The worn suede Oliver Cabell “O” on the sides is technically branding, but it can also pass as a cool abstract design, far less blatant than the Goose stars.

Overall, I think these shoes are more versatile than you might initially think upon first look.

You can obviously pair them with more fashion-forward casual combinations. But I think they’d go quite well with more classic casual styles too. Sure, it adds an irreverent touch to more traditional outfits, but I think that’s the point of distressed sneakers.

Comfort and Fit

Interestingly, the Shamrock Low 1s are noticeably more comfortable out of the box than the regular Low 1 Whites, which were a little stiff at first, and stayed pretty stiff for a good few weeks.

The Shamrocks weren’t perfect out of the box, but the canvas sides offered more immediate flexibility than shoes made out of high-quality unbroken-in leather do.

During the Shamrock’s break-in period, the seam inside the collar rubbed against my skin, even with socks on. At one point, I even tried to trim any flyaways, it was bothering me so much. 

Unlike the all-leather Low 1s, these canvas-leather shoes only took me a week of breaking in. I wore them every other day for a few hours around town, mostly on concrete sidewalks.

They come in sizes six through 15, no half sizes, and run just a tad large. If you’re a half-size, just size down. They’ll feel a bit snug at first but will get more comfortable as you break them in.

Compared to other low-profile leathers that I’ve worn, like the New Republic Kurts, Low 1s feel narrower, with extra vertical room in the toe box. How you feel about this is completely subjective. I personally don’t find this consequential to the comfort, but it’s just something to note, especially if you have wide or flat feet.

Price

I’m just going to say it — if you’re looking for a high-quality distressed shoe, the OCs are worth it.