Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread 2018 - News, Pictures, Clothing, Accessories, etc.

[smfdoc]

In the drive to 3200, I took out Mrs. smfdoc for dinner. Ditched the natty shell MacNeils and went to whiskey shell Aldens. (It was dark, so a photo from a week ago.)

 

[M635Guy]

Thank you, one more question, I did not involve in last drop, so is there any other option for width?, for example E or EEE?

D and EEE

Which is stupid IMHO.

They run a bit narrow, but I'm the wider side of D and while there's a bit of a pinky toe bulge, it's still amazingly comfortable.

 

[sondthvtc]

D and EEE

Which is stupid IMHO.

They run a bit narrow, but I'm the wider side of D and while there's a bit of a pinky toe bulge, it's still amazingly comfortable.

They did come in EEE.

Thank you guys, will wait for the next drop to pull the trigger

 

[St Hubbins]

Okay I’ll make a submission. However only one AE for me this year and three Aldens.

First, brown shell Strands.

Next Alden x Brooks Brothers snuff tassel moccasins.

Then, the Alden x TSM whiskey shell LWB.

Finally, Alden 9501 natural Chromexcel PTB.

So, not a lot of shoes. But some good ones. Also I probably spent close to the same on these four that I did on last year’s twelve, and especially the last three were worth it. Have a Happy New Year!

 

[cc808314]

Whoa!!! Just when I’m getting ready to post a drunk pic you drop a Weasel Bomb™ on it!

Lol, don’t let me stop you. Go right ahead!

Great scores. Zeroed right in on the tanker boot. Is that the chocolate suede or tobacco chamois?

Chocolate suede from Leathersoul.

 

[darkclassic]

I jumped the gun about a month ago and posted the group photo, but here’s a different look at my 2018 acquisitions. My idea of a solid core rotation is pretty minimal, so I blasted off into the shell stratosphere this year. I’m hoping for some loafers and a split toe or 2 in the new year.

1. AE Sea Island - Tan
View attachment 1098788

2. AE Cambridge - Burgundy
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3. Alden Venice Boot - Black Shell
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4. Alden Cigar Indy
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Rider Boot Fritz Chelsea - Natural
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6. Viberg Service Boot - Navy chamois
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Happy New Year, Gentleweasels

Cambridge is such a classic. I've never managed to score a pair but always admire them.

2018 was a very busy year. I bought and kept 28 pairs; however, many were moved.

Happy 2019 everyone! Above all, I wish you all healthy and successful year.

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AE Katmai, AE burgundy shell Dundee, AE brown shell Dundee
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AE gray Long Branch, AE Chili Dalton, Alden color 8 WTB, Alden reverse earth chamois WTB, Carmina calf/suede u-tip
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AE suede Liverpool, Alden 405 Indy, Alden color 8 Indy, Alden choco NST
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Florsheim Stratford 97606, Florsheim 93602, Florsheim bison LWB, Hanover fall olive LWB, Florsheim burgundy cordovan LWB 97626, Hanover burgundy cordovan LWB
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AE brown cordovan Patriot, AE burgundy cordovan Patriot, Carmina choco suede Venetian loafers
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AE Wobert, Florsheim 93603 PTB, Alden color 8 v-tip
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AE brown Cornwallis, Carmina single-monk, Lof & Tung whilecuts, AE natty shell St Johns
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Good score on the Dundees! Those brown ones almost look like truffle in that lighting.

 

[Christopher Alan]

Who can post the best Happy New Year drunk pic?

Let’s see ‘em!

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Okay I’ll make a submission. However only one AE for me this year and three Aldens.

First, brown shell Strands.
View attachment 1098816

Next Alden x Brooks Brothers snuff tassel moccasins.
View attachment 1098821

Then, the Alden x TSM whiskey shell LWB.
View attachment 1098819

Finally, Alden 9501 natural Chromexcel PTB.
View attachment 1098820

So, not a lot of shoes. But some good ones. Also I probably spent close to the same on these four that I did on last year’s twelve, and especially the last three were worth it. Have a Happy New Year!

Nothing wrong with buying only smart choices. Had Ashley and Jason not contacted me this year, I would have probably only bought 6. I blame the SMU's (3) on them. I want one of those 9501 shoes, but it will have to wait.

I'm curious as to where @M2511 is and want to see what he accumulated.

@cc808314 Nice pickups, especially those 93603 shoes!

 

[jet-stream]

Nice acquisitions Jet. I like the rug, too. My New Years Resolution is quite similar. Less quantity, more quality. I also resolve to finally get off my duff and actually list the small handful of ill-fitting shoes I have on ebay to open up my closet space.

Thanks Ace. Rugs are ... kind of a thing here. The realization that most of my 2018 acquisitions don’t get as many wears as previous pairs couple with closet limitations make the resolution a no brainer...

 

[jet-stream]

Since we are going full-tilt posting bender tonight to blow past 3200... Now, I know it will be hard to believe this but I may actually pull the trigger on, wait for it.... yet another acquisition in 2018.

View attachment 1098662

This decision is likely going to involve some proper filthy barn weasel-style mental gymnatistics to justify so, naturally, a beverage or three will be consumed. And I'm on kid watch tonight so that will have to be a bit later on for me. Good thing I'll be up late.

May be too late, but .... do iiiiiiiiit.

 

[jet-stream]

High five! Eight loafers!

My goal is very minimal purchases as well...two shell already on the books though. :/
I plan to join your ranks come April when I finally make it to carmina's store... hopefully leaving with a navy shell on order...

#youknowthatsright

For those who don’t know, madhat and I weaseled the hell out of each other on loafers. I think I convinced him to get Palm Beaches before I got around to getting them myself ....

 

[darkclassic]

Okay I’ll make a submission. However only one AE for me this year and three Aldens.

First, brown shell Strands.
View attachment 1098816

Next Alden x Brooks Brothers snuff tassel moccasins.
View attachment 1098821

Then, the Alden x TSM whiskey shell LWB.
View attachment 1098819

Finally, Alden 9501 natural Chromexcel PTB.
View attachment 1098820

So, not a lot of shoes. But some good ones. Also I probably spent close to the same on these four that I did on last year’s twelve, and especially the last three were worth it. Have a Happy New Year!

Looks like a pretty nice year of pick ups to me. Your whiskey LWB posts had a major influence on my acquisitions this year. Enjoy your posts, thanks kindly.

 

[donkeyhoatie]

All right, here it is, the donkeyhoatie 2018 year in review. I started out the year with just a couple of simple goals:

1. Brown shell Strands
2. Maybe fill my chili hole

That's it. I'm a simple kind of man with simple tastes. Unlike a good number of you, I'm not a dresser-upper. Work is chinos and a button down. Usually my AEs are worth more than every other article of clothing I have on . . . combined. I thought I was pretty much done, once I'd added the above to my meager rotation.

I was wrong.

Not pictured are the brown suede Liverpools I got for $77 from the Joseph Abboud discounted mistake. I didn't keep them because I didn't think I could pull them off. So, I passed them along at cost to another SF member. I also didn't show the sand suede Nomad chukkas I got for $108 during one of AEs many, many sales. The fit was OK, but the material seemed a little lacking. They were probably worth the money I paid for them, but I just wasn't feeling them, so they went back. Also not shown are the $189 chili MacNeils I tried to buy off the site during the system transition because the order sat in limbo for a while until I called in and a rep told me it was cancelled. Awesome. Way to help a guy's chili hole.

First thing I did in 2018 was cross off item #1 from my list. The first pair of brown shell Strand seconds had to go back due to some serious issues. But, the second pair was pretty good. You know how they say, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it"? Well, I think this was the case here. I like these Strands a lot, but I was expecting to flat-out love them. I'm about a dozen wears into them, and the fit is just off by a bit. I have 12D oxblood Strands that completely close. I was hoping the 11.5 D shell version would be lasted a little loose, and would fit me right. I probably needed these in an 11.5 E.



Next up was a call to Ashley to get a pair of the $99 Maritime seconds in natty CXL. Love that material. I need about a dozen more pairs of shoes in natty. I haven't owned a boat shoe since 1991, but I'm not sure what I was waiting for here. The fit is great. If the same kind of deal is running in 2019, I can easily see myself picking up a navy pair and a burgundy pair. Heck, I'll probably pick up another pair next year, even if they're not running that kind of sale.



I felt like I stole this next pair. The dark brown Sullivan Streets were on sale for just over $200 for firsts when they discontinued that color. Sure, I think the coffee color ones are sexier, but the dark brown is sexy af, too. I'd been toying around with the idea of jumping in on the Massdrop chukkas, and thought this would be a good way to see how the 511 fit me, since I bought my Longbranch boots a long time ago and got them too big at 12D. The 11.5D in these fit perfectly. Love these boots and I wore the bejesus out of them during the fall and into the winter. Once the salt starts to hit the streets here in Chicago, I'll dial them back a bit. Until then, they're heavy in the rotation. Real heavy.



Next up is an unexpected bargain. Was out thrifting one day and came across a pair of tan Voyagers in 11.5E for under $20. Looked like minimal wear, so I cleaned 'em inside and out, ordered a new pair of Road Warrior inserts for $10 and slapped them in there. The Voyager is far from the best looking shoe that AE makes (to me, it's still the brown shell Strand), but these are surprisingly comfortable. I wear them around in all weather and couldn't be happier after I've been on my feet for hours at a stretch. I'm not sure I'm at the point where I'd buy a pair of the blue ones, but if I came across a pair at the right price point? Sure. Sure I would.



After I got the Sullivan Streets and realized the 511 worked for me, and I nixed the sand Nomad chukkas, I figured it was time to see what all the fuss was all about with the Massdrop chukkas. I placed the order back in August/September and these bad boys appeared a couple of days before Christmas. They fit pretty well. I think they're a touch narrower than the Sullivan Streets, and feel a bit longer, but they'll do. It's going to take a while to get used to the unstructured nature of them, but I'm about 90% sure they're keepers. I know others have had issues with the finishing and quality of theirs, but I can't see anything wrong with these. Depending on how much I like them, another pair or two might be in my future.



Now, I know you guys are dying to know about my chili hole. It's been quite the talk of 2018. I was so excited this summer when I thought I'd nabbed that pair for $189, only to have it yanked away from me. It left a really bad taste in my mouth and I figured it would be a while before I'd finally be able to fill my chili hole. I'd see the MacNeils go on smaller discounts here and there, but it was always in the $240 or so range, and while I wanted to fill my chili hole, I didn't want to pay an extra $50 or so to do that.

Then Ashley e-mailed me in early November, and our exchange went something like this:

A: Hey, Donkey, rumor has it you're looking for something in chili.

D: Oh, you heard about my chili hole?

A: What? No! Ew, that sounds gross. I'm out of here.

D: No, wait! I take it back. I'll never mention it again.

A: Thank God. I'm really scarred from that. Anyway, I uncovered a couple of shoes in chili if you're interested.

D: Go on.

A: Well, I've got a pair of chili Strands with a Dainite sole in 11.5D.

D: Interesting, but I'm not sure the 11.5D really works for me with the Strand.

A: In that case, I've also got a pair of chili MacNeils in 11.5D. They've got a v-tread sole on them, so they were some kind of SMU. Just wanted to be up front with you about that. Anyway, I looked them over, and I can't see anything wrong them.

D: This sounds too good to be true. I'm definitely interested. Dare I ask how much they are?

A: Well, they're normally $99, but if you order them today, I can sell them to you for $84. But, only if you promise to retire the term "chili hole" once and for all.

D: Done.

Man, my credit card got a speed burn from how quickly I pulled it out of my wallet. Oh, and BTW, Ashley was right, there wasn't a thing wrong with them. What a great shoe and a great way to fill my chili . . . uh, "rotational deficiency."



So, that's it. I wanted 2 things this year and got them both, and added 4 more along the way. Seems about right.

What's in store for me in 2019? Well, here's kind of what I'm thinking.

1. Save up some dough for a potential Higgins Mill MTO, should the opportunity present itself. I'm still kicking myself for missing out on the shell and kudu versions people ordered before. I would love either of those. I'd also love a color #8 CXL or a tan Dublin or about a dozen other versions that aren't tattooed or camouflaged. I really feel like there will be an opportunity for something cool this year, and I plan on being ready for it.

2. Track down one of the shoes that I wish I'd pulled the trigger on. Tan Eagle County, Walnut First Avenues, Shaker Heights, Bleecker Streets, or old school blue Cronmoks are all high on the list. I'm feeling optimistic about one of these popping up.

3. Uncovering a natty CXL Higgins Mill. I really should have jumped on this one.

4. Strongly consider one of those Nordstrom Hearst boots (or whatever they're called). Looks like a good boot, and I'd love to see some photos of them out in the wild. Could be a winner for me.

5. Find a vintage pair of shell MacNeils to rescue.

6. If 1-5 above fail, think about another version of the Alden Indy. Probably a natty, but maybe a snuff or blue suede. There are enough cool variants out there, I'm sure one of them will do.

So, that's about it. I'm only about four 7 & 7s into tonight, and I'm pretty sure I've got at least four more in me before midnight. If my math is right, that should be a total of 112 or so. Of course, my math is probably wrong, because I made these first four a little stronger than normal in hopes of killing off the tail end of my cold.

Happy Nude Year, one and all, you filthy barnweasels! Can't wait to see what 2019 has in store for all of us.

 

[darkclassic]

May be too late, but .... do iiiiiiiiit.

DONE!

Spoiler: Non-AE

Alden S & S Whipsnake Indy

 

[jet-stream]

A great shoe that I would probably never wear.

I wear them WAY more than expected. Didn’t initially love the style, but Brett easy to put on, extremely lightweight, and quite versatile.