Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread - Page 983

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Originally Posted by MoneyWellSpent 

 

True... It sounds like I would have done the same thing.  Were you at least able to flip them for a profit? 

No, I lost money on them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by patliean1 

Did someone say Allen Edmonds Strand in Walnut? I'm super excited to finally be officially part of this thread!

 

 

Definitely an awesome pic... get two brushes.  One will be for dirty shoes, and then buy one for every color pair that you have for conditioner/polish.

I have 2 dirty brushes, one for calf and one for cordovan.  Start off with giving a spray or two of water on the brush, and then try to evenly distribute to the shoe, and brush thoroughly to "clean" the shoe before adding any reconditioning cream, polish, etc.  Get in the welts really good as well.  This will ensure that your "clean" brushes remain clean...

Quote:

Originally Posted by msulinski 

No, I lost money on them.

Sorry to hear that.  I would have guessed that someone on ebay would have paid more than $100.00. 

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Originally Posted by brokencycle 


I've seen AE and Ralph Lauren made in Italy shoes at DSW before. Rare but happens.

Good to know.  I do check DSW periodically just to be sure nothing is slipping by me.  I have another DSW type shoe warehouse near me that I have actually spotted AE's at before, although it was many years ago. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyWellSpent 

 

Every shoe that I have seen at DSW has always been made somewhere in Asia...

95% of the shoes absolutely.  The only notable shoes i've see is Mercanti Fiorentini, Wolverine, and a couple Gucci shoes up in Boston.  Regardless, I would never purchase from DSW, especially the glued together rubber sole Guccis, laughable.  You can find better deals at the rack.  If you look closely, a lot of the shoes in these places are not "real."  Same goes for outlet stores... Go to any Banana Republic outlet and you will see that the tag on the inside of the shirt is different than an actual BR.  Hmmmm interesting... Same goes for the shoes.  I personally would not buy a pair of AE's or any other shoe for that matter from these places unless I was 100% positive it was original, not seconds/defects or a different line with the name brand slapped on it...

Since November, I scored 4 pairs of shoes from the Rack.  Cole Haan leather chukka's ($89,) black Magnanni Mateo ($210,) and two truffle cordovan AE's, JR Soles.. the real deal McGraw and McAllister ($199 each.)  Thats it, and it might be a while before I find anything else worthy.  90% of the AE's at the rack are the "ae" line, rubber sole.  There are a lot of older models, and i came across a few pairs of black strands, however the insole was an insert and the sole was weird... it was rubber, but not really, but not leather.  It wasn't the v-tread soles either... idk a lot of them just look like AE knock offs, its weird.  Defintiely purchase with keen eyesight... you can easily spend a lot of money on KC Reaction equivalent, or you can find a gem or two...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjr4884 

 

95% of the shoes absolutely.  The only notable shoes i've see is Mercanti Fiorentini, Wolverine, and a couple Gucci shoes up in Boston.  Regardless, I would never purchase from DSW, especially the glued together rubber sole Guccis, laughable.  You can find better deals at the rack.  If you look closely, a lot of the shoes in these places are not "real."  Same goes for outlet stores... Go to any Banana Republic outlet and you will see that the tag on the inside of the shirt is different than an actual BR.  Hmmmm interesting... Same goes for the shoes.  I personally would not buy a pair of AE's or any other shoe for that matter from these places unless I was 100% positive it was original, not seconds/defects or a different line with the name brand slapped on it...

 

Since November, I scored 4 pairs of shoes from the Rack.  Cole Haan leather chukka's ($89,) black Magnanni Mateo ($210,) and two truffle cordovan AE's, JR Soles.. the real deal McGraw and McAllister ($199 each.)  Thats it, and it might be a while before I find anything else worthy.  90% of the AE's at the rack are the "ae" line, rubber sole.  There are a lot of older models, and i came across a few pairs of black strands, however the insole was an insert and the sole was weird... it was rubber, but not really, but not leather.  It wasn't the v-tread soles either... idk a lot of them just look like AE knock offs, its weird.  Defintiely purchase with keen eyesight... you can easily spend a lot of money on KC Reaction equivalent, or you can find a gem or two...

I know that many of those stores make a separate line of clothing and shoes specifically for sale at the outlets, like BB's "346" line.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if many of the others do similar things.  However, I haven't ever seen or heard of a "fake" high-end shoe popping up at any of these places.  The equipment that is needed to make a goodyear-welted shoe, along with the detectable quality difference that can be found when holding an AE or anything better than an AE is pretty unmistakeable to me.  I'd be surprised if anyone were able to "mimic" an AE or nicer shoe without actually making a nice shoe by default because of how many steps are required to make a goodyear welted shoe.  If it were easy to make them, everyone would be, and then we would be saving alot of money!!!  I assume that AE isn't worried about such things either, given that they accept their shoes for recrafting without any reciept or proof of purchase.  Their name on the shoe is all that is needed. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjr4884 

 

95% of the shoes absolutely.  The only notable shoes i've see is Mercanti Fiorentini, Wolverine, and a couple Gucci shoes up in Boston.  Regardless, I would never purchase from DSW, especially the glued together rubber sole Guccis, laughable.  You can find better deals at the rack.  If you look closely, a lot of the shoes in these places are not "real."  Same goes for outlet stores... Go to any Banana Republic outlet and you will see that the tag on the inside of the shirt is different than an actual BR.  Hmmmm interesting... Same goes for the shoes.  I personally would not buy a pair of AE's or any other shoe for that matter from these places unless I was 100% positive it was original, not seconds/defects or a different line with the name brand slapped on it...

 

Since November, I scored 4 pairs of shoes from the Rack.  Cole Haan leather chukka's ($89,) black Magnanni Mateo ($210,) and two truffle cordovan AE's, JR Soles.. the real deal McGraw and McAllister ($199 each.)  Thats it, and it might be a while before I find anything else worthy.  90% of the AE's at the rack are the "ae" line, rubber sole.  There are a lot of older models, and i came across a few pairs of black strands, however the insole was an insert and the sole was weird... it was rubber, but not really, but not leather.  It wasn't the v-tread soles either... idk a lot of them just look like AE knock offs, its weird.  Defintiely purchase with keen eyesight... you can easily spend a lot of money on KC Reaction equivalent, or you can find a gem or two...

I have seen a few pairs of Mercanti Fiorentini recently at a DSW near me. They were the only pair that looked remotely decent: goodyear welted, leather soles, combination heel. I didn't buy any because I wasn't sure about the quality. Can anyone provide more information about this brand?

No, I find it relaxing

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyWellSpent 

Every shoe that I have seen at DSW has always been made somewhere in Asia...

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokencycle 


I've seen AE and Ralph Lauren made in Italy shoes at DSW before. Rare but happens.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjr4884 

95% of the shoes absolutely.  The only notable shoes i've see is Mercanti Fiorentini, Wolverine, and a couple Gucci shoes up in Boston.

Quote:

Originally Posted by msulinski 

I have seen a few pairs of Mercanti Fiorentini recently at a DSW near me. They were the only pair that looked remotely decent: goodyear welted, leather soles, combination heel. I didn't buy any because I wasn't sure about the quality. Can anyone provide more information about this brand?

Mercanti Fiorentini and Mike Konos are both DSW house brands that are (often?) made in Italy. However, I wouldn't expect Goodyear or even Blake construction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by althanis 

Does anyone else find it really time-consuming and a little bit annoying to have to individually clean all the little brogue holes on their brogued shoes?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aidan K 

No, I find it relaxing

I had some trouble getting clumps of polish out of the broguing on my Bourbon Strands. Even though the sponge on the applicator tube works well for application, I had to use a horsehair dauber to get the excess out of the perforations. Is this what everyone else does?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyWellSpent 

 

I know that many of those stores make a separate line of clothing and shoes specifically for sale at the outlets, like BB's "346" line.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if many of the others do similar things.  However, I haven't ever seen or heard of a "fake" high-end shoe popping up at any of these places.  The equipment that is needed to make a goodyear-welted shoe, along with the detectable quality difference that can be found when holding an AE or anything better than an AE is pretty unmistakeable to me.  I'd be surprised if anyone were able to "mimic" an AE or nicer shoe without actually making a nice shoe by default because of how many steps are required to make a goodyear welted shoe.  If it were easy to make them, everyone would be, and then we would be saving alot of money!!!  I assume that AE isn't worried about such things either, given that they accept their shoes for recrafting without any reciept or proof of purchase.  Their name on the shoe is all that is needed. 

Well AE, not so much.  Sorry I will correct myself.  Majority of the Cole Haans will have the stamp on the sole, but they won't have those "island" rubber sole pieces that you find on the bottom of most of their shoes.  Also, the stamping on the inside is much less detailed than other pairs.  Other brands like To Boot NY, Hugo, and Magnanni all over some of the ugliest, dated, shitty shoes I have ever seen.  Kenneth Cole quality... rubber glued soles, thin fragile leather, and ugly huge metal buckles.  Original price $329.95 my ass.... Same with the Bruno Magli's they offer... "Bruno" by Bruno Magli... or something retarded like that.  $15 shoes....  As for the AE's, they are all old and ugly, for the most part.  The one legit strand that i saw had a double sole and a slip in padded insole.  Disgust lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by msulinski 

I have seen a few pairs of Mercanti Fiorentini recently at a DSW near me. They were the only pair that looked remotely decent: goodyear welted, leather soles, combination heel. I didn't buy any because I wasn't sure about the quality. Can anyone provide more information about this brand?

I don't know much about them, however I don't believe they are goodyear welted.  For a $150 shoe (thats the going rate at most DSW's) I wouldn't waste my money.  The leather doesn't not seem to be good quality, very thin compared to my AE's and other shoes.  In addition, most of the ones I have seen (even the double monks that i liked, for a couple minutes) have way too much of a Euro look.  Too sleek/pointy for my preference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokencycle 


Anytime I see AE at the Rack it is overprices and beat to hell; often with far more visible damage than seconds.

They are all discontinued models that are ugly, and that AE got rid of for $150 back when they stopped making them.  Now, a year or two later, the Rack sells them for $170-$200.  lol ya ok thanks but no thanks...

Quote:

Originally Posted by althanis 

Does anyone else find it really time-consuming and a little bit annoying to have to individually clean all the little brogue holes on their brogued shoes?

Are you using a cloth or a horse hair brush?  A brush/dauber does a fine job getting in all of the brogueing. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aidan K 

No, I find it relaxing

Same here.  I usually spend 45-60 minutes on each pair of shoes when I polish them.  I take my time, put something on Netflix, and take pride in how gorgeous these shoes can look after some Renovaatuer and some polish.  Its addicting.  A year ago, it was just around this time i purchased my first AE.  Current day, 3 different strands, mcallister, neumora, neumok.  I have about 8 different brushes because of the different colors/leathers i have, 4 daubers, a dozen different color laces, a half dozen polishing clothes, a designated horsehair brush water bottle lol, and god knows what else.  I think I'll grab a nice box for all of this at some point... it will only feed into my shoe shining addiction.  Ironing too... idk what it is but ironing a shirt for work just relaxes me, I do thoroughy enjoy a crisp dress shirt every morning.