Real life AE shoe colors - at what shade brown?

Gents,

Background
After spending a few pre-SF years happily wearing square toed Aldos (and a few months post-SF fretting about it), I'll be remedying the situation with 3 pairs of Allen Edmonds on my forthcoming trip to NYC.

The plan is to get three pairs of leather soled bals:
1) Black - (most likley PAs via Ebay)
2) Mid Brown (Hale, Evanston, Soho)
3) Dark Brown (...but not Merlot, and that's the problem)

I'm looking mostly at shoes with some brouging, and wanted my two brown shoes to be distinct from one another especially in terms of color. My office environment is a bank, I typically wear a Jantzen shirt, slacks, and sometimes an odd jacket.

The Question
Finding mid brown AE shoes is easy, I'd be happy to have any of the Hale, Evanston, or Soho as below. I've only found one dark brown AE that's the right color, the Weybridge (but I'm not sold on the style):



Does AE make other shoes in dark brown colors like the Weybridge? The website suggests not.

My mid brown shoes will be one of the following. Can you advise if the following colors much darker in real life than on my screen (where they all look very similar)?

Hale - Chili Burnished Calf:


Evanston - Walnut Calf:


Soho - Cognac Calf:


Is it possible the above shoes will be available in darker colors in store , even if they are not on the AE website?

E's Chili is an awesome color - it's probably AE's best color. It develops the best patina of any shade used by AE.

As for dark brown, a number of discontinued AE's were made in that shade - look for things like the Brown Eversnow Calf (and I think there was a Brown Antibes as well). Depending on your size, you may be able to find some of the older dark browns. I know that the AE Byron came in a dark brown, as well as one of AE's captoes (I think the Park Avenue was available in Brown Eversnow calf). But I agree, AE just does not put out a lot of dark brown - my dark brown oxfords and boots are mostly from other makers (except for the AE Taunton).

The brown used in the AE Taunton is a dark brown - I think Brown Antibes.

You also might be able to find darker browns in AE's European catalog.

See also:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-ALLEN-EDMOND...QQcmdZViewItem

It's a bit of a dark brown.

Not sure if I would want two pairs of PAs in Brown and Black, but the color is right:

my AE Mora's (double monk strap) are dark brown

I have to agree that the chili color is very nice and it does get better with age. For a mid brown, the Evanston would be nice. You could look at the Bel Air also. Both of these are in walnut brown on AE's website. For the darker brown, the Weybridge looks great.

But I will throw a third option into the equation. I recently acquired the Manhattan in the saddle brown and it is gorgeous. To me, it is like a darker version of the chili, with more brown in it. Initially, the chili was my favorite shade, but now the saddle brown tops it. If you have the opportunity, take a look at the shoe in person. The AE website does not do it justice.

Brown Eversnow (now long-gone) and Brown Antibes are more medium browns than dark browns. The Brown Eversnow was a gorgeous color, somewhat similar to chili but a bit darker. The Park Avenue used to be available in Brown Eversnow. I mildly wish I had gotten it when it was.

A-E hasn't made many dress shoes in what they describe as "Dark Brown" since I started paying attention to these matters about five years ago. The only ones that come to mind are the Byron (punchcap bal) and the Seneca (a rather pointy-toed blucher). I don't know whether any still available on closeout from the A-E outlets, kinda doubt it.

I am wearing at this moment the A-E Cortland in Brown Antibes. It was the last pair available in my size when I got them almost exactly two years ago.

A word of caution: because these shoes are built on different lasts, they are going to fit differently. Make sure whatever you buy is returnable. You might find that certain lasts don't work for you at all even if you try different sizes. For example, I can't wear the #8 last at all, and a lot of the newer / recent models of AE are made on that last.

To the OP, I bought a pair of byrons in chili from the factory store via phone order about 2 months ago. They might still have them in dark brown, depending on your size. great shoes.

Originally Posted by JLibourel

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The only ones that come to mind are the Byron (punchcap bal) and the Seneca (a rather pointy-toed blucher). I don't know whether any still available on closeout from the A-E outlets, kinda doubt it.

Originally Posted by JLibourel

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Brown Eversnow (now long-gone) and Brown Antibes are more medium browns than dark browns. The Brown Eversnow was a gorgeous color, somewhat similar to chili but a bit darker. The Park Avenue used to be available in Brown Eversnow. I mildly wish I had gotten it when it was.

A-E hasn't made many dress shoes in what they describe as "Dark Brown" since I started paying attention to these matters about five years ago. The only ones that come to mind are the Byron (punchcap bal) and the Seneca (a rather pointy-toed blucher). I don't know whether any still available on closeout from the A-E outlets, kinda doubt it.

I am wearing at this moment the A-E Cortland in Brown Antibes. It was the last pair available in my size when I got them almost exactly two years ago.

Thanks.

These Chili Byrons on ebay look like a rich dark brown, not a mid-red brown as on the AE website: http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-Allen-Edmonds...QQcmdZViewItem

There is a good deal of individual variation within A-E colors, probably because of different dye lots or whatever. Some of my A-E chili shoes are considerably darker than others. I have found this most noticeable with A-E's merlot. Some of the merlots I have gotten are a good deal lighter and "rosier" than others that are more a dark, reddish brown.

Originally Posted by JLibourel

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There is a good deal of individual variation within A-E colors, probably because of different dye lots or whatever. Some of my A-E chili shoes are considerably darker than others. I have found this most noticeable with A-E's merlot. Some of the merlots I have gotten are a good deal lighter and "rosier" than others that are more a dark, reddish brown.

What color are your spectators? can you show us a picture?

Originally Posted by grimslade

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What color are your spectators? can you show us a picture?

Grim, I appreciate your comments, and get a chuckle everytime you post following JLib. The infamous spectators have still yet to surface after all this time.

Originally Posted by grimslade

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What color are your spectators? can you show us a picture?

never gonna happen, apparently.....

I bought the Hale in Chili about a month ago from Amazon for $213. They were like the OP picture if anything slightly lighter. This disapointed me as they look more like the chestnut on amazon rather than the chili.

Originally Posted by greekgeek

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I bought the Hale in Chili about a month ago from Amazon for $213. They were like the OP picture if anything slightly lighter. This disapointed me as they look more like the chestnut on amazon rather than the chili.

The Hale is available in both Chestnut and Chili calf - are you sure you got the right one?