AE Fifth Avenue..

[Jkhan82]

Hey guys!

these are my first pair of AE shoes. My recent upgrades from the Aldos which I've been wearing most my life.. ;(

I just picked up the Fifth Avenue's in Walnut caf after recommendations on this site...wow is all I have to say! shoe looks amazing and feels amazing!

few questions:
1) How do you care for these? polish? cream? I picked them up at nordstrom, didn't get much information there. Should I grab the AE cleaning stuff from the website? I picked up 1 ceder wood shoe tree.

2) Can I wear these with a med gray suit and a pair of jeans? I loved how they looked with my dark denim jeans, my girlfriend thought they were great as well. But that had me concerned with, if its business or formal ware? Can I get away with wearing these at a party or office with a gray/navy suit?

3) Which other pairs of AE's do you guys recommend? I def need a black, but I'd want something that pops as much as these, it makes the investment seem worth it!

Thanks in advance!
Amir

 

[nmprisons]

I'll bite, but then you have to use the search funciton next time, deal?

1. Get (1) conditioner cleaner, (2) walnut shoe polish, (3) a horsehair bruch, (4) some edge dressing, and (5) an old T-Shirt. These can all be picked up easily at an Allen Edmonds store or off the website. (I assume you picked up a pair of shoe trees as opposed to "1 ceder wood shoe tree." If I am wrong, go get another tree. One for each shoe is strongly recomended.) To care for them: (1) Put on some conditioner using the t-shirt. Wipe away excess. let it sit 10 minutes. (2) Repeat step 1. (3) put on some polish using either the applicator that comes with it (tube kind) or your old t-shirt. Just use a little. Let sit a minute. Buff with your horsehair brush. Shine with T-shirt if desired. (4) wear and enjoy. (5) repeat steps 1 and 3 with some regularity.

2. Yes, you can wear them with a mid-gray suit or at a party or office with a gray/navy suit, though I would get something more casual for the jeans.

3. Depends what you need the shoes for. The park avenue is the staple conservative black shoe, but you should buy what you like.

 

[Knucklehead]

Welcome to the forum. You'll learn a lot from lurking and using the search function. I certainly have.

General advice for dress shoes with jeans:
I think purists would advise advise less formal footwear if you must wear a lace up with denim. Lack of broguing, high polish, and closed lacing make a shoe more formal. The formal to casual spectrum for the most popular AEs would probably be Park Ave-> Fifth Ave-> Strand-> MacNeil.

Further recommendations:
I think you should hold off on another purchase while you learn a bit more about your taste in shoes. Your taste will evolve as you hang out on this forum and figure out which materials prefer, etc. When you're ready, purchase shoes that suit your lifestyle, budget, and personal style. Do you wear suits often or do you tend to dress business casual? When dressing down do you prefer a loafer or a monkstrap? Suede or calf? Can you afford cordovan? You'll come to know the answer to these questions in the near future. Again, welcome to the forum.

 

[Leverandon]

My first AE was a Fifth Avenue in Walnut as well. Its a truly beautiful shoe.

I bought a pair of Park Avenues in Black shortly thereafter from the buying and selling forum of this site. I see them on here frequently between $150 and $200 and I would buy a pair of those as well. Having a good pair of black captoes, is just essential. I wear them for job interviews and nights out.

 

[Jay Gatsby]

Use The Search Function Like A Capable Human Being.

 

[Jkhan82]

Ah Thanks nmprisons the clear directions! Yes, I have a pair of the shoe trees. lol

I did search the forums but came up with more general shoe maintenance tips, I assumed this color might be different? that's all. Also since I'm headed into the city today I figured it I'd be able to grab the supplies from the AE store.

Originally Posted by Knucklehead

Welcome to the forum. You'll learn a lot from lurking and using the search function. I certainly have.

General advice for dress shoes with jeans:
I think purists would advise advise less formal footwear if you must wear a lace up with denim. Lack of broguing, high polish, and closed lacing make a shoe more formal. The formal to casual spectrum for the most popular AEs would probably be Park Ave-> Fifth Ave-> Strand-> MacNeil.

Further recommendations:
I think you should hold off on another purchase while you learn a bit more about your taste in shoes. Your taste will evolve as you hang out on this forum and figure out which materials prefer, etc. When you're ready, purchase shoes that suit your lifestyle, budget, and personal style. Do you wear suits often or do you tend to dress business casual? When dressing down do you prefer a loafer or a monkstrap? Suede or calf? Can you afford cordovan? You'll come to know the answer to these questions in the near future. Again, welcome to the forum.

agreed. I'll just enjoy these shoes until then, get a sense of my taste before I go splurging.

Originally Posted by Leverandon

My first AE was a Fifth Avenue in Walnut as well. Its a truly beautiful shoe.

I bought a pair of Park Avenues in Black shortly thereafter from the buying and selling forum of this site. I see them on here frequently between $150 and $200 and I would buy a pair of those as well. Having a good pair of black captoes, is just essential. I wear them for job interviews and nights out.

Thanks! I'll keep a look out later on in the year!

Tips hat to the guys who helped. Apologies for not looking deeper into the forums..

 

[mikeynyc]

If you like the 5th ave, take a look at the allen edmonds dryden in black.

 

[Shademan]

The Van Ness could also be a more casual shoe, though less popular.

 

[lithdoc]

Congrats one the shoes. You will see, if your funds allow, you should have like a dozen of AE shoes within a year

Thats what happened to me - it all started with AE Bel Air I got on clearance. Now I sport like 16 pairs, with 3 more in the mail coming to their new home

 

[JLibourel]

If you like the 5th Avenue, why don't you get it in black? It is certainly equal in formality to the Park Avenue, save that the PA in black (with a high polish) can serve as a sort of second-rate, makeshift tuxedo shoe.

 

[NewYorkBuck]

Originally Posted by mikeynyc

If you like the 5th ave, take a look at the allen edmonds dryden in black.


Just wore my drydens today. Chestnut though.......