Are Allen Edmonds meant for "older people"

what exactly are AE lasts some are referring to?

Lasts: http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/AllAboutLastsView?catalogId=40000000001&langId=-1&storeId=1

thanks for providing the link. Is there an extra fee associated with purchasing a last?

I once heard someone criticising AE for having boxy lasts which perplexed me because I think if you're looking for a pair of longwings or brogue boots I personally want them with a bit of clunkiness. That said, I'd rather go for Tricker's than AE. I've heard the quality isn't quit what one would expect for the AE pricing though...

I mean people go crazy for Tricker's stuff and they make the chunkiest, thickest soled, heaviest brogued stuff out (Which I love). Maybe the preference for Tricker's stuff over AE is that they have that edginess with their colours/soles/collaberations etc and don't seem as overbearingly conservative.

My 2 cents

They maybe classic in style and not 'fashion forward' and thus not attract younger buyers but that is neither bad nor a reflection upon their products or intent. They may also be in a price range that younger less well paid people deem excessive for shoes.



GBR said:

They maybe classic in style and not 'fashion forward' and thus not attract younger buyers but that is neither bad nor a reflection upon their products or intent. They may also be in a price range that younger less well paid people deem excessive for shoes.

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I'd rather buy a pair of Grenson or Loake shoes from pediwear or herringshoes than AE. They are just so much more elegant and cost the same.

Buying shoes online is not recommended for beginners, so a passable knowledge of brands, lasts and your size is pretty important. I still own a couple of pair of AE, I find them to be a solid brand and I can't recall anyone I've ever met professionally in AEs that weren't in their late 20s at the least. Above poster is right about price being a factor with younger guys. I had my new G&Gs on the other day and one guy asked about them. I just said they were English shoes, he asked a couple of more questions and went into vapor lock when I td him what I paid, I thought the price wasn't that bad...

AE generally represents the starting point for decent shoes, ymmv with the price you pay in the end. Like any company with a lot of models, there are winners and there are losers in the design. PAs, Kenilworth, Strand/Sanford, MacNeil are good. Some are meh and a whole lot are FUGLY. Some guys will never go past AE, sometimes I wish I were still one of them.

Loakes and Grensons are maybe a bit better made, but I really wouln't go out of my way for a pair. Brooks Brothers at sale time would be a better bet. Finding a brick and mortar store to examine them before ordering online is difficult on this side of the Atlantic. Loake 1880 brogues look nice, the reissue Royal ones had a cheap plastic feel to them.

Tastes seems to run towards sleeker narrower lasts these days it seems and none of these companies makes shoes like that, at least at AE prices. I find younger guys go for looks first, then quality second at a price they can afford. If I could get AEs on lasts similar to EG 82 or 888, G&G DG70 or TG 73, I'd be all over them. So would the younger guys I suspect, when combined with AE quality.

I am a younger guy (I'm 24 years old), and I just recently bought my first pair of AE's. I bought the New Orleans in Walnut. My wife wanted me to buy a brown pair of dress shoes to alternate with my black Ecco's. When I saw these I instantly wanted them more than anything I've ever wanted in my entire life. They are a stylish, young guy type of dress shoe. They are dressy, but not boring, and they can be dressed down. They are also a slimmer, sleeker fit than your typical AE shoe.

I do not wear dress shoes for work, only for weekly church meetings and the occasional special event. If you want your friends to be jealous of a pair of your shoes, get these...

Not to rain on your parade, but out of all "zapatos de viejo" (old man shoes) styles, "zapatos de rejilla" (woven shoes) like those are considered the pinnacle of geriatric footwear around these parts...

RDiaz said:

Not to rain on your parade, but out of all "zapatos de viejo" (old man shoes) styles, "zapatos de rejilla" (woven shoes) like those are considered the pinnacle of geriatric footwear around these parts...

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I agree, that's what comes to mind for me. But if you can wear it with confidence, then go for it.

I dont like them at all. for every "classic" style they do Crockett and Jones, Lobb, Edward Green or Cleverley execute it much, much better.

RDiaz said:

Not to rain on your parade, but out of all "zapatos de viejo" (old man shoes) styles, "zapatos de rejilla" (woven shoes) like those are considered the pinnacle of geriatric footwear around these parts...

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Well then... I'm certainly glad that my parts are nowhere near yours.

I've worn them 3 times since I got them for fathers day (twice to church, once to a local concert) and I have received dozens of complements on them already (none of those complements coming from a person over the age of 30).

Stop worrying so much about what everyone else is wearing and wear what you believe to be beautiful.

E makes some of the more conservative looking shoes that you would wear in a conservative work environment (legal, finance, etc). I can't see anyone in their late teens to 20s wearing an AE shoe to a nightclub or to a concert.

And as David Reeves mentioned, many of the English shoemakers do a better job at the "classic" styles. But unless you live in NYC where you can try on all the different English shoes, AE store and outlets are easier to access for most Americans. Also the price point for AE is more reasonable on sale and from outlets compared to English shoes.

I believe Italian shoemakers make more fashion-forward shoes that can be worn by people working in a less conservative work environment or on a night out. But we are really comparing apples to oranges in terms of context, accesibility and price ranges.



chinngiskhaan said:

Well then... I'm certainly glad that my parts are nowhere near yours.

I've worn them 3 times since I got them for fathers day (twice to church, once to a local concert) and I have received dozens of complements on them already (none of those complements coming from a person over the age of 30).

Stop worrying so much about what everyone else is wearing and wear what you believe to be beautiful.

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"Dozens" of compliments in three wearings? Do you live somewhere most people don't own shoes? West Virginia maybe?

David Reeves said:

I dont like them at all. for every "classic" style they do Crockett and Jones, Lobb, Edward Green or Cleverley execute it much, much better.

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To a large degree, I agree with this, but those previously mentioned brands generally cost quite a bit more. That's where AE makes it's name.