
Like all of their other shoes, the Slip-on felt great right out of the box. In fact, the lack of lacing makes it more comfortable and flexible.
There was a little bit of heel slippage on the right shoe the first week, though a good pair of socks could easily prevent this.
Like the other Amberjack shoes, the buckskin lining is super soft. And, assuming they didn’t do anything different with this shoe’s construction, it’ll only get softer and more comfortable. You can totally wear these shoes with or without socks.
The insoles are thick in the heel area and taper off towards the toe, providing both support and flexibility. Between that and Amberjack’s heat-activated arch support, this is a perfectly balanced shoe, comfort-wise.
There’s even perforation in the interior. I’ve worn them for hours on end, and they continued to be breathable, springy, and never overheated.
I ordered The Originals in an 8.5, but got The Slip-Ons in an 8. Both sizes typically fit well on me, but I prefer a smaller, snugger fit with slip-on shoes in general.
Price
At $189, I would say the Amberjack Slip-Ons are a great value. This is particularly impressive since Amberjack is so diligent about sustainability and fair wages.
They definitely do cement soling, but that’s common for comfort-oriented shoes. Plus, I’ve seen shoes at this price that aren’t as good and are also cement-soled.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of everything I just went over, reformatted into pros and cons. This way, you can decide, at a glance, whether this shoe is or isn’t for you!
Pros
The Slip-On is a stylish shoe that’s both classic and distinct. As such, it’s highly versatile.
Even more, the innovative comfort technology makes it easy to walk in for long periods of time while maintaining flexibility and breathability.
Unlike so many other hybrid shoes, the outsole blends excellently with the upper.
Also, there’s essentially no break-in period.
They fit true to size, though Amberjack offers complimentary exchanges within 45 days.
Cons
Some might consider the cement-soled construction a con. I don’t since it’s a hybrid shoe. However, I figure it’s worth spotlighting for those who care.
There was also a bit of heel slippage for the first week of wear.
Final Thoughts
The Amberjack Slip-On may very well be their most convenient offering to date.
They boast all of the good construction, comfort, and versatility of their other models. However, the slip-on construction, flexible upper, and pull-tab in the back make them so much easier to slip in and out of.
If I had to run out of my house during a fire, I’d probably pop these guys on.
I recommend them to anyone looking for a classy vacation shoe or weekend shoe, an unstuffy work shoe, or a casual Friday shoe.
Ask Me Anything