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

[bucksfan]

Pk35216,

Good story, nice pics and congratulations on your new shell shoe wardrobe. Post a photo of those strands up when you get a chance. Pictures outdoors are also much better at showing shell's patina, if you are interested in doing that.

My approach with new shell is to use nothing but a brush for the first 3 months, since the shell has so many waxes, and AE puts wax on top of that. I usually brush for about 15 minutes per shoe after each wearing, and wear them only on carpet for a few wearings. This makes sure they fit right and gives the soles a chance to break in to your foot before you grind the toe down on concrete.

When it comes time to add some wax, I use saphir renovateur if I am trying to keep the same color or a bit of kiwi burgundy or black wax if I don't mind making them darker.

AE's cordovan cream is a good product too, but I only use that (and very sparingly!) after the shoes are a year + old.

 

[kmdsimpson]



I know people who have custom suits and still wear square toed shoes like this:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

What they don't understand is that if they wore a decent, well-fitting $250 OTR suit, but upped their shoe game, they would look much better.
This kind of brings up something I was thinking about yesterday. Mens style blogs and SF members often claim that one of the reasons men should wear nice shoes is because women notice them. If women or people in general do notice shoes, can they recognize good shoes, or would they think the above are the same as or better than a pair of AEs? Before I got into style, I might have been able to tell the difference visually between the two, but I wouldn't have known which was nicer. In fact, I found shoes like the PA or Macneil to be very old fashioned in a bad way. The only reason my wife knows the difference is because I've essentially educated her against her will. I imagine significant others of SF members might also appreciate nice shoes, but they may not represent the norm. Thoughts?
Nice Cambridges by the way.

This is a great question and one I have similar feelings about. My experience is that women definitely do notice shoes, but as you say, their tastes and/or knowledge don't line up with what we here perceive as quality shoes. These square toed shoes sell because guys are wearing them into bars and women are telling them they look good. Nordstrom is littered with positive reviews of crappy glued-together square-toed shoes, many of which are written by men who took advice from their wives, or even by women themselves. I am also sure that men care about construction and build quality much more than women do when it comes to shoes (it's the same as guys being into mechanical watches and cars); women couldn't care less whether a shoe is glued or welted.

Having said that, the one AE shoe that I consistently get compliments on from women is the Clifton.

 

[ddsg]

This is a great question and one I have similar feelings about. My experience is that women definitely do notice shoes, but as you say, their tastes and/or knowledge don't line up with what we here perceive as quality shoes. These square toed shoes sell because guys are wearing them into bars and women are telling them they look good. Nordstrom is littered with positive reviews of crappy glued-together square-toed shoes, many of which are written by men who took advice from their wives, or even by women themselves. I am also sure that men care about construction and build quality much more than women do when it comes to shoes (it's the same as guys being into mechanical watches and cars); women couldn't care less whether a shoe is glued or welted.
Having said that, the one AE shoe that I consistently get compliments on from women is the Clifton.

I get comments all the time on my walnut Rutledges and occasionally on my brown Fifth Avenues (only when they've been recently shine). From what I've gathered, women seem to be more drawn towards flashier colors/designs, something that most AE shoes aren't particularly known for. Put one of those square toed monstrosities next to a nice pair of walnut Strands or Daltons and I'm sure most women would give the nod to AE.

 

[kmdsimpson]



 





I used to feel exactly the same way, but PTB's have recently grown on me, and with my fast-growing addiction to acquiring new shoes, I have obtained two models in the last 2 months.

It probably started when I tried on some burgundy shell Leeds at my outlet store in Alabama. They were really comfortable and I just started to like them. I didn't buy though.

Then, I think I came across a style blog linking to an image of the specialty Cigar Shell Aldens on the Aberdeen last sold by Harrison Limited in Mountain Brook (Birmingham's swankiest area), which I posted pics of a few days ago.

My initial objection to PTB's came when someone did a comparison between the Alden Barrie PTB and the Leeds, which showed that the Leeds were sleeker, which I liked, but thought, "still too bulbous."

I wanted a Cigar Shell shoe, and the pics of the Aldens on the slimmest Alden last, the Aberdeen, tempted me to travel to the store to check them out. I walked out with them. Still my most expensive shoe buy to date, by a mile!

Then, I came across some vintage Florsheim Imperials burgundy shell PTB's on ebay. I got them for a decent deal, about $125, and then made them my new project (I did the same with some ebay burgundy shell McNeils a few months ago $45!!, which have turned out great.)  In both instances, I used Renomat and stripped off decades of crap in a very long and tedious process, and then polished with AE burgundy shell polish. I also had the Florsheims reheeled, since they had the original v-cleat and nailed construction with significant wear (I almost busted ****** wearing them on a concrete floor last week). Apologies to any purists, but I just didn't see the point in trying to restore the v-cleat heels, if that is possible. I'd rather have rubber heels anyway for safety.
Incidentally, they were pretty comfortable before the reheeling, and I have yet to wear them with the new heels.
Some crappy cell phone pics:

This is after I stripped off loads of polish with Renomat, but still had a long way to go.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

This was taken after all stripping, before reheeling, and before polishing tonight.  I think I had applied a little Renovateur at this stage, but they didn't really pop yet.

The blue shoe strings are just a lark, since I plan on wearing these shoes mainly with jeans.  Feel free to share any opinions about them, but be gentle.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

After burgundy shell polish tonight. The crappy cell phone pic doesn't show much improvement from stage 2, but in person they look much better. I will try to take some in the wild pics, preferrably in sunlight, over the next few days. Not bad for $150 investment.They are also in my exact size, 9.5C, and they fit well.

And just for kicks, my $45 McNeils:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Final word to those learning this stuff like me, who might want to start their own ebay renovation project on an old pair of shell:
After stripping off old polish with Saphir Renomat, I first tended to try to remoisturize the shoe with AE Cleaner/Conditioner, (and later, Saphir Renovateur, after I recently acquired my first jar). I have since learned that too much of either conditioning product tends to clog the pores and not absorb into the shoe, even if left for days. It creates the same problem that too much shell polish creates, a sticky mess that doesn't shine properly.  I have found that a good test is to rub one's thumb across the shell and listen for a clear squeak.  That's when you know you stripped away enough polish buildup on an old shell shoe to then add a light portion of Renovateur, and then follow with a super light portion of polish. I'm still learning (to put it mildly), and am open to additional suggestions, but I think that should be a very helpful tip.  Also, the thumb squeak test is also good for determining whether you have applied too much polish to newer shell. I eventually learned that lesson with my first shell shoes bought earlier this year, my black shell Cambridges (seconds sale at the outlet).

Incidentally, my new pair of brown shell Strands had the same problem on the toe medallion of one shoe, where it would not shine out of the box with any amount of brushing or buffing.  The toe failed the thumb test and wouldn't squeak, while the rest of the shoe surface, and the toe medallion on the other shoe passed that test every time. (i can't remember if I caused or contributed to this problem by foolishly applying AE Cleaner/Conditioner out of the box and then brushing, like I have learned to do with calfskin before wearing for the first time.)  Cautiously, I applied Renomat to the toe area two nights ago, and after several applications, I eventually got down to the shell and the squeak test worked. I then brushed (new shell has a lot more oil than old shell, I suppose) and the natural shine of shell started to appear for the first time. I then applied some neutral Saphir shell polish, and the toe finally started to show some promise.  I wore them today and things look much improved.

Sorry for the super long post. 

Hey, awesome post. Thanks for the description of your restoration method and your advice on polishing. And congratulation on the shoes - they are great!

 

[wigglr]

I used to feel exactly the same way, but PTB's have recently grown on me, and with my fast-growing addiction to acquiring new shoes, I have obtained two models in the last 2 months.

It probably started when I tried on some burgundy shell Leeds at my outlet store in Alabama. They were really comfortable and I just started to like them. I didn't buy though.

Then, I think I came across a style blog linking to an image of the specialty Cigar Shell Aldens on the Aberdeen last sold by Harrison Limited in Mountain Brook (Birmingham's swankiest area), which I posted pics of a few days ago.

My initial objection to PTB's came when someone did a comparison between the Alden Barrie PTB and the Leeds, which showed that the Leeds were sleeker, which I liked, but thought, "still too bulbous."

I wanted a Cigar Shell shoe, and the pics of the Aldens on the slimmest Alden last, the Aberdeen, tempted me to travel to the store to check them out. I walked out with them. Still my most expensive shoe buy to date, by a mile!

Then, I came across some vintage Florsheim Imperials burgundy shell PTB's on ebay. I got them for a decent deal, about $125, and then made them my new project (I did the same with some ebay burgundy shell McNeils a few months ago $45!!, which have turned out great.) In both instances, I used Renomat and stripped off decades of crap in a very long and tedious process, and then polished with AE burgundy shell polish. I also had the Florsheims reheeled, since they had the original v-cleat and nailed construction with significant wear (I almost busted ****** wearing them on a concrete floor last week). Apologies to any purists, but I just didn't see the point in trying to restore the v-cleat heels, if that is possible. I'd rather have rubber heels anyway for safety.
Incidentally, they were pretty comfortable before the reheeling, and I have yet to wear them with the new heels.
Some crappy cell phone pics:

This is after I stripped off loads of polish with Renomat, but still had a long way to go.


This was taken after all stripping, before reheeling, and before polishing tonight. I think I had applied a little Renovateur at this stage, but they didn't really pop yet.

The blue shoe strings are just a lark, since I plan on wearing these shoes mainly with jeans. Feel free to share any opinions about them, but be gentle.






After burgundy shell polish tonight. The crappy cell phone pic doesn't show much improvement from stage 2, but in person they look much better. I will try to take some in the wild pics, preferrably in sunlight, over the next few days. Not bad for $150 investment.They are also in my exact size, 9.5C, and they fit well.

And just for kicks, my $45 McNeils:








Final word to those learning this stuff like me, who might want to start their own ebay renovation project on an old pair of shell:
After stripping off old polish with Saphir Renomat, I first tended to try to remoisturize the shoe with AE Cleaner/Conditioner, (and later, Saphir Renovateur, after I recently acquired my first jar). I have since learned that too much of either conditioning product tends to clog the pores and not absorb into the shoe, even if left for days. It creates the same problem that too much shell polish creates, a sticky mess that doesn't shine properly. I have found that a good test is to rub one's thumb across the shell and listen for a clear squeak. That's when you know you stripped away enough polish buildup on an old shell shoe to then add a light portion of Renovateur, and then follow with a super light portion of polish. I'm still learning (to put it mildly), and am open to additional suggestions, but I think that should be a very helpful tip. Also, the thumb squeak test is also good for determining whether you have applied too much polish to newer shell. I eventually learned that lesson with my first shell shoes bought earlier this year, my black shell Cambridges (seconds sale at the outlet).

Incidentally, my new pair of brown shell Strands had the same problem on the toe medallion of one shoe, where it would not shine out of the box with any amount of brushing or buffing. The toe failed the thumb test and wouldn't squeak, while the rest of the shoe surface, and the toe medallion on the other shoe passed that test every time. (i can't remember if I caused or contributed to this problem by foolishly applying AE Cleaner/Conditioner out of the box and then brushing, like I have learned to do with calfskin before wearing for the first time.) Cautiously, I applied Renomat to the toe area two nights ago, and after several applications, I eventually got down to the shell and the squeak test worked. I then brushed (new shell has a lot more oil than old shell, I suppose) and the natural shine of shell started to appear for the first time. I then applied some neutral Saphir shell polish, and the toe finally started to show some promise. I wore them today and things look much improved.

Sorry for the super long post.

Awesome post! Great one to wake up in the morning to. I felt the passion!

 

[New Shoes1]

I get comments all the time on my walnut Rutledges and occasionally on my brown Fifth Avenues (only when they've been recently shine). From what I've gathered, women seem to be more drawn towards flashier colors/designs, something that most AE shoes aren't particularly known for. Put one of those square toed monstrosities next to a nice pair of walnut Strands or Daltons and I'm sure most women would give the nod to AE.

Women picking out men's shoes is a weird thing. My wife hates my Park Avenues (too old mannish) and my walnut Strands took close to a year to grow on her (now, she suggests wearing them). Just the other day we were doing a closet purge, and I tried to pitch an old pair of ECCO black bicycle toe venetian loafers and her response was, "yeah, you're right, it's probably time to get you a new pair; I really like those." My response was to smile and put them back on the shoe rack, since there is no way I'm spending a dollar on another pair of Ecco's (or wearing them anytime soon).

 

[random-adam]



Awesome post! Great one to wake up in the morning to. I felt the passion!

Seconded. Tonight I'm going to make it a point to rub the water welts out of my black shell Leeds and get them back to the shine they deserve; PK35216, this will be all your fault.

 

[msulinski]

Women picking out men's shoes is a weird thing. My wife hates my Park Avenues (too old mannish) and my walnut Strands took close to a year to grow on her (now, she suggests wearing them). Just the other day we were doing a closet purge, and I tried to pitch an old pair of ECCO black bicycle toe venetian loafers and her response was, "yeah, you're right, it's probably time to get you a new pair; I really like those." My response was to smile and put them back on the shoe rack, since there is no way I'm spending a dollar on another pair of Ecco's (or wearing them anytime soon).

I have a pair of Ecco bicyle toe lace-ups that I am considering pitching. The only reason I can see keeping them is to wear them when it snows. I would still likely end up bringing a decent pair of shoes to put on once I arrive in the office, because the thought of wearing those Eccos for an entire day disturbs me.

 

[Papa Doble]



Great stuff. I agree completely with the suit/shoe dichotomy comment.  Since I became interested in style and shoes, I have often thought that shoes make or break the entire look (not an original thought, obviously). However, I think you also have a point about how often "regular" people notice. I will say immodestly that I get complemented on my shoes fairly often by men and women.  Sometimes several times a week. I definitely think women notice more often than men (which works for me, again obviously), and even if they don't understand the inherent quality difference, they recognize the good versus the bad and appreciate it, even if only subconsciously.  I probably would not have understood the difference two years ago, either, but I would at least subconsciously appreciated the difference as far as crafting an opinion as to how well dressed someone is based on whether they were wearing a well-fitted suit with proper dress shoes. 
Assuming that I am doing my new style thing correctly, and I think at least 7 out of 10 times I am (still learning and experimenting), my impression has been that more men and women notice me throughout my day when I'm in public, because I stand out from the other slovenly dressed guys.  Sometimes, I imagine they only look and subconsciously think to themselves, "that guy looks well dressed," without even realizing why.  Sometimes, they may form the same opinion and form some appreciation for why I look different than the vast majority of guys in the south.  (Incidentally, I'll bet many look and say, "what a deuche, why is he dressed all fancy, must be gay." But that is okay with me, because I don't have time for such small minded jerks.)  Okay, enough of my immodest deep thoughts by Jack Handy. Joe at Dappered muses on such matters sometimes, and I like his approach.
I'd like to hear some other opinions on this topic.

Perhaps most of the time people can tell when someone is dressed well -- I don't necessarily mean suit versus not, but, say, among men wearing suits (or some other style of dress) -- however, (1) they might not be able to articulate why they are dressed better than similarly dressed men, and (2) sometimes they'll think something that's actually in poor taste looks good. I think these are the main things I gained when getting into style about 2 years ago. I began to understand the reasons a better dressed person was in fact better dressed, and why some things I previously thought looked good did not (square toed shoes, for example).

Incidentally, Dappered is in my RSS feed and I like most of the material.

I would wear those squared toe shoes to mow my lawn. And that is it.

That sounds about right.

This is a great question and one I have similar feelings about. My experience is that women definitely do notice shoes, but as you say, their tastes and/or knowledge don't line up with what we here perceive as quality shoes. These square toed shoes sell because guys are wearing them into bars and women are telling them they look good. Nordstrom is littered with positive reviews of crappy glued-together square-toed shoes, many of which are written by men who took advice from their wives, or even by women themselves. I am also sure that men care about construction and build quality much more than women do when it comes to shoes (it's the same as guys being into mechanical watches and cars); women couldn't care less whether a shoe is glued or welted.
Having said that, the one AE shoe that I consistently get compliments on from women is the Clifton.

This is not a knock on women, but you are probably right that an appeal to material and construction might not hold as much weight with women, probably because they are not commonly deciding factors for their own clothing. I've never seen a woman look at a tag to see information about materials, for example, though I'm sure there are those who do.

It's also kind of interesting that the two main mens shoe styles I see walking through the airport, for example, are black square toed shoes and things way on the other side of the spectrum like kiltie tassel loafers.

I get comments all the time on my walnut Rutledges and occasionally on my brown Fifth Avenues (only when they've been recently shine). From what I've gathered, women seem to be more drawn towards flashier colors/designs, something that most AE shoes aren't particularly known for. Put one of those square toed monstrosities next to a nice pair of walnut Strands or Daltons and I'm sure most women would give the nod to AE.

That's a good point. I think color and style are the main things people would notice. Black PAs likely wouldn't get noticed (that's kind of the point of the shoe, I suppose). In fact, the only person to ever compliment my black PAs was my 90 year old grandma. Otherwise, I have received compliments on a pair of okay burgundy tassel loafers I got at a thrift store when I was starting out, perhaps because of the tassels. My walnut Strands have been noticed ("whoa, look at those shoes"), but I don't know that they have ever been complimented -- except by my wife, who was skeptical when I first showed her pictures online, and then when she saw them in person, said something like "oh, I really like those."

A story along these lines: I once sent a friend a link to some wingtips (I think AE McAllisters), and he remarked that they must be expensive because of the "detailing" (he was referring to the broguing). I wonder what people would say if you set a pair of light brown Kenneth Cole wingtips next to a pair of unbrogued black cap toe balmoral Gaziano & Girlings.

Women picking out men's shoes is a weird thing.  My wife hates my Park Avenues (too old mannish) and my walnut Strands took close to a year to grow on her (now, she suggests wearing them).  Just the other day we were doing a closet purge, and I tried to pitch an old pair of ECCO black bicycle toe venetian loafers and her response was, "yeah, you're right, it's probably time to get you a new pair; I really like those."  My response was to smile and put them back on the shoe rack, since there is no way I'm spending a dollar on another pair of Ecco's (or wearing them anytime soon). 

That's pretty funny. Give her some credit though for coming around to the Strands.

I have a pair of Ecco bicyle toe lace-ups that I am considering pitching. The only reason I can see keeping them is to wear them when it snows. I would still likely end up bringing a decent pair of shoes to put on once I arrive in the office, because the thought of wearing those Eccos for an entire day disturbs me.

Some may disagree, but I think it's worthwhile to keep one beater pair of shoes around for occasions such as these. I have considered putting the tassel loafers I mentioned above in my desk at work in case weather takes a turn for the worse.

 

[MrChris]

After less than 10 times of use the heel on one of the soles of my AE Strand has started to separate from the shoe (see area inside red circle in pictures below), the camera deosn't capture it very well, but it is a truly noticable gap in real life.
I'm really disapointed! The problem is that I bought the shoes in NYC and live in Sweden, does anyone know how the repair/refund process works in my case?

 

[New Shoes1]

After less than 10 times of use the heel on one of the soles of my AE Strand has started to separate from the shoe (see area inside red circle in pictures below), the camera deosn't capture it very well, but it is a truly noticable gap in real life.
I'm really disapointed! The problem is that I bought the shoes in NYC and live in Sweden, does anyone know how the repair/refund process works in my case?

The problem is with the adhesive that AE used in the manufacturing process. The repair is to simply put some glue in the split and close it up, which can be done by your local cobbler.

 

[MrChris]

Thank's!
Yes I know it's not a difficult repair process, it's just that this kind of problem shouldn't have to occur this quickly with this type of shoe. I know it's not G&G or Edward Green quality but still they cost a considerable amount and at that price one shouldn't have to face this type of error.

 

[harlequin782]

Yeah, I dont like the Leeds either. Ive looked at several pics of the leeds now, and they just dont jive with me. Entirely too plain/blobby/clunky. - Something that the Allen Edmond design is already prone to, but seems to be exacerbated by the design concept of the Leeds. I could only possibly imagine wearing them with jeans, but other than that, they'd have no place in my wardrobe, frankly.

 

[random-adam]



The problem is with the adhesive that AE used in the manufacturing process.  The repair is to simply put some glue in the split and close it up, which can be done by your local cobbler.

I did this on my own to some pricey custom sandals whose leather footbed started separating from the rubber sole. Used some of this stuff and a toothpick to apply it. Five minutes of work and 24h to let it set. I agree that it shouldn't happen that quickly with high-dollar footwear (I'd owned these sandals for two weeks), but figured it would be faster, cheaper, and just as good as taking it to a cobbler or sending them back to the folks who made them.

 

[New Shoes1]

Thank's!
Yes I know it's not a difficult repair process, it's just that this kind of problem shouldn't have to occur this quickly with this type of shoe. I know it's not G&G or Edward Green quality but still they cost a considerable amount and at that price one shouldn't have to face this type of error.

AE's CEO posted about the issue on the Ask Andy website and attributed the problem to several factors that have now been corrected (new adhesive supplier and too much time and distance between application of adhesive and putting heel on). You could see if AE will return and pick up the shipping, but, when I was faced with the same issue, I chose to just get the quick fix and not be without my shoes for weeks on end.