Which direct-to-consumer shoe company makes the best brogued dress shoe for under $200? This article considers three of the major players in this market: Thursday Boots, Beckett Simonon, and Moral Code Footwear.

It considers each of the shoes on construction, fit, style, price, and a host of sub-factors intended to assist you, the consumer, in making an informed decision.

Quick Take

Short on time? Here’s our favorite brogued shoe from the list:

Our Pick Beckett Simonon Durant Oxfords $199 Buy Now Read on for more info and the complete list…

Broguing? What’s that?

Great question. Before we dive into the brands, let’s talk terminology. Broguing is the term for the series of perforations decorating the upper of a leather dress shoe.

Frequently, you’ll also see triangular grooves extending from that perforation.

These grooves are called pinking. Originally, these holes were designed to keep water from seeping into shoes when sopping through marshes and bogs while hunting in the Scottish moors. Generally, the more broguing a shoe has, the more casual it becomes.

With that out of the way, let’s meet the contestants!

The Social Media Superstar: Thursday Boots

Thursday Boots burst on the style scene in 2014 by raising over $250,000 in a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in. Leveraging a robust social media presence and YouTube stars like Aaron Marino and Antonio Centeno, the brand has quickly grown.

What started as a company offering boots for $199 has now expanded to include leather jackets, sneakers, bags and, in mid-2018, dress shoes.

The Direct-to-Consumer Darling: Beckett Simonon

Beckett Simonon is a “D to C” company with a unique model. They produce in limited run campaigns which are released approximately ever quarter.

So, if you order in July, your shoes arrive in October. Beckett Simonon says this reduces waste and lowers their warehousing cost, meaning they can pass savings onto the consumer.