Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread - Page 995

My experience is a little different than what has been mentioned.

My Walnut McAllisters fit like a glove in 8.5E, in fact I wish I could wear them every day. The 8.5E Kenilworths that I got were too loose and sort of bowed on the top of my foot - my assumption is that it was looser because of the blucher lacing. An 8.5D Kenilworth fit much better, but there was definitely some heel slippage and I'm not too sure if it was ever going to go away. I might have to go back and try them on again, but something felt off.

I recently picked up some Brown Fifth Ave's to replace my Kenilworths, and while they fit much better, they still feel looser than the McAllisters. My theory (as well as some of the kind folks at the Charleston store) is that the extra bit of leather around the lacing on the McAllister cause it to have a tighter fit than the Fifth Ave's/Park Ave's. I will be returning the Fifth Ave's because I can tell that once broken in, they will be too loose for my liking - especially after being spoiled by the perfect fit of the McAllisters.

To combat this issue, I ordered a pair of Black Strands which have the same leather detail as the McAllisters, and will continue to hunt for a good brown pair of dress shoes. The search continues...

Since the Neumok is unlined, should I size down?

The Neumok isn't that big.  I would stay TTS for the #5 last.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwbenjey 

Finally pulled the trigger on a few more:

+ Bourbon Strands
+ Merlot McAllisters
+ Brown Fifth Ave's


Will post pics when these babies arrive

I'll also be offloading a nice pair of black Park Ave's in 9.5 C as I recently discovered 9.5 D feels much better (PM me if you're interested).

Good choice with the Bourbon Strands.  I almost did that but went with the Shell ones instead.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by harlequin782 

I am about to pull the trigger on some more casual AE's....I was really hoping that their new lineup would provide some decent alternatives, but there's just something about the "Strandmok" and the Banchory that I just couldnt get behind. For one, the Strandmok color scheme seems AWFULLY self limiting. If you dont have something in your wardrobe that wont make you look silly wearing a suede captoe with lime green trim on it, then the Strandmok might work. And then the Banchory just looks like ass all over. Ah well, I guess Ill have to just go with the blue, and either brown or olive neumoks like I was initially planning to do. Cant believe AE invested money in those abominations.

I'll have to disagree.  The execution may be less than optimal, but AE has the right idea.  They're looking for a broader range of shoes.  The staple shoes like the PA and Strand will only take the company so far.  They need to expand their market base to include casual shoes (for example Alden has a strong hold on dress and casual shoes).  I, for one, have been lobbying AE to do a "Strand" in the rough casual leathers, olive specifically.  AE has focused too closely on the short wing design for too many of their shoes (McAllister, Neumok, Ridgeway, McTavish, Cronmok, Long Branch, Dalton, Broadstreet, Jefferson, Cambridge, Players Shoe, and others I've forgotten).  I'm just happy to see something other than a short wing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by harlequin782 


I couldnt agree more. In fact, one of the reasons I was hopeful about the Strandmok was because I was excited about the idea of AE offering something other than another variant of a brogued wingtip in its casual lineup. But there are better ways (WAY better) to go about it than this. When you initially typed that you were waiting for an olive strand a few post ago, I said to myself "BINGO!"...if they could offer that, or the blue (neumok) colored strand, they'd have a nearly unbeatable casual lineup in my opinion. But alas, its either more wingtips or these clownshoes...the choice is ours, I suppose.

Well, no argument there.  AE fell short of my expectations.  Imagine my surprise when I saw the Olive Strandmok on eBay only to learn that it didn't make the final cut.  My real criticism is that they can make a Neumok in the rough leathers and suede.  They can make a Strandmok in a couple of suede options.  Yet, they will not make a Stand (Strandmok) in the olive Neumok leather even as a MTO.  I mean really, I'm willing to pay the upcharge.  But they won't make it for me.  In some ways, it's worse than Alden.

The more I look at the new shoes, the more I begin to like them. But not enough to warrant an immediate purchase. The Chukkamok and Banchory in Navy don't look so bad. But again, if the names weren't so bad..

On the other hand, I'm really enjoying my walnut Strands =)

Alright guys, I just posted a pair of Walnut Daltons in B&S.  They are size 7.5D.  Unfortunately they were a little too small so I am selling them and going to buy another pair.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalTex 

I also wear my strands with jeans.

Get new socks bro. Black socks are AAAC status.

...

Wait, are the socks black or purple?

They're black socks. I'm pretty conservative when it comes to socks... I'm slowly breaking out of this shell. 

How important is width in a shoe? I stopped by the local Allen Edmonds store today because I wanted to try on a Kenilworth. My width is a C and the sales person mentioned that a size D should suffice. He also mentioned that a C width would have to be custom ordered. I was not able to try on a size 8 D because they did not have any in stock. Also, I thought I read somewhere that I should go down one size for the Kenilworth because of the toe box. Does that sound about right?