Let me start by saying I had high hopes for these double monk strap shoes based on the product description. The photos showed glossy leather, elegant brogue detailing, and promises of comfort - everything I wanted in a versatile dress shoe.

First red flag? The shoes arrived with all packaging in Chinese despite being listed on an English site. When I inspected them, the 'fine-textured leather' turned out to be synthetic - that plasticky smell was unmistakable. The description clearly said 'leather upper' which simply isn't true.

Wearing them confirmed my suspicions. While the design looks decent from afar, up close you can see cheap materials. They're stiff like plastic rather than molding to your foot like real leather would. After just two wears to the office, I noticed creasing in unnatural places where quality shoes would flex smoothly.

The worst part? At this price point ($75-100 range), there are genuine leather options available. For international buyers like myself (I'm in Chile), returning them would cost nearly as much as the shoes themselves due to shipping fees - it's a lose-lose situation.

If you're looking for actual leather dress shoes, keep searching. These might work as temporary beaters if found at a steep discount, but they're absolutely not what's advertised. A disappointing experience that's made me more cautious about online shoe purchases.