Beckett Simonon Maxwell Review: A Bolder Take on the GAT Sneaker
Price: $179 [or Less]
Why Buy?
The Beckett Simonon Maxwell offers more personality than your generic slim sneaker, and comes in at an affordable price considering the materials and build quality.
Why Avoid?
The Beckett Simonon Maxwell’s bolder style makes it less versatile than the Morgen.
Specs
| Model | Maxwell |
| Height | Low |
| Materials | Suede / Leather / Rubber |
| Size | 12.5 |
| Weight | 463 g / 1 lb 0.3 oz |
| Construction | Cemented |
| Country of Origin | Columbia |
History
Beckett Simonon is a brand we’ve covered on this website before, highlighting their Morgen GATs. I won’t rehash their history in this review, but they were one of the very first internet direct-to-consumer brands.
However, a couple months ago Beckett Simonon wanted to expand their sneaker offerings. Rather than rely on GAT sneakers, they wanted to offer something a bit bolder. Enter in the Beckett Simonon Maxwell.
Let’s dive in and find out if this is a pair of sneakers you should consider, or if the brand should have stuck with the Morgen.
Disclaimer: Beckett Simonon sent these sneakers to me for free for the purpose of review. However, this is not a sponsored review. Beckett Simonon was not able to review anything in this review in advance, nor were they able to change anything posted here. Everything in this review is true to my own opinion.
Ordering
Beckett Simonon runs on a made-to-order model — your sneakers don’t begin production until after you buy. That means a wait: my Maxwells took 40 days from checkout to doorstep.
Still, unlike a lot of brands where you order something and don’t hear anything for months, Beckett Simonon does a great job of sending you updates along the way. Not only is it the basic things like the order being confirmed, finalized, etc. but information about the process as you go.
Last order, they gave me an interview from David. This time, they sent me information about German. Did these specific guys make my specific pairs? No. There is actually a thank you note from Giovanni who made them included in the box. But it’s still nice to hear about their workers.
Looks
Upper
The upper of this pair of Beckett Simonon Maxwell sneakers comes primarily in a deep navy suede. This is both the base layer as well as most of the accents including a toe guard, heel cap, and eyelet reinforcement.
One area that separates the new Maxwell is the inclusion of the Beckett Simonon logo – a combination B and S. This logo, oversized and on the exterior side of the sneaker, comes in a contrasting white leather. You can also find this white leather on the top of the tongue and on top of the heel.
Overall, the stitching is great for the price point, and there are no missed cuts on the leather. The only complaint I have is some slightly off-center stitching on one of the BS logos (sorry Geovanni!)
I wanted to go for a colorway that worked well in the fall, but there are a lot of other options if you want something different. At time of writing there are 10 different colorways – 4 in a white base, 4 in colored suede with white contrast, and 4 in total suede and leather.
Mid- and Outsole
The Maxwell sits on a classic GAT outsole: triangle tread up front, a circular pivot point, and semi-circular grip patterns in the back. It’s a proven design — used on everything from Adidas and Puma to Margiela — and it delivers plenty of traction.
This pair came with the white sole, but you can get several colorways with a gum sole (including with this navy upper) if that’s your preference.
Summary
The Maxwell trainer by Beckett Simonon is a great option for someone who wants the slim sneaker design, but is looking for a bit less subtlety than the Morgen. Not just the logo and it’s contrast, but the choice of white, navy, grey, brown, or red.
I really like GAT style sneakers, but the style doesn’t really work as well once you start to switch to fuzzier fall fits. The Maxwell, especially in one of the suede options, should do a better job offering visual interest to go with patterns like plaid or jeans with a bit of nep in them.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
The Beckett Simonon Maxwell uses the same last as their other sneakers, and Beckett Simonon recommends going with your Brannock size. That is going to be around 1 full size down from most sneaker brands.
While that size does fit me, it accounts for wearing thinner socks. For this pair – which I plan to wear in colder weather – I went up a half size. That is to say, these are a 12.5. I typically wear 13s in Nikes and Adidas.
If you are in between sizes, Beckett Simonon does include inserts that can help take up volume. If you don’t want summer-specific or winter-specific sneakers, you can go with the larger size and then add the inserts when you’re wearing thinner socks.
Comfort
Let’s start off with the obvious. The Beckett Simonon Maxwell is a minimalist style sneaker. These are not going to replace your Vomero Plus’. Still, Beckett Simonon has managed to squeeze in a very chunky insole in these.
That insole – along with the soft upper and outsole – offer a surprisingly comfortable sneaker for the style. Further, they don’t need any sort of break in.
I view these as sneakers you would wear to the office or in a smart casual outfit, and they could easily be worn all day in either of those environments.
Materials & Construction
Materials
The upper of the Beckett Simonon Maxwell is primarily made of water-resistant suede. That should make them very durable, though it does mean you’ll have the trade off of a bit rougher texture. Elsewhere on the upper, the white sections are full grain leather. Inside, the sneakers are primarily lined with a tan leather, though there is a bit of rough out at the heel to keep your foot in place.
The leather they use is LWG certified.
Under your foot, a fairly substantial insole does most of the heavy lifting for the comfort. Around ½ inch thick at the heel and closer to 1/8th at the forefoot, it’s made of a very thick closed cell foam.
Below that insole is a leatherboard lasting board, and below that is a soft-rubber outsole.
As for accessories, the laces that come with the sneaker are a very nice pair of waxed cotton laces. The additional insole is a poly-blend woven fabric with a poly layer on top. If you do add these, I’d suggest putting them under the more substantial insole.
Construction
The Beckett Simonon Maxwell is made using cemented construction. That is to say, the uppers are lasted and sewn, then glued directly to the outsole. This is the most common way to make footwear, offering great water resistance and flexibility. As for drawbacks, it’s nearly impossible to replace the outsole and if the glue fails, the sneaker fails.
It’s also worth noting where these sneakers are made. Beckett Simonon runs their own factory in Columbia, and shares a lot of information about how they run it. While I can’t personally verify anything they say, from what they share it seems like they manage to avoid the pitfalls that can plague other brands. You can find more information here.
Pricing & Value
Beckett Simonon prices these at $179. Well, they do most of the time.
The brand lists these at $279, then “marks them down” to $179. Except that nobody has ever been asked to pay $279. In fact, most people are probably going to pay less than $179. There is a $20 discount running on the site, and they regularly run sales that can drop them lower.
It’s frustrating because Beckett Simonon doesn’t need to do this, and it’s my only real gripe with the brand. Just let your shoes stand on their own two feet!
Outside of Beckett Simonon’s own offerings, the other obvious comparison would be something like the Adidas Samba and Nike Killshot 2. Both of these are GAT-adjacent sneakers that try to reach the same goal. However, those will be trading a bit of build quality for a bit lower price.
Are the Beckett Simonon Maxwell Worth It?
The Beckett Simonon Maxwell is a smart buy if you already love GAT-style sneakers but want something with more personality. The colorful uppers and bold logo make them better suited for more visually complex fits than the Morgen, and they deliver comfort and materials that punch above their price.
That said, if you’re only buying one pair of Beckett Simonons, the Morgen is still the safer, more versatile option. The Maxwell works best as a complement or statement piece, not a direct replacement.