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

[ProfessionalM]

Anyone know of the next big AE sale? I'm looking to get LaSalles 9.5d for under $200.

 

[ProfessionalM]

Anyone know of the next big AE sale? I'm looking to get LaSalles 9.5d for under $200.

 

[kmdsimpson]



Since this is the "appreciation" thread, I'll start by saying that I presently own five pairs of AE shoes with which I have been very pleased, for the most part . . . but now I'm in the middle of a second frustrating experience with them. I bought a pair of shell cordovan Park Aves last month (first quality - not seconds), and they arrived earlier this week looking like crap.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I first tried calling customer service the day they arrived, and hung up after being on hold for nearly ten minutes. I emailed them shortly after hanging up, and have never received a reply. I finally tried calling again on Friday and got through this time. I politely described my concerns with the CS representative - that the shoes arrived with a very poor finish on them, that there were scratches in them, and the left shoe has an indentation in the upper above the heel. She replied that the issue with the finish is that the cordovan is "blooming". However, the condition of the finish on these shoes appeared to me as though they came right off of the assembly line, went into bags and the box and onto the shipping truck without so much as a cursory quality inspection, much less any attempt to buff or polish them for appearance.
The CS rep recommended that I give them a treatment with the cordovan care cream that I ordered with the shoes, to see if the finish would look better. I explained that the care cream was probably not going to address the scratches or the groove in the heel, so I would prefer just to send them back. I also asked if it would be possible for the factory to start on another pair to minimize my wait for a replacement, and she politely informed me that they couldn't - and it would be another five weeks for a new pair to be made after they receive the pair I'm returning.
I decided I didn't want to wait that long if I could avoid it, so I thanked her for her advice and opted to try the cream and see if I could live with the results.
I worked on them this weekend, and after two treatments of care cream and extensive brushing they certainly looked better, but nowhere near as nice as my shell Aldens or C&Js. The quality just doesn't seem to be there. To make matters worse, after getting the shoes cleaned up and inspecting them more carefully I noticed two small punctures in the upper of the left shoe. It looks as though this may have happened when they were stitching the welt, because the punctures are about the size of a needle and they are very close to the welt. Also, the distance between the two holes matches the stitching pattern. When I discovered these holes I really got pissed off about going to the trouble of trying to make them look better instead of just sending them back in the first place. Now they are definitely going back to AE, and I'm annoyed that I have to wait another month. I'll give them one chance to send me a better pair of shoes, and if the next pair has issues I'll send them back for a refund and will probably never try AE shell cordovan again.
I typically don't post negative reviews online without giving the business an opportunity to resolve the issue, but I feel in this case that I gave them opportunities to resolve this to my satisfaction (calling, emailing, calling again) and they failed. I'll include pics so you can see what I'm talking about.




I mentioned above that this is the second frustrating experience. They recently botched a re-heel on my Drydens, and when I sent them back to be done correctly they still came back with the heel base detaching from the shoe - which is why I sent them to AE in the first place. I've subsequently noticed that the heel on one of my Strands is starting to detach as well.
I really, really want to like Allen Edmonds because they are an American company that makes great-looking shoes; I've purchased eight pairs of their shoes and a couple of their belts over the past several years. However, they are making it difficult to get excited about doing business with them when I have to work through issues like this on their "first quality" products.
I sincerely hope that this ends well, and I will definitely post an update after the next pair arrives.

Sorry to hear this, and I completely understand. A pair of $500+ shoes should be flawless. I guess they can't do anything about the manufacturing backlog, but then they're just telling customers to shop elsewhere. I'd be sending these back, too, if it were me. I've had good luck with sales and seconds, but I wouldn't put up with these flaws if they were firsts.

 

[DJTraveler]

C&J > AE in every way. AEs are good shoes, but C&J are far superior in leather quality, construction, etc. I love my AEs, but I would be lying to myself if I said I didn't like my C&Js better. Just my $0.02

Speaking of other brands, while my #1 favorite is of course AE, a close 2nd is Grenson. Definitely a shoe worth checking out for those not familiar with the brand. Similar build quality of AE, with some interesting silhouettes and colors.

 

[dstunbound]

Hey guys, I've been lurking this thread, and interested in some feedback (posted my own thread too a couple days ago). I want to take the leap from J&M/CH to the next level of shoe, and AE seems like the best option. My finances aren't up to the level of my desire, however, so would seconds be worthwhile? I know they have the sale going on right now, and the shoe I want is likely either a McCallister or Strand in brown, is it worthwhile to just go for it, or should I wait and buy a new pair for my first pair?

 

[sportin_life]

Not a big deal but I'm still slightly perplexed how people are getting quoted strands for $169. I checked with the shoe bank and 2 other reps I've bought from consistently, and all 3 said it is $199 for the walnut for either the BB or non-BB versions.

 

[sportin_life]



Whats a better shoe for everyday wear the PROVO or LEEDS? 

I would say Leeds, but they are relatively casual and not sleek.

 

[msulinski]

Hey guys, I've been lurking this thread, and interested in some feedback (posted my own thread too a couple days ago). I want to take the leap from J&M/CH to the next level of shoe, and AE seems like the best option. My finances aren't up to the level of my desire, however, so would seconds be worthwhile? I know they have the sale going on right now, and the shoe I want is likely either a McCallister or Strand in brown, is it worthwhile to just go for it, or should I wait and buy a new pair for my first pair?

You can get the Strands in Walnut (not sure if that shade of brown is OK with you) right now for $199. They are seconds, and you can order them from any of the outlet stores.

However, since this is your first pair of Allen Edmonds, I recommend trying them on in-store, especially the McAllisters and Strands, as the "5" last often does not fit true-to-size.

 

[dstunbound]

I stopped by an AE store in the local mall on Friday an tried on the Strands, and found that they run a little smaller than I'm used to wearing (the 9D fit well compared to a 9.5 in other shoes I wear). They didn't have the Mcallisters, but if they are on the same last I should be fine, no?

Do you think it's worthwhile for me to get seconds as my first pair? Are they generally pretty close in quality to firsts?

 

[msulinski]

I stopped by an AE store in the local mall on Friday an tried on the Strands, and found that they run a little smaller than I'm used to wearing (the 9D fit well compared to a 9.5 in other shoes I wear). They didn't have the Mcallisters, but if they are on the same last I should be fine, no?

Do you think it's worthwhile for me to get seconds as my first pair? Are they generally pretty close in quality to firsts?

The McAllister (Fifth Ave and Park Ave and more) are all on the same last, so you should be able to get the same size in any of these shoes. I see no harm in going with seconds for your first pair. The sale on the Walnut Strands ends today, I believe. The outlet stores should let you return them if you find any defects that you can't live with.

 

[dstunbound]

Great, thanks for the advice. One last question - which brown model do you think I'd get the most wear out of to compliment my current black shoes? I will be wearing them mostly with suits daily to work, occasionally with khakis, and once in a blue moon with nice jeans. I'm leaning towards the Mcallister, but don't know if those are too casual for dark suits.

 

[sportin_life]

For the strands, I would go with the BB version over the standard one if you're grabbing them from the factory store as long as you don't mind the pre-topied sole. It's the same price right now, the only difference is additional padding and topied sole but it makes the shoe a lot more comfortable imo.

 

[kmdsimpson]



My brown-on-brown Strawfuts also came with black splotches all over the mesh. On a hunch I tried cleaning the mesh with a wet fingernail brush and a few drops of Dawn dish liquid. It worked perfectly. They are as good as new. Might be worth a try, if you don't want to hassle with returning them.

Hey, thanks. That's good to know. Not sure what I'll do, but this helps.

 

[kmdsimpson]



Hey guys, I've been lurking this thread, and interested in some feedback (posted my own thread too a couple days ago). I want to take the leap from J&M/CH to the next level of shoe, and AE seems like the best option. My finances aren't up to the level of my desire, however, so would seconds be worthwhile? I know they have the sale going on right now, and the shoe I want is likely either a McCallister or Strand in brown, is it worthwhile to just go for it, or should I wait and buy a new pair for my first pair?

I think it's worth giving seconds a try, as a good deal of the time the "defect" is something trivial. Of course, you have to factor in the cost of shipping if they do have significant defects or don't fit.. I think (but not sure) you can return seconds to a retail store, so if there's one near you, you can save shipping cost one way.

 

[dstunbound]

Any idea if AE shoes will be a part of the summer Nordstrom sale in 2-3 weeks?