Our shoe brand recommendations can be found here.
In 2014, it was hard to expect more from shoes at this price point. Even today, good shoes between 100 and 150€ are still rare.
Disclaimer: This is the return to the blog of Jonathan, a former BonneGueule intern who went to study in Hong Kong, who tested for you a pair of desert boots from the Kost brand. Digging around, the brand offers several well-designed models with a price of less than €120. But what are they really worth? He answers you!
In your comments or by email, many of you have asked us which brands to turn to when you want to build your wardrobe on a small budget.
Currently, this is not a difficult task for ready-to-wear, as the entry-level offering is plentiful in France: you just need to take a quick look at Uniqlo or Zara to find out. take this into account, without counting alternatives such as Hast or Maison Standards .
In addition, you can also count on the growing popularity of e-shops offering a wide range of just-correct clothing like Topman or Asos, which also have a fast delivery service and an after-sales service. more efficient. You should find some interesting pieces there, with patience and some good advice.
On the other hand, it is more difficult to find certain essential pieces of the men's wardrobe at an affordable price . I am thinking in particular of choosing a pair of shoes intended for everyday life, with a beautiful design, which you can easily integrate into your looks.
Unfortunately, at the entry level, we too easily find ourselves with cheap materials or with a (very) questionable line, like the model below.
A very approximate line, just like the quality elsewhere...
Fortunately, we are not the only ones to have noticed this, and several brands have launched into a particular niche: designing and producing shoes at an affordable price, without having to skimp on know-how, quality and appearance of the product.
This is what interested us in Kost, which is one of these brands, and that's why we tested a flagship pair from their A/W 2014 collection.
The Kost men's shoe brand
Kost is a young brand (created in 2009) belonging to the Cléon group, which already has some experience in the manufacture of men's shoes, through the Azzaro and Redskins brands (Cléon produces the models of these brands as a white label) .
Note: we actually find food and drink among the models offered, not all of them successful in design, but you can find some that are worth it, provided you look around.
One of the specificities of Kost is that the majority of its pairs are made in France - in Maine-et-Loire - thus benefiting from manufacturing processes which have already proven themselves (Cléon has been making its shoes in the region since 1946, where well-established and amortized assembly lines) to be able to offer them at an accessible entry-level price.
Kost uses “Made in France” know-how which has already proven itself.
Having a limited budget myself, because being a student, I know that it is not easy to find the right shoe when you want to find a certain work on design, without sacrificing the quality of materials and finishes. . All for a price of less than €120...
This is exactly what this brand does, relying on casual and elegant models . But once again, take a step back from the design of the models because there is everything.
Some interesting pieces:
The Pélican model (AW 2014): a beautiful pair of derby shoes at a low price.
On the left, the Kelony model is also very nice.
Kost desert boots test: the Klou model
I took some time to think before choosing the pair I wanted to test: I invite you to take a look at the different Kost collections : their catalog is very complete, with many men's wardrobe essentials such as chukka boots, derbies , or even desert boots.
The Klou are very easy to wear with good basics, like chinos or a good selvedge (sorry for the creases in the t-shirt which are unintentional, and no, it's not a local fashion :D). Journal Standard blazer (a Japanese casual brand), BonneGueule line T-shirt, COS chinos, Klou model shoes from Kost Paris.
Finally, I decided to take the desert boots (Klou model), which I really liked with their young and casual look, which you can easily match with your favorite clothes ( shhh, I was told not to talk about chambray shirts ) without worrying.
The slightly patinated effect and the camel color of this model are sober enough that you can personalize your style with accessories , such as colored or patterned socks.
The Kost logo behind the shoe is very discreet. You can also observe that the finishes at the seams and assembly are correct and without burrs.
The little “Made in France” that goes well. Inside, we recognize the grain of the pigskin for the lining. Which is normal in this price range.
The leather of Kost desert boots
The interior leather is made of pigskin and the upper is made of nubuck, as are the laces . To the touch, you can feel that the whole thing is resistant.
The nubuck used on this model is rather thick - it withstood the hot and humid climate of Hong Kong without any problem - which can be considered a strong argument if you are looking for a pair with decent durability (considering the price ).
The quality of the nubuck is good for this price range (good regularity of the leather grain).
The sole of Kost desert boots
At the entry level, you will rarely find sewn soles: at this price, a glued sole is more than acceptable.
I really appreciate the choice of the crepe sole, which is particularly durable . It has moved very little in two months, with the exception of the back at the heel, but this is inherent to normal use of my Klou.
The crepe sole seen from below.
In terms of assembly, don't expect to have sewn soles for this price, which does not mean that they are not resistant . Many of us in the team have shoes with glued soles that hold correctly, this is not a disadvantage for small budgets.
Note from Geoffrey: It's still always better to invest a little more and start choosing sewn soles, whether in blake or goodyear.
The comfort of Kost desert boots
Although the desert boots seemed tight to me at first, the leather ended up loosening after two to three weeks of wear . Result: it's comfortable, and you can hang around for hours in your shoes to eat an ice cream in town, drink a pastis, or simply enjoy the world of the night ( hello ).
You can also add an insole if you want to optimize your comfort.
The boots and the raised sleeves of the trench create a contrast with the elegant ensemble (photo taken with another Kost model, pretty chukka boots).
How does it size?
Yes, even giants have the right to find shoes that fit them.
I have good news for men with large feet who have difficulty finding boots: Kost produces a wide range of sizes, ranging from 39 to 50 depending on the model.
The interview
To clean them, I mainly use a simple bristle brush, no need for anything else.
Geoffrey has already written an article on how to maintain nubuck shoes , I'll let you take a look! 😉
Where to find Kost men’s shoes?
Kost is distributed throughout France (you can use the location service to find the store closest to you).
They are also present on many e-shops which offer returns/exchanges services, if you are unable to find one near you.
Kost shoes, my opinion?
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of these desert boots compared to their price: the design is successful, the leather and sole are of good quality for this range, and the finishes are clean. To anyone who has a small budget and wants to find a pair of shoes with a nice design, I invite you to try! 😉
Note from Benoit: I couldn't have said it better, their range of casual shoes is unbeatable for small budgets.
