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

[spitshine123]

Wait, what?

Just when I thought I was done buying shoes for the year!

Did she say the dates for this promotion?

Oh geez. Thought I was done this year also. Might actually cave if they have some walnut or cappuccino shell in my size at that price.

 

[GOP Shoe Guy]

http://www.ivy-style.com/brown-in-town-allen-edmonds-new-cappucino-cordovan-web-exclusive.html

It looks like Ivy Style is reporting that the Cordovan Webgems are actually Cappuccino, not brown. They report that directly from Allen Edmonds. If this is right, I am now even happier I ordered a pair of the Jeffersons.

 

[PlaceboFX]



All Shell Cordovan seconds are on sale at the shoe bank for $299. Shirley was able to locate the MTO Walnut Shell Cordovan Macneils I had made over the summer that did not pass inspection. I can't wait for them to arrive. They have a brown welt, the ones I got I had them change it to a natural. She said she can't see why they are seconds. I am so excited, Walnut Shell for $299.

Oh wow. Keep the merlot mcallister firsts I have coming in fr $226, or return them and get a pair if shell for not that much more?

Decisions, decisions... you always keep it interesting, AE.

 

[Nakedsnake]

Oh wow. Keep the merlot mcallister firsts I have coming in fr $226, or return them and get a pair if shell for not that much more?

Decisions, decisions... you always keep it interesting, AE.

Best choice would be to get both. Second best choice, for me, would be to return the calf and get the shell. Shell wingtips crease (or wrinkle I guess) very nicely.

 

[PlaceboFX]



Looks great! Great price. Send me a pm if you see any 9.5ds, lol.

Haha thanks, and will do. I stop in there every few weeks to see what's marked down/available. Great place to find bargains.

 

[dapperdoctor]

All Shell Cordovan seconds are on sale at the shoe bank for $299. Shirley was able to locate the MTO Walnut Shell Cordovan Macneils I had made over the summer that did not pass inspection. I can't wait for them to arrive. They have a brown welt, the ones I got I had them change it to a natural. She said she can't see why they are seconds. I am so excited, Walnut Shell for $299.

I really need to stop looking at this thread....

 

[PlaceboFX]



Best choice would be to get both. Second best choice, for me, would be to return the calf and get the shell. Shell wingtips crease (or wrinkle I guess) very nicely.

You're such an enabler for my shoe addiction. I'll have to see what they have in my size tomorrow. Just to look...

 

[Nakedsnake]

You're such an enabler for my shoe addiction.

I'll have to see what they have in my size tomorrow. Just to look...

I felt a little bad typing it at first, and then I thought to myself, you're probably on this thread for the same reason I am. To enjoy looking at some great shoes, and to talk to people to either enable our addiction, or at the least, make ours seem less in comparison to theirs (another form of enabling). So really, consider it a favor haha

 

[PlaceboFX]

You're exactly right, and I do consider it a favor . Though after this purchase I think I'm actually going to stop. My shoe rack will be full (entirely of AE) and my shoes should have me set for every situation for the next decade. My oldest AE is only from Feb 2011... and most are from the past few months. I haven't even resoled ANY of them yet.

I'll have to post a buying closure picture of the whole family when I finish this off.

I felt a little bad typing it at first, and then I thought to myself, you're probably on this thread for the same reason I am. To enjoy looking at some great shoes, and to talk to people to either enable our addiction, or at the least, make ours seem less in comparison to theirs (another form of enabling). So really, consider it a favor haha 

Also, does anyone know if this shell sale is only at the Shoe Bank, or at all the outlets? I like the Jeffersonville outlet. They've treated me well through 3 pairs of seconds this year.

 

[MSchapiro]

This image of the new suede Strand on AE's website shows that they do have the Poron insole, like I feared.

What's the matter with the poron?

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

MWS, thank you for the detailed response. I agree that $250 is too much for shoes like that as I got my McAllister and Strand firsts for $249 and $229 during sales. I appreciate the info so that I know what to look for and the comment about repairing makes sense. Even if a cheaper shoe can be repaired, the poor quality upper will make it not worth it.

Based on cost-to-value, style and customer service, I lean towards AE but there are a few things I've seen in other brands that I like so the education on what to look for is helpful. I know this is an AE appreciation thread but if anyone knows where to try on Carmina, Meermin, Loake, Tricker's, etc. I'd love to know.

Thanks.

Sky Valet in Washington D.C. (Georgetown) has a decent assortment. Last time I was there, they had Carmina, Loake, Crockett & Jones, Alden, Edward Green, and a couple others. I don't remember seeing any Meermin or Tricker's there.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

What's the matter with the poron?

Well, it changes the fit characteristics of the shoe to a degree, but my real issue with it is the lower longevity potential. The insole is the true foundation of a shoe, which is something that many people don't realize. Hand-welted shoes (the best shoes money can buy) have extremely heavy insoles, often 1/4 inch thick or so. Goodyear-welted shoes don't require such a heavy insole, but a relatively thick piece of leather is still preferred by the better manufacturers (including AE's standard line of shoes). Most good quality Goodyear-welted shoes have a nice leather insole that is somewhere around the thickness of a leather belt, give or take. Good quality leather is the best material for an insole for the same reasons that it is important for the leather upper. The inherent properties of quality leather simply make for a better product that will last as long as possible.

Poron insoles are fiberboard (a hard piece of board that is a composite of paper and fiberglass), which is then covered with a very thin piece of high-tech (created by NASA) foam and wrapped in a very thin piece of leather for aesthetics. Fiberboard doesn't respond well to moisture for the same reasons that cardboard or masonite siding on houses don't. Eventually your shoes will get wet, even if it's only from perspiration. I'm not saying that shoes with Poron insoles are guaranteed to rot from the inside out and fail sooner than shoes with high quality leather ones. However, I am saying that it is a weak link in a shoe if you are interested in making your shoes last as long as possible. Weak links are things that people don't think to give consideration to in shoes that will be disposed of after a year or two. However, if you are hoping to make a pair of shoes last for 15-20 years and 4-6 resolings, then weak links become a major factor to consider in whether they will make it that long.

I have a pair of AE's with a fiberboard/foam insole, so I'm not saying that I'll never buy them, especially if the model is exactly what I want. But, I do wish AE would make it an easy decision and just not make shoes with Poron insoles.

 

[green garden]

Here are my comparison pictures that I promised. Repp did a good job of summarizing it, but in mine, Ravello and the Walnut Shell look VERY similar... Taken in both natural light and direct sun. I have included the widest variety that I could... I have more Ravello coming in later this month sometime.

Comparison lineup (from left to right): Alden Cigar LHS, Crocket and Jones (for Ralph Lauren) Brown Cordovan Marlow Wingtips, Allen Edmonds Walnut Shell Cordovan, Alden Ravello NSTs, Alden Whiskey LWB. First picture hopefully sets the overall scene for you.




Same lineup, but this time from an angle. In natural light, but not direct sun, my Ravello looks darker than the Walnut Shell.



Here is just the Walnut and Ravello in direct sun light (Walnut Shell left, Ravello Shell right). In direct sun, they look much closer to one another.



Here is a closeup in direct sun (Walnut Shell left, Ravello Shell right).



Hope that this helps. But as you can see from my post versus Repp's, the colors vary quite a bit within any tone (most of the Dalton's in Walnut Shell that I have seen are a bit darker than my Strands).

-Mike

Thanks. Nice Collection. I know this is the AE thread but those NSTs spectacular. Wear in good health.

 

[basiameda]

Anyone know what last Bayfields are on?

 

[mimo]

All Shell Cordovan seconds are on sale at the shoe bank for $299. Shirley was able to locate the MTO Walnut Shell Cordovan Macneils I had made over the summer that did not pass inspection. I can't wait for them to arrive. They have a brown welt, the ones I got I had them change it to a natural. She said she can't see why they are seconds. I am so excited, Walnut Shell for $299.

What?! Already there, or this is expected when?