Volley Deuce Leather Low

Terrible quality, only worn four times – Worn for 4 non consecutive days, indoors for most of the time in dry weather and the glue has already came unstuck in 4 places!

Promising but ultimately disappointing – Bought a pair of these from The Iconic on sale at just $70.00. I was on the hunt for a pair of minimalist style, all-white leather sneakers and was considering more luxury brands (around $200-$300) but when my girlfriend saw these on sale, we thought it might be a good way to trial the "look" before taking the plunge. At $100.00 retail (reduced to $70) I didn't have high expectations, but they looked great plus I'd read a lot of the hype online about the resurgence of this once great Aussie brand. So I got a pair.

The first pair that arrived was too big, so we returned it for a smaller size. While trying it on however, I did notice a couple creases on the toe box. I didn't give it much thought, wrapped them up and returned them for a size down. The second pair was boxed nicely just as the first was. Each shoe wrapped in branded, protective paper. They had a nice, sleek silhouette, low profile and minimalist design. A smart looking pair of white kicks. I noticed a few imperfections in the stitching but wasn't fussed given their low cost. I was however disappointed to see those creases on the toe box were present again. I tried them on and apart from the creases, the sneakers looked good and fit pretty well so after a little deliberation with my gf, I decided to keep them.

After only 2 half-day wears to my office job, doing some light walking but mostly sitting down, the sneakers started to show some issues. The creases had become infinately more pronounced. Deep enough that the leather was now digging into the top of my toes as I walked, making it very painful. They were also impacting the sides of my feet where the eye stay was stitched to the toe box. This was especially painful.

My gf said that maybe they just needed to be broken in as they are leather, so after a couple days rest, I wore them and took a walk near a local beach. Nothing strenuous, a literal 30 min. stroll. I was in agony. By the time I got home, my feet had blistered and I could not wait to take them off. At this point, i also noticed a small gap forming between the upper leather and the outer sole on the right shoe.

Thankfully, The Iconic accepted a return for either a credit or refund which we took. Great customer service! The shoes however were a let down. Although inexpensive, I thought they would at minimum provide comfortable everyday wear. They looked nice but felt poorly made and creased so easily. Their website claims they are made from Napa Leather, I suppose as a testiment to their quality, but I've had PU leather shoes that have provided better wear than the these. I guess my question to Volley is, why make shoes like these at all? Why not charge a little more and actually provide value to your customers? For me the Volley Deuce Leather Low is a missed opportunity. WIth a plethora of high-end sneakers available well above the $200 mark, this could have been a great entry level alternative with the potential to become a true classic. Sadly, it ended up a shoe full of promise that fell short as it couldn't serve it's first and most basic purpose - to protect and comfort a human foot.

- Pics were taken after the thirs wear, just before returning them to The Iconic.