Customer Reviews Cole Haan Calhoun

Disappointed that shoe is not fully leather lined as stated in the description. Typical of this price point but description is misleading. More shine than expected but ok for a serious dress shoe. Appears to be well constructed and wide size seems to be accurate (EE). Service was great.

I loved the look of the shoe and really wanted to keep it, but the back, top edge of the shoe was extremely low. Although the rest of the shoe fit well (E Width), my heel would pull out of the back of the shoe with every step and rub against the back of my foot.

Cosmetically the shoes are very nice, although at first so shiny that they look like shoes that you get with a rented tux for your friend's wedding. The leather upper is not supple, so the shoes are not comfortable if you have to walk (i) from the train to your office, or (ii) around a large office building.

I have mixed thoughts about these shoes and have had them a little over 1 month. They are very very stiff out of the box and still haven't broken in; I am wondering if they ever will break in to be honest. The tops of the shoes dug into the tops of my toes on both shoes when walking to start with. I had to put padding on top of my toes to walk every day or I couldn't wear them. After 1 month this issue has decreased, however my heels still slide around a little and get sore after walking in these shoes all day. I am hoping that the elongated break in period means the shoes will last a long long time.

Looks good but very uncomfortable. Very stiff.

The leather on these shoes seem to be very poor quality. They crease very easily and do not absorb shoe polish very well. When you first get them, they look stunning but even with the use of shoe trees, the leather on these shoes will be creased up very quickly. I own a pair of Air Adams from Cole Haan and the leather on those shoes is significantly better. I am very shocked, considering I paid the same price for both these shoes.

These are comfortable shoes but the leather tore along the seam. Zappos immediately replaced them leather. I have several pairs of Calhouns and it appears they are using a lesser quality of leather. I can't say enough good things about Zappos prompt friendly service.

Very comfortable shoes but they do get a very pronounced wrinkle/crease across the top after you wear them. It almost looks like the leather is cracked but it's not. The customer service was great though. They were very helpful

These shoes look good, but they absolutely kill my feet. The break on the front is right on top of my bone and every step is painful. I treated them and use shoe trees. Nothing works. I really like the style and construction, but my feet don't like the pain.

These are a great looking shoe, very comfortable, and reasonably priced. I've purchased multiple pairs of them over the years; however, the last two pairs that I bought had issues at 6 months. The leather split from the sole along the sides and both of them, and I had to get them fixed. I expected more from Cole Haan shoes in terms of durability.

Very shiny. Bought as school shoes for my son but I had to return. They seemed durable. He said they were comfortable but looked almost patent leather. In fact, he did a tap dance for me when he put them on.

Way too shiny. They look like tuxedo shoes. Wasted money for the average business person. Poor description. Images do not reflect how shiny they are.

These look like patent leather or plastic. Cole Haan should be ashamed to have their name on these shoes. One guy reviewed these and said he wore them with a tux, but I'd be embarrassed to wear these anywhere formal (which is the reason I bought them.)Take heed at all the women reviewing them saying they fit her husband's narrow feet. You must have narrow feet to wear these. The size is fine, but they get very tight and squeeze your foot in the center. If you buy a size larger, I believe they'll be hanging off the back of your foot and maybe still tight inside. Tried walking in them three times in my living room, about five minutes each time. Would have been a great buy for a pair of Cole Haan's but I guess you get what you pay for with this designer. I sure can't afford Ferragamo's but I can't wear these.

These shoes are foot killers! They are hard on the 'break-in' and do not permit your feet to breathe! Very disappointed in Cole Haan since purchased by Nike.

These shoes were never comfortable, with particular stiffness across the top of the foot. I believed they just needed to be broken in and continued on. Creases formed at the bend of the foot, but the pain persisted. The shoes seemed to be well constructed and I continued to hope that after breaking them in, I would enjoy well-made dress shoes for a long time. Not so. No sooner did the shoes begin to soften up than the leather finish began to break up. The finish of the leather broke up and sloughed off. After two months these shoes look like they have been worn for years. I have had positive experiences with Cole Haan in the past, but these are overpriced, uncomfortable and poor quality.

Bought these shoes in August and by December the sole had separated and there was a hole in the bottom of the shoe. For the price, I expected them to last longer. I'll complain to zappos customer support. But this experience makes me question the quality of Cole Haan.

I normally don't write reviews but want to make sure folks are aware of a defect with these Cole Haans. I have had several pairs of Cole Haans in the past and even have a pair that I have replaced the soles on several times. The Calhoun, as many have noted, is very shiny and is a great looking dress shoe. However after owning these shoes for a year, this shiny layer on the shoe is starting to peel away at the crease that forms at the base of the tongue from walking. Underneath is a light leather color and it appears that this sheen has actually been painted on. I used a shoe horn with these shoes throughout the year and wore them appx one to two times a week. I would not recommend these shoes as it appears this is probably a design issue with these shoes and how they used a painted on layer over leather to achieve the shiny look.

This was my second (and perhaps last) pair of Cole Haan shoes. When I got the shoes I was quite pleased with the look, color and style. It quickly became apparent that the quality was not what it should be. Within a few weeks I realized that the finish on the leather was very delicate and the slightest nick would cause irreparable damage. Within three months the shoe developed cracks in the finish and by the time I owned them for 9 months, the cracks had gone all the way through to the inner lining. Also, throughout the course of the first six months, the shoes developed odd clicks and noises in the heel that went away after time. My last pair of Cole Haan shoes lasted 4-5 years. I'm truly disappointed.

The images don't capture the high gloss of this shoe. If you're looking for a patent leather look, buy it. Otherwise, they are way too glossy for business wear.

After wearing this shoe for 9 months as one of my two go-to shoes (since Oct 2011), I realized that the sole is now falling apart and requires a pricey repair job. Furthermore, the leather surface of the shoe now looks like the surface of the Atlantic ocean at the Jersey's shores (i.e. wavy). I took Cole Haan Calhoun shoes to an old, experienced shoe repair guy here in NYC and he told me the following: 1. The sole of this shoe is not made out of wood, like all good are, but out of mixture of wood and cardboard-like material. After consistent exposure to water (e.g. rain) this shoe will begin to fall apart. An additional layer of rubber surface at $35 / pair (!) certainly helps but doesn't fully solve the problem. 2. The leather quality is OK, but not great. This shoe, therefore, requires the wearer to store it in the shoe tree. 3. The makers of this shoe focused on looks, not quality. He said that the true value of this shoe is more given the expected longevity/upgrades required to wear this shoe. 4. This shoe is a bit narrow and requires additional professional stretching (additional money a pair) 5. The best shoes are Italian however Johnson & Murphy is a much better bang for the buck v. Italian shoes / Cole Haan according to him. Overall, I am not ecstatic about my purchase given how much I paid for this shoe; that said, it's not Zappos' fault. Zappos is great. :)