An Oxford shoe denotes class and tradition. Over the years, shoe companies have sought to evolve the Oxford with styled boots, bold colored soles, and ankle cut-outs. All changes that have strayed from the traditional style while keeping the classic dress shoe alive. Perhaps no line of footwear has pulled it off so well as the Cole Haan 4.ZERØGRAND.
Cole Haan is amongst those companies who altered the closed lacing and leather tradition without disrespecting the Oxford by changing it completely. Using their ZERØGRAND sole, Cole Haan designed a collection of modern, practical dress shoes and boots serving both business and casual outfits, the 4.ZERØGRAND.
Cole Haan’s Sole
The standout (literally) feature of every Cole Haan 4.ZERØGRAND is the sole of the shoe. It’s the base of the dress-shoe-to athletic-shoe concept — the sole features triple-density GRANDFOAM cushioning for all-day comfort at the office. When you get home, there’s no need to immediately take your shoes off as you’ll hardly notice you’re still wearing dress shoes. Deep grooves on the bottom of the shoe allow for your steady, natural gait without the stiff feeling of business footwear. The seam connecting the upper shoe to the sole is flexible as well, allowing the deep grooves to offer you a full range of motion.
Running tentatively through subway stations or across traffic in slick soles gets you nowhere fast. With the collection’s full-length TPU tread, you’ll feel comfortable hustling to work in any conditions; no slipping and sliding through foot traffic for you. This feature differentiates the 4.ZERØGRAND from the original Cole Haan ZERØGRAND.
The Upper Foot
The 4.ZERØGRAND come in select styles: for $220, the Wingtip Oxford with embellishments running from the toebox to the quarter. The Plain Toe Oxford and the Chelsea Boot both ring in at $230. And finally, the industrious Hiker Boot starts at cool $250; $270 for limited-run colorways, like those inspired by the shoemaker’s collab with Hasan Minhaj, the Indian-American comedian. At the time of writing, the Chelsea and Hiker-styled 4.ZERØGRANDs are offered in both regular and wide sizes, whereas only certain colors of the Oxford-style kicks have wide sizing as an option.
The Oxfords are of lightweight construction with a comfortable fit and ample airflow. Inside the shoe is an internal Stitchlite bootie, modifying the dress shoe further into an athletic shoe without changing the exterior. The 4.ZERØGRAND dress shoe is available in a multitude of colorways, some louder than others, like the brown leather upper matched with a yellow sole versus a more traditional look like a black leather upper paired with a black sole.
The Chelsea Boot and Hiker Boot are available in suede or full-grain leather and all waterproof for rainy days around town or on the trail. With several color schemes available, we’re sure you’ll find what you’re looking for in Cole Haan’s new 4.ZERØGRAND collection.
Anytime Comfort with 4.ZERØGRAND
The 4.ZERØGRAND shoes are changing dress shoes for the better. Although dress shoes are notorious for being stiff and uncomfortable, Cole Haan has found a niche and worked towards a dress shoe solution. Classic Oxfords and boots don’t have to limit what you can and can’t do throughout your day. With a pair of Cole Haan 4.ZERØGRAND progressive dress shoes, your limits don’t exist.
