Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread - reviews, pictures, sizing, etc...

[Winston S.]



Somebody please guide me on AE cordovan caring. I never had this problem with Alden shell cordovan, but with all AE shells, there is crazy amount of factory polish on shoes.
It blocks nature shine of cordovan. I used saphir renovatuer over 10 times on one of brown shell, I still get brown polish off shoes.
I do use mac method to care my shoes, but I can't get shine like alden cordovan on AE.
I remember, someone was going to use renomat on shell to remove polish off the shoes.
Can anyone comment on that method?

Thanks in advance!

From what I understand you are getting the shine on the Alden shell because of the way Alden finishes it, not because of the way shell is naturally.

ok here is my dilema.

i recently bought a stack of wooden shoe trees from sierra trading post.
pretty much these ones. http://www.sierratradingpost.com/mens-shoe-trees~d~399/

i have a bunch of AE shoes that i got them for. when i place the shoe tree in one of the shoes, say the park avenue, i am worried about one thing.
because u have to push the heel part of the shoe tree into the toe compartment, so it all fits inside the shoe, does that not stretch the shoe lengthwise over time??

It may stretch it marginally if you are using the correct shoe tree size, but shouldn't stretch it so much that the shoe no longer fits.

 

[spitshine123]

Has anyone requested relasting their shoes slightly during the AE recrafting process? I know cobblers usually can adjust the size smalle i.e. from a 9 to a 8.5 in the same width. I have a few pairs of 9D that fit, but I recently found my true "perfect" fit is actually 8.5E. From what I gathered from my discussions with some sales associates. 8.5Es and 9Ds start off their lives as identically sized pieces of leather, they are only stretched on the last and stitched together in a slightly different shape.

Thanks!

 

[Papa Doble]



Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

And here we go again... This is my first experience with AE as this is the first of their shoes that I've bought. As I mentioned in a follow up to the above post, the store agreed to replace the shoe because of the color issues and also re-fitted me into a new size. A week later (today) I received the replacement pair. Please tell me what you guys think. I don't think a brand new pair of $350 shoes should come with these scuffs. The left shoe was in the dust bag and the right shoe was not. I learned by speaking to someone at the store today that they do this when a customer tries on a pair of shoes. This is how they know the box has been opened. My pair did not come from the warehouse I was told so I think it came from another retail location. It's unclear to me if the scuffs were there when they were shipped or from sliding around not in the dust bag during shipping that these scuffs developed. The clerk I spoke to at the store said I could try some conditioner/cleaner, clear polish or walnut polish. I have all of those so I will give it a shot tonight. I really don't feel like sending these back because she said in my size there are only two at stores that she could see in the system. That means me bringing these back and waiting for those to ship and possibly running into the same issue. 7.5 E seems to be an odd size so it's not like there's tons of these laying around. She said the factory shows some uppers available meaning they'd finish assembly and ship them out so I'd be guaranteed new shoes but that could take some time.

Based on these pictures, do you think anything will help? I know that I'll end up scuffing them myself at some point but I'd rather start with a pristine shoe. If these were seconds I'd be satisfied but I'd also have paid a lot less money.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

My Strands had similar marks on them when they were new (see this thread). Not sure if this will be the case for you, but after using some AE cream polish, this went away completely.

 

[lachyzee]

Any word on the rumoured new boot line-up?

 

[Cold Iron]

Somebody please guide me on AE cordovan caring. I never had this problem with Alden shell cordovan, but with all AE shells, there is crazy amount of factory polish on shoes.
It blocks nature shine of cordovan. I used saphir renovatuer over 10 times on one of brown shell, I still get brown polish off shoes.
I do use mac method to care my shoes, but I can't get shine like alden cordovan on AE.
I remember, someone was going to use renomat on shell to remove polish off the shoes.
Can anyone comment on that method?

Thanks in advance!

I did use Renomat on my oldest pair of shell Leeds for the exact same reason you describe. And need to thank you for introducing me to Renomat over a year ago, and also for mentioning microfiber cloths for final polishing somewhere else recently. I've used nylon stockings for the final buff for years but know by now if you say something it is worth paying attention to. Don't see myself ever going to back to stockings, thank you.

I also found the microfiber cloths are the best way to strip the cream off the shell. I use them as rags around the house, I buy the Amazon Basics 48 for $28 or so which is about .50 cents apiece. The other day I thought about how much they absorb and used one instead of an old cotton T-shirt.

This was with Renoaveutor and my black shell PA but think you would get pretty good results on yours with Renomat. On my Leeds it did lift quite a bit but not as much as new shoes. The T-shirt on the right was used first and thought they were pretty clean. I followed up with the Microfiber cloth after and it actually picked up more on the second pass then the T-shirt did on the first one.

I push hard when removing old finish just like the start of a mirror shine starting with Renomat doing a small section at a time. Then move my finger to a clean part of the rag wetting it and doing another section. As soon as the shoe is done repeated the whole process with Renoaveutor. As soon as that is done then I take a fairly wet rag and wipe the whole thing down which picks up quite a bit more:


I repeated the process twice, if you use the microfiber cloth not sure you would need to do it twice. Good luck and hope it helps.

Some of the AE shell is covered with more cream than others, I'd say 1 in 3 or 4 have been just buried in it like you describe. Above is what works for me. As soon as your done cleaning the shoe with Renaveutor don't forget the first step of the Mac method is to use a damp rag and wipe down the shoe. I agree it is hard to get a good shine on cream LOL and I have some that you could actually see brush marks on the surface it was so thick. But once you get it off the Mac method does work. My AE shell shines and glows just as well as my Alden now.

The cheapest place for bulk Microfiber cloths that I have found is Amazon under Amazon Basics. If you spend over $25 it is free shipping so I get the 48 pack which is ~$28
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Microfiber-Cleaning-Cloth-Pack/dp/B009FUF6DM

Good luck the results are more than worth the work to clean them IMO.

 

[tampatravel]

ok here is my dilema.

i recently bought a stack of wooden shoe trees from sierra trading post.
pretty much these ones. http://www.sierratradingpost.com/mens-shoe-trees~d~399/

i have a bunch of AE shoes that i got them for. when i place the shoe tree in one of the shoes, say the park avenue, i am worried about one thing.
because u have to push the heel part of the shoe tree into the toe compartment, so it all fits inside the shoe, does that not stretch the shoe lengthwise over time??

I have those exact shoe trees and those exact shoes. Mine haven't stretched one bit. Those shoe trees at STP are one of the best values I've bought there.

 

[Al in Philly]

Restored Strands in the field for a site visit. Glacage on the captoe.

 

[elbastardocalvo]

Restored Strands in the field for a site visit. Glacage on the captoe.

Looks great, Al.

 

[ajmanouk]



A follow-up on this saga for anyone interested...

No offense, but there are plenty of other black stitch caps available...if you're happy with AE otherwise, why swear against the brand for all models of shoes just because one doesn't work. Seems like a bit of a childish response. As if the CEO isn't aware of the problem and trying to fix it.

Obviously the bowing with the PAs is frustrating and it's clearly a problem that AE recognizes and is trying to fix, but there are still plenty of other really great shoes offered that frankly are hard to beat at the price points available.

 

[coolarrow]

No offense, but there are plenty of other black stitch caps available...if you're happy with AE otherwise, why swear against the brand for all models of shoes just because one doesn't work. Seems like a bit of a childish response. As if the CEO isn't aware of the problem and trying to fix it.

Obviously the bowing with the PAs is frustrating and it's clearly a problem that AE recognizes and is trying to fix, but there are still plenty of other really great shoes offered that frankly are hard to beat at the price points available.

Don't agree. I used to own a Ford Explorer with significant problems. Totally unacceptable since I bought it new. After I got rid of that car I swore off Fords for life. Sure, they have some nice models etc. People tell me that Ford is a great product now since I they didn't take the bailout, but one bad experience is enough to tell me to stay away.

 

[Al in Philly]

If you truly want to avoid AE for black captoe, you can't go wrong with Alden 901 or 907. I have the 901's and they are great.

 

[OptoDoc]

Quote:
Thank you, Sir. Most of my staff has daily words of encouragement regarding my footwear and general sense of style. It is only the clinic that I go to on Wednesday afternoons that is way out in the country where my staff had the comments about my footwear being "old-mannish" or "like women's shoes" (when it comes to my dress ankle boots). I've come a long way in advising them on the differences between style and fashion.

 

[ajmanouk]



Don't agree. I used to own a Ford Explorer with significant problems. Totally unacceptable since I bought it new.  After I got rid of that car I swore off Fords for life.  Sure, they have some nice models etc. People tell me that Ford is a great product now since I they didn't take the bailout, but one bad experience is enough to tell me to stay away.

I see what you're trying to get accross...but I still wouldn't write off AEs just because of a PA defect that is known to both the buyer and the company, and one which the company is trying to resolve. Maybe I am too much of an AE faithful!

 

[New Shoes1]

A follow-up on this saga for anyone interested...

I received my second pair of black Park Avenues from the Jville store today, and they too have slight but nonetheless bothersome gaping. This is now my third pair in a row of brand-new, direct from AE Park Avenues that suffer from gaping. I'm rather peeved at this point, and frankly I'm ready to give up on Allen Edmonds altogether. I'm happy with my pair of brown Fifth Avenues that don't gape (and proves this isn't an issue of improper fit or my foot not being compatible with the last), but 0 for 3 on Park Aves is ridiculous. This isn't what I had in mind when deciding to drop some serious money on what is supposed to be the premier American-made men's shoe. It's rather unfortunate, because I otherwise really like the design and quality of the Park Avenue and many other shoes in the Allen Edmonds product line.

Mr. Grangaard, if you're still reading this thread, I encourage you to take care of the problem of gaping/bowing around the ankles once and for all, as you're about to lose me as a customer because of it. I normally wouldn't bother appealing directly to a CEO over such a matter, but you seem to genuinely care about complete customer satisfaction and perfection in quality of your product, which I really appreciate. I know I am not alone in the sentiment that this seemingly trivial issue ruins the otherwise beautiful look of your shoes. It's a shame, too, as I had my eye on quite a few of the shoes in AE's lineup to eventually add to my wardrobe. But if it's going to take 3+ tries to get a pair free of this construction defect every time I buy a new pair of AE shoes, then forget it. In my mind, part of the appeal of purchasing quality products such as Allen Edmonds shoes is knowing that it's going to be right the first time, every time. Not 25% of the time, which has been my experience.

I made one more request to Monica at the Jville store for another exchange, though I know by now she's probably frustrated with me. If this fourth pair of Park Avenues has the gaping issue, I'll disappointingly start looking elsewhere to fill my need for a black captoe oxford. Perhaps Meermin, Andrew Lock, or maybe I'll even make the leap to Alden. They seem to be able to make shoes that don't gape...

I think you are making some sweeping conclusions based on your limited experience. Just because your Fifth Avenues fit you without any gaping issue does not mean that you do not have a fit issue with the Park Avenues. Shoes on the same last can fit people differently. For example, I have a low volume foot and some gaping on my Park Avenues when I walk. I, however, have no such gaping in my Walnut Strands. My Strands also fit better than my PA's - even though they are the exact same size on the same last.

Maybe you have received three defective shoes in a row, but maybe you have a fit issue that is manifesting itself most prominently with the PA. Maybe it is a combination of an inherent flaw in the PA that is exacerbated by your fit. You may never know, but it does not mean you should swear off all AE's.

I would not keep trying PA's, however. Why not take the suggestion for Meermin, Andrew Lock or Alden. I think they are better suggestions than the PA, even if you had no fit issue.

 

[JermynStreet]



I think you are making some sweeping conclusions based on your limited experience.  Just because your Fifth Avenues fit you without any gaping issue does not mean that you do not have a fit issue with the Park Avenues.  Shoes on the same last can fit people differently.  For example, I have a low volume foot and some gaping on my Park Avenues when I walk.  I, however, have no such gaping in my Walnut Strands.  My Strands also fit better than my PA's - even though they are the exact same size on the same last.

Maybe you have received three defective shoes in a row, but maybe you have a fit issue that is manifesting itself most prominently with the PA.  Maybe it is a combination of an inherent flaw in the PA that is exacerbated by your fit.  You may never know, but it does not mean you should swear off all AE's.

I would not keep trying PA's, however.  Why not take the suggestion for Meermin, Andrew Lock or Alden.  I think they are better suggestions than the PA, even if you had no fit issue.

+1. Also, with all due respect, nobody has died, you still have your job, and you can still go buy a box of Krispy Kremes for $6. All is ok in the world.