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

[Kai]

My first ever pair of monkstraps

(shell cordovan)

 

[Kai]



I have never owned any A/E shoes.

However, last week, I bought 2 pair in one day.

Here's one of them:

There is something strange about these shoes. The sole is leather, but the heel is rubber. The rubber is really really soft, however, like chewing-gum soft. Just walking around, stones and gravel get embedded in the heel. I had so many stones in the heel that they became somewhat unsafe to walk on, as they were really slick on hard surfaces.

I took a key and dug out the larger stones. I've never had this issue with any shoes ever. This rubber is way softer than even my sticky rubber rock shoes.

Anyone else ever had this issue? I'm going to take them to a cobbler and have a different heel piece put on them. Kind of annoying however, for brand new shoes.

 

[JDMills]

Ya I have that problem with my AE heels too, it's just the top lift that's rubber, rocks get embedded in them all the time, but I've never had them wear too fast. Are you walking anywhere particularly rocky? Sharp rocks too by the look of it.

And are you a bigger guy? I am, so that'll help wear everything down faster.

 

[tietherope]



The $128 calfskin Brooks Brother belt is outstanding and comes in merlot.  If you pick it up on one of the 30% off sales, it's pretty reasonable for the quality.

Thanks, I'll watch out for a sale. Unfortunately the shipping to Canada would be $22 though.

 

[JubeiSpiegel]

I have a personal story to share about a man that traded a story for a pair of Allen Edmonds shoes. Not sure if anyone remembers about 2 years ago, when BB launched their new website, they had a contest about submitting your personal AE story. The winners would receive a pair of shoes, and publishing in their "90 Years, 90 Stories" book. I was fortunate enough to be included, and just received my shoes today:

Hancock in burgundy, w/ nice flush heels, came out quite well.
The toe is extremely soft, so i will try hard to make the creasing happen in the vamp. I wonder why AE doesn't use toe stiffeners in their cap toes, would solve most of my past AE issues.

 

[TM79]

It took 2 years to receive them?

 

[evilWagon]

Thanks, I'll watch out for a sale. Unfortunately the shipping to Canada would be $22 though.

Not sure where you are but we do have a store in Toronto.

 

[JubeiSpiegel]



It took 2 years to receive them?

It took 2 years for them to finalize the book and contact the winners...

 

[pudman43]



There is something strange about these shoes. The sole is leather, but the heel is rubber. The rubber is really really soft, however, like chewing-gum soft. Just walking around, stones and gravel get embedded in the heel. I had so many stones in the heel that they became somewhat unsafe to walk on, as they were really slick on hard surfaces.

I took a key and dug out the larger stones. I've never had this issue with any shoes ever. This rubber is way softer than even my sticky rubber rock shoes.

Anyone else ever had this issue? I'm going to take them to a cobbler and have a different heel piece put on them. Kind of annoying however, for brand new shoes.

Thanks for posting this, I thought maybe I was the only one. I have a pair of Clifton seconds I picked up about 4-5 months ago, and they too have a very soft heel, in which rocks indeed become embedded. Frustrating, as I have 9 pr of AE yet this has never happened to me before. Very odd, guess i'll see about cost to replace heels locally. J

 

[Subutai]



My first ever pair of monkstraps

(shell cordovan)

I'm jealous that you could fit your foot with the 2 last. And in shell! I love the Norwich, but I can't find a size that fits.

 

[tietherope]



Not sure where you are but we do have a store in Toronto.

Well how about that, there is Toronto stores. I never even thought to look for such a thing. If only I had known when I was downtown yesterday. Either way, I can run to the Bayview Village location any day on my lunch break.

When there are sales in the U.S. does it apply to the Toronto store too?

Thank you very much.

 

[evilWagon]

I recommend wearing them around the house on carpet for a few hours prior to going outside. That will help to break them in and reduce initial toe wear on the sole

As the others said above, it is perfectly normal for your toes to show what appears to be a higher rate of wear initially as your soles adjust to your gait. They start out as right angles, so obviously they will round off some. The amount varies from person to person. That said, did you spend some time breaking them in indoors for several wears (of at least an hour each) before you began wearing them outdoors? If not, that will certainly result in some unnecessarily heavy wear at first as they break in and get past the initial stiffness of the sole. It is best to break them in on non-abrasive surfaces so that the sole flexes properly and doesn't drag during walking.

I wondered the same thing when I got my McAllisters with leather sole. On day 1 the toes on each were eaten away. It has since formed to how I walk and has slowed down. I did an edge sole polish the first few times I wore them. I then got a pair of McAllisters with the V sole and like them a lot - don't have this issue. Interestingly enough my Sheltons with leather sole on a different last did not wear as much the first few times out. Could be because of the thicker sole or simply the shape of the shoe and how you end up walking in them.

Thanks for the feedback guys. The explanation of breaking them in on carpet vs wear makes sense, I had read about wearing them on carpet but I assumed that was to ensure they were comfortable and to be able to return them if not. Looks like I should search proper break in procedures (what are these, cars?).

On another note in preparation for the Tent sale I have a question;

I've got Delrays in black and the Lasalles in Chili, I'm thinking of picking up a black bal for more formal occasions something that looks decent on large feet 15D (6'7" tall) and something a bit more robust and casual/flexible... shell leeds maybe?

 

[TM79]



It took 2 years for them to finalize the book and contact the winners...

Damn. Well congrats on being one of them. Those look really nice.

 

[evilWagon]

Well how about that, there is Toronto stores. I never even thought to look for such a thing. If only I had known when I was downtown yesterday. Either way, I can run to the Bayview Village location any day on my lunch break.

When there are sales in the U.S. does it apply to the Toronto store too?

Thank you very much.

I'm not positive about the sales, I do read that the prices are more expensive here. I just signed up for their email list and next sale I'm going to drop into their downtown location to find out for myself. Worst case scenario I try things on and then order online and ship to my Brother in the US.

 

[tietherope]

Question about the upcoming tent sale (www.aetentsale.com).

Does it work like the sale a few weeks ago where you can email any location and get a list/order? Or are they sticking to the 3 methods listed on the website?