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

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Cold Iron

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Do you get a pair of insoles for each shoe? Also, will they affect the breaking in of the sole? Should you break them in first and then insert the insole?

It may be that the 8 last does not work for your foot due to its narrowness. I have come to this conclusion with regard to my own feet. I would do two things: (i) go to AE to get sized; and (ii) if this is your correct size, have Nordstrom exchange them for a non-defective pair. If they are the right size, then something is wrong with the shoes because it looks like they are bowing excessively while you are simply standing still and not flexing. I can only imagine how severe the bowing will be when you walk and the shoe flexes. I get some bowing in all my 5 last shoes when I walk, but not when I am just standing still.

To me, at least, much of the point of buying Allen Edmonds shoes is that they're available in upwards of an astonishing NINE different widths for each size. Much as some folks here might praise Nordstrom, I'm inclined to believe many salesmen would much rather sell what they have than gamble on ordering what they don't normally stock. Sure, D width is right there in the middle of the bell curve, but you might be something different.

The shoe might be quite comfortable... but a different width/length combination might be even more so, while eliminating the bowing. If it were me I'd take them back.

I may have to make the 70 mile trek to South Coast Plaza.
I've returned about 5-6 pairs of shoes in the last 5 months due to defects and improper sizing....they've never questioned me. One pair was a pair of Strands that I wore about 10 times as well. The worst they can say is NO.
I strongly agree with Adam and New Shoes and return them and make that trip to an AE store. I used to think that bowing was strictly a manufacturing flaw however too many people have sent me PM's and I have read enough posts on here that some lasts just will not work for them without bowing. Only by trying on different lasted shoes in different sizes will you really know what the problem is. Some AE SA's will claim the superfeet inserts help with bowing and that may be why they sell them, but I have found for MY feet they do not help. And every Doctor that has seen my feet has told me I have some of the flattest feet they ever seen. At $20 a pair they seem to provide better support than my custom orthotics that I paid $400 for, grhhh. I put them in as soon as I purchase a shoe and they have worked great for me. I never did find a pair of Cliftons that fit me and 1 of the pair that was sent to me exhibited bowing also.
 

Cold Iron

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Shined up my burgundy shell leeds over the weekend (well, not really shined, just brushed):



Wore my Cambridges yesterday:



Wearing my brown shell Patriots today:
Fantastic! I almost hid all but one of them behind a spoiler but couldn't bring myself to do it LOL.
 

bucksfan

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That burgundy shell is absolutely beautiful! Makes me a little jealous; wearing my burgundy calfskin Scottsdales for the first time today.I had to do a double take on your socks in the Patriots picture after are all the sockless pictures recently.

Thank you! Enjoy your new Scottsdales! - nothing wrong with calfskin, just different strokes... I haven't worn these brown Patriots sockless yet, but I thought about it this morning. I have a potential client meeting today, so I couldn't. Maybe next Friday.

Incidentally, the lumps I have encountered have been in the left shoe as well - almost every time .

I didn't quote all the conversation on this topic, but I have had problems with bumpy cork on two occasions - the first was a pair of fifth street boots 18 months ago, which I returned for other reasons (fit mostly) and the second is my pair of black shell Park Aves, received 2 weeks ago. With the Park Aves, I put shoe trees in them for a week, then tried them on again, and the bump was gone. Both of these problem pair had the bumps in the left shoe.

Fantastic! I almost hid all but one of them behind a spoiler but couldn't bring myself to do it LOL.

Thank you, my friend. I thought you would enjoy them. Enjoy your burgundy Patriots! You mentioned they were larger than your brown shell Patriots - out of curiosity, did you order a different size? I will say that both of my pair seem to be breaking in nicely, stretching slightly and becoming even more comfortable each wearing. (only 3x each at the moment).
 

MrWN

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I'm about to order a pair of the Boca Ratons off of the AE website. I haven't been able to actually try on a pair though as there isn't a store that carries them anywhere around me. I did try on both the Strand and the Clifton though (in 10D) and the Strand was too narrow but the Clifton fit well. Does anyone have experience to compare the width of the Boca Ratons with the width of either the Strand or the Clifton? Do the Boca Ratons fit similarly to either of these shoes?

Thanks!
I tried the Boca Ratons before; they feel and look noticeably wider and longer than the Mcallister and Strand. I would say maybe .5 to 1 size longer and .5 wider in width.
 
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random-adam

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I think the delay is due to AE trying to find a horse large enough to make those size 16 gunboats that Random Adam ordered.  :)


They found a horse! I emailed a couple hours ago, Allison called just now and took payment; my clodstompers are on their way.
 

MrWN

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I have a lot of bowing on my AE strands. They are a year old and maybe only worn about 5-10 times. I never thought anything of it until seeing these pics and realizing mine are worse.

I bought them from Nordstrom at least a year ago. Is there anything I can do at this point?
confused.gif

I may have to make the 70 mile trek to South Coast Plaza.
I've returned about 5-6 pairs of shoes in the last 5 months due to defects and improper sizing....they've never questioned me. One pair was a pair of Strands that I wore about 10 times as well. The worst they can say is NO.
Please excuse my ignorance. What is "bowing" exactly? Pictures would be greatly appreciated.
 

jrarnold

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Quote:
Go back a page or two and look at the pictures posted of the Cliftons without socks. You will see a perfect example of bowing in shoes. Or for a description: Its when the sides of the shoes bow out, forming an ellipse for the width of the shoe instead of the natural one formed by the length of the shoe. EDIT: Thanks for the correction.
 
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deeselcyde

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Go back a page or two and look at the pictures posted of the PAs without socks. You will see a perfect example of bowing in shoes.Or for a description: Its when the sides of the shoes bow out, forming an ellipse for the width of the shoe instead of the natural one formed by the length of the shoe.
Cliftons, not PAs.
 

Cold Iron

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Thank you, my friend. I thought you would enjoy them. Enjoy your burgundy Patriots! You mentioned they were larger than your brown shell Patriots - out of curiosity, did you order a different size? I will say that both of my pair seem to be breaking in nicely, stretching slightly and becoming even more comfortable each wearing. (only 3x each at the moment).
Thanks bucksfan! Same size, 10D. The brown I have had more than a month now and wear them pretty much every day as soon as I get home from work and weekends. They fit best with a lightweight sock or no socks at all. So at the beginning of the week I ordered another 7 pair of thin lightweight wool socks (and a few ties) at the start of the BB sale in anticipation of the burgundy Patriots. When I received my burgundy last night out of the box they are a little bit looser than the brown ones which are well broken in and fit best with my normal weight socks. I am hoping there will not be much stretch with them but right now they are extremely comfortable. As are the brown ones
smile.gif
 

OptoDoc

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Also, can anyone comment on the loose stitching from my first post?

I had a few loose threads like these on the Cliftons I purchased from Nordstrom. I clipped them with a pair of cuticle scissors and have had no issues.
 

hohneokc

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I'm about to order a pair of the Boca Ratons off of the AE website.  I haven't been able to actually try on a pair though as there isn't a store that carries them anywhere around me.  I did try on both the Strand and the Clifton though (in 10D) and the Strand was too narrow but the Clifton fit well.  Does anyone have experience to compare the width of the Boca Ratons with the width of either the Strand or the Clifton? Do the Boca Ratons fit similarly to either of these shoes?

Thanks!


I agree with MrWN. I have the Flatiron on the 333 last and it is wider and longer than the 5 last. My right foot is slightly larger than my left foot. On a 5 last, the right foot is slightly tight and the left foot is perfect. In the same size on the 333 last, the right foot is perfect and the left foot is slightly loose. Please note, but fit fine. On the 333 last, I feel my left foot could go a 9.25D instead of the 9.5D I wear. On the 5 last, my right foot could go a 9.75D instead of 9.5D.

Chris
 

MrWN

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Go back a page or two and look at the pictures posted of the Cliftons without socks. You will see a perfect example of bowing in shoes.Or for a description: Its when the sides of the shoes bow out, forming an ellipse for the width of the shoe instead of the natural one formed by the length of the shoe. EDIT: Thanks for the correction.
Ah, thank you.
 
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