The 2023 Allen Edmonds (AE) Appreciation Thread

[sam67]

Scotch grain Leeds. Somebody said these were old man shoes. You can see they were mistaken.

 

[RJNavarrete]

Scotch grain Leeds. Somebody said these were old man shoes. You can see they were mistaken.
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Am I the only one that doesn't like what they do to the grain on the toe on these? Is there a practical reason why they smooth it out like that?

 

[sam67]

Am I the only one that doesn't like what they do to the grain on the toe on these? Is there a practical reason why they smooth it out like that?

Might just be wear. These were made in the mid 1990s

 

[smfdoc]

Am I the only one that doesn't like what they do to the grain on the toe on these? Is there a practical reason why they smooth it out like that?

The Scotch grain is stamped as a pattern into calf. I believe the calf is pulled tight during the lasting process and this pulls the stamped grain back to a nearly smooth character. This is seen in the new C&J bluchers I had at one time. Beautiful shoes, but dang they were uncomfortable so they had to go.

 

[JFWR]

The 2.0 Indy line was a different sole than the originals…they didn’t even have the metal tag under the arch. That said, my Palm Beaches are wearing well in comparison to others with similar wear

Is that after they’re good and broken in, or is most of the wear very early on? If so, flex them at the ball a bunch before wearing them the first time to minimize the toe drag.

I just found of all my leather soles, these were the only ones which never developed any sort of grip at all. I could ice skate on cross walks.

 

[RJNavarrete]

The Scotch grain is stamped as a pattern into calf. I believe the calf is pulled tight during the lasting process and this pulls the stamped grain back to a nearly smooth character. This is seen in the new C&J bluchers I had at one time. Beautiful shoes, but dang they were uncomfortable so they had to go.

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Ah, I see. Indeed, that is a beautiful pair of shoes! Shame they had to go.

 

[JFWR]

Am I the only one that doesn't like what they do to the grain on the toe on these? Is there a practical reason why they smooth it out like that?

Probably at this point from friction/rubbing of polish and wear in general.

I don't think it is just the lasting process, though that probably contributes, as my C&J Aldershots and Pembrokes have prominent grain even on their toes, though I "fill it in" with polish.

 

[EZB]

Two offices today, but one pair of great shoes.

 

[Cause Moe]

Scotch grain Leeds. Somebody said these were old man shoes. You can see they were mistaken.
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I like them specifically because they are old man shoes.

 

[Duke Santos]

Probably at this point from friction/rubbing of polish and wear in general.

I don't think it is just the lasting process, though that probably contributes, as my C&J Aldershots and Pembrokes have prominent grain even on their toes, though I "fill it in" with polish.

Interesting. Both my C&J grain shoes (Islay and Boston) have a very noticeable smoothing of the grain as you get to the toe.

 

[JFWR]

Interesting. Both my C&J grain shoes (Islay and Boston) have a very noticeable smoothing of the grain as you get to the toe.

Hm, strange, as I just checked, and except in so much as I have polished them heavily, they show grain.

Basically, I've taken any evidence of "smoothing" to be a result that I shine my shoes a lot, and scotch grain "fills in" when polished to a certain extent. It will still show grain, but you're effectively you know, layering a veneer of wax on it to make it shiny.

 

[pbrandes]

No problem pairing blue with green IMO

 

[Shoenut]

The only grain shoe that should be purchased. And the grain shows on the toe.

 

[Roycru]

Wearing Horween black CXL McTavishes today. On the one hand, they are very comfortable. On the other hand you can't get them really shiny.

For fans of "A-E In The Wild" pictures, two different opinions on what color shoes to wear with red trousers when it isn't white shoe season.

Lord Cardigan wore black shoes with red trousers when he led the charge of the Light Brigade.

I followed Lord Cardigan's example and wore black shoes with red trousers even though I wasn't in Crimea charging at Russian guns. I was going to a Coronation Tea.

Some more about red trousers:

https://www.theguardian.com/.../in-defence-of-red-trousers

Lord Cardigan.

For fans of food pictures in shoe threads, the Coronation Tea and me in the Tea Room at Ye Olde King's Head in Santa Monica CA.

For fans of random Santa Monica pictures in shoe threads, not many people on the beach today.....

....or walking along Ocean Avenue.

 

[Cause Moe]

Lord Cardigan.

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Some knitwear names carry the echoes of the charge of the light brigade. The brigade's commander was Major General Cardigan, the commander of the British Army in Crimea was General Raglan, and the charge was part of the Battle of Balaclava.