Quote:
Originally Posted by Quadcammer 
AE 360 degree welt shoes do not use a shank.
just avoid AE threads, your ignorance with respect to these products is astounding.
AE 360 degree welt shoes do not use a shank.
just avoid AE threads, your ignorance with respect to these products is astounding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Man Of Lint
Allen Edmonds doesn't use shanks in their shoes and you should stop trolling threads about Allen Edmonds product.
It's gotten old a long time ago amigo. Give it a rest already.
Allen Edmonds doesn't use shanks in their shoes and you should stop trolling threads about Allen Edmonds product.
It's gotten old a long time ago amigo. Give it a rest already.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Man Of Lint
Double-quoted for fail greatness ^^
![crackup[1].gif](http://files.styleforum.net/images/smilies/crackup%5B1%5D.gif)
Double-quoted for fail greatness ^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by AllenEdmondsCEO;1157760
Thanks for this question. Interesting thread of responses. Racer is correct above: Allen Edmonds revolutionized shoemaking in the 1920s (founded in 1922) by not using any shank at all. We still don't put shanks in the vast majority of our shoes. We have been using a fiberglass shank for a year in our new Executive Collection shoes (the only ones with a shank). They're made in a 270 welted construction (i.e. the welt is sewn only from the front of the heel, around the front of the shoe past the toe and back to the front of the heel on the other side). 270 construction historically has allowed Italians and others to have a tighter heel in the back which, on sleaker/narrower-toed shoes especially, adds a certain stylish look. The Executives were the first time we had done 270s and, frankly, I drove that move in order to have some new looks. Without the 360 welt construction to hold the entire shoe together, the shank plays the role of keeping heel and arch from separating over time, coming apart in the middle. When manufacturers used steel shanks, the shoes were especially tough to break in, which gave AE its first big claim to fame (out of the box flexibility and comfort). All of our Timeless Classics and other shoes that have been around for more than a year are 360 welts with no shank at all. We've recently engineered even our Executive Collection and other tight heel shoes as 360s, so as to avoid the shank altogether. The heel is just as tight and stylish, but the 360 construction - at least we still believe - is more comfortable more quickly, more stable over time and therefore likely to last longer.
As you might imagine, we pay close attention to the market and what our esteemed competitors are doing. I've never noticed much difference in weight between welted shoes of similar materials, whether 270s or 360s. Cordovan shoes weigh perceptibly more than calfskin, though, and the sole used with cordovan shoes is similarly a bit heavier. Otherwise, I don't know why you'd notice a different heft. In any event, shoes fashions are going heavier and more substantial these days, with heavier leathers, thicker soles and more lug soles. You'll see more of those styles, including boots, from us in 2011.
Be well,
Paul
Thanks for this question. Interesting thread of responses. Racer is correct above: Allen Edmonds revolutionized shoemaking in the 1920s (founded in 1922) by not using any shank at all. We still don't put shanks in the vast majority of our shoes. We have been using a fiberglass shank for a year in our new Executive Collection shoes (the only ones with a shank). They're made in a 270 welted construction (i.e. the welt is sewn only from the front of the heel, around the front of the shoe past the toe and back to the front of the heel on the other side). 270 construction historically has allowed Italians and others to have a tighter heel in the back which, on sleaker/narrower-toed shoes especially, adds a certain stylish look. The Executives were the first time we had done 270s and, frankly, I drove that move in order to have some new looks. Without the 360 welt construction to hold the entire shoe together, the shank plays the role of keeping heel and arch from separating over time, coming apart in the middle. When manufacturers used steel shanks, the shoes were especially tough to break in, which gave AE its first big claim to fame (out of the box flexibility and comfort). All of our Timeless Classics and other shoes that have been around for more than a year are 360 welts with no shank at all. We've recently engineered even our Executive Collection and other tight heel shoes as 360s, so as to avoid the shank altogether. The heel is just as tight and stylish, but the 360 construction - at least we still believe - is more comfortable more quickly, more stable over time and therefore likely to last longer.
As you might imagine, we pay close attention to the market and what our esteemed competitors are doing. I've never noticed much difference in weight between welted shoes of similar materials, whether 270s or 360s. Cordovan shoes weigh perceptibly more than calfskin, though, and the sole used with cordovan shoes is similarly a bit heavier. Otherwise, I don't know why you'd notice a different heft. In any event, shoes fashions are going heavier and more substantial these days, with heavier leathers, thicker soles and more lug soles. You'll see more of those styles, including boots, from us in 2011.
Be well,
Paul
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