Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread - Page 1077

 

I don't think it is fair to say that they are essentially the same shoe as the McTavish.  Apart from the same broguing pattern, they are a completely different animal.  Different upper leather, no lining, single sole rather than a double sole.  The McTavish will be a substantially more durable shoe in the long run. 

Excellent. I'm wearing mine today too.

 

 

 

This topic always turns into a bit of this:   That said, what the other gentlemen have said here has merits without question, and I am not seeking to argue with them.  However, if a shoe fits you and is completely comfortable to you, then the creases can't be a deal breaker.  Too much emphasis is placed on the creases falling in the "correct" location, but we are talking about ready to wear shoes fitting feet that are all different and have their subtle nuances.  We aren't in the bespoke shoe world here.  Therefore everyone's creasing will be different, and often the creases will even be different between your two feet.  There are MANY factors that come into play regarding where a shoe will crease, and the way the shoe fits you is only one of them.  For my individual case, I am a 10.5D, but that size on the 5-Last causes creasing below the cap toe for me in the Strand.  Conveniently, the often bashed low cap line on the Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue actually allows them to crease in the "correct" location on my feet.  For the Strand, I discovered that an 11 C actually fits comfortably enough, and allows the crease to fall in the right zone, but it is dangerously close to the upper brogue line near the laces.  You have to make an individual decision, but to a degree, if the shoe fits wear it.  The Style Forum Kool-Aid says that the creases have to be in the perfect location to be acceptable, but in the real world your shoes will take on a unique character of their own and your comfort when wearing the shoes is the most important factor.  People walking by you on the sidewalk aren't going to look down and say "nice shoes, your creases are wrong." 

Does this imply that if the shoes are too short for you, you will get creasing further out on the toe because your ball is too far forward in the shoe?

Did not mean to poke the bear . What I meant to convey was that if they fit comfortably, then keep the shoe... but in agreement with PsiPsi, being sized by an AE associate is by no means a definite guide as to what size is right for you. I have a pair of moras with some creasing on the toe cap, but they are one of my favorite shoes nonetheless! Wear your strands in good health Hybrid.

Truth be told, it would have been in impulse purchase; my brown Byrons work at least as well with the seersucker or linen suits for which I'd've ordered a pair of navy Neumoks, and it's easier to find a matching belt.

Someday, though, there will be a webgem I must have (cappuccino shell, possibly...) and I'll test the local AE store's ability to order it in an off-list size.

Since I'm on a photo-sharing spree, here are two AE Shoebank factory seconds I purchased in July 2012.

Clifton (walnut), size 7.5D:


Lasalle (black), size 7.5D:


Unfortunately, both pairs were too small in size 7.5D and I was never able to wear them, so I sold them on eBay and ended up buying the 8E Park Avenue and 8E Strand seen in post#16094: http://www.styleforum.net/t/141581/allen-edmonds-appreciation-thread/16000_100#post_6146728

Last round of sale hauls:

 

 

Daltons, Amoks, Kenilworths. 

 

All 13D except the Amoks are 12E...this a long and extremely NARROW shoe.  I'm using a shoe-tree with a thick sock over it to stretch them out a bit...the suede is also very thin.  I see why these are discontinued.  For $99, I am not complaining though. They'll get worn.

Sorry for the shitty iphone pic.

This has been knocking around in the back of my head for the last several months, so last weekend I tried a poor-man's version of the technique above.

I wadded up a very small portion of old cotton t-shirt and screwed it to the end of a Dremel attachment, then went to town with that contraption (set to the lowest spindle speed) on my shell Daltons. No photos at the moment -- but the MacGyvering was justified by the end result. It wasn't quite torquey enough to work up a real shine but the surface is much better than it used to be, and my arm doesn't feel like it's going to fall off from brushing.

A video if you going to town on your daltons would be greatly appreciated 

I have them both, in the colors you mention. The Walton is on the 3-73 last so make sure you know your size in that last. The 3-73 is used sparingly, and currently AE's website indicates it is being used in only two of its offerings - Walton and Broadstreet. It is completely different than the 5 last (Strand). IMO, the brown shell Strand may be AE's best shoe.

Thanks for the comments all.

So, if you don't mind me asking, what do you wear them with? I wear suits Monday to Thursday and business casual on Friday. My normal rotation Monday to Thursday is black captoes (Meermin) and walnut Strands (AE) with something a bit more casual on Friday like a brown suede chukka.

 

Ha ha, not at all.  I fully agree with everything you both said, just in case I didn't explain myself well.  I was just trying to say that if the shoe fits properly and is comfortable, it shouldn't be thrown out simply because the SF Kool-Aid says that the creases aren't ideal.  I have several pairs that aren't creasing in the ideal location, but I love them and wear them with pride without hesitation.  The guy down the hall wearing Rockports has no room to comment on a crease on my shoes.  

I've just ordered a pair of the Strand in bourbon into a local store. They won't be here for 4-6 weeks. In the meantime, I've been looking at various pics on the web of these shoes. I've noticed that in most pictures they look like a brown colour in between the brown burnished calf and the walnut, which is just what I'm after. In other pics, such as the "indoor" shot linked above, they look like they have a yellow-green undertone, which I don't particularly like. This can be seen in other pics of bourbon shoes on occasion as well.

Could owners of the recent bourbon coloured shoes from AE comment on which tends to be a more "true" representation of the colour? There are so many variables over the net including the colour balance of my monitors.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

J

Apologies for posting this same post again, but since I'm "new here", my posts end up 3 pages back due to the moderation process.

 

The 3-73 is their widest last.  Mine are comfortably roomy and I really enjoy their fit.  I think the girth of the last gives them the comfortable roomy feel that you would expect from a gunboat shoe like an Alden Barrie last, while looking more elegant due to the more tapered toe.  In fact, that's how I describe the fit of the Walton... They feel like gunboats especially with the double sole, but when you look down, they look more refined and ready to be dressed up.