AE no longer shipping shoe bags?

[old64mb]

Hi folks -

Been gone for a while, but recently caught a 2 hour half off sale on Shoebuy and decided to indulge on a few pairs of AEs. They were drop shipped from Wisconsin, so came out of new inventory rather than Shoe Bank/prior year.

I was really surprised when I opened the boxes up - the shoes were enclosed in plastic bags! No shoe bags (or shoe cloth, which has been the case with some of their casual line) at all.

This a recent phenomenon?

 

[WRAdvisor]

I didn't get shoe bags or cloth with my recent Park Ave purchase either. I just figured they stopped providing them.

 

[HEWSINATOR]

Forget the bags, was there a PSA for this sale?!

 

[CMJTperry]

I think you get bags when you buy first quality but no when you buy from shoe bank.

 

[MJPond]

I received shoe bags with my Bel Airs that arrived last month.

 

[StopPolloition]

When I purchased shoes from the shoe bank, I think I got a shoe cloth, but not the bags. This was years ago though.

 

[Master-Classter]

just ordered from the shoe bank. I asked and they said they would include a cloth but not bags.

 

[hohneokc]

Since the first of May, I have purchased 4 pair of AE - Sutter, Wilbert, Lombard, and Nashua. The Sutter and Wilbert were purchased at an Allen Edmonds store (took the Wilberts with me and the Sutters were shipped) and the Lombard and Nashua were purchased at a local clothing/shoe store.

The Sutters and Lomards came with flannel bags and the Wilbert and Nashua came with plastic bags.

I'm guessing the casual collection doesn't get the flannel bags.

Chris

 

[deveandepot1]

IMO you really only need 1 pair of shoe bags.

 

[stant62]

I received shoe bags from a recent purchase of Everett penny loafers from the shoe bank.

 

[old64mb]

Historically, it's been bags for most shoes outside the casual collection, and even some within it - a few months ago I picked up a pair of Hydes at the Rack that somehow had survived the process with box, bags, and insert.

Shoe bank generally deals with prior year models, so it'd make sense that those ordering from it are still getting them. First quality and second quality have both had them.

I'll check with a friend who also beat the clock on this one and who ordered more dressy stuff than I did to see if he ended up with bags as well on the PAs he bought - I know he didn't on a couple other pair.

Sorry, no PSA on this as the Bing cashback rate of 40% lasted all of two hours and I quite literally caught the last 5 minutes of it - at 645 in the morning!

 

[HEWSINATOR]

Everybody is talking about the shoe bank, but the OP seems to have bought from the site shoebuy.com. Am I the only one that is upset they missed a half off sale?

 

[old64mb]

I actually confirmed it with my friend who bought PAs and several other dress shoes - no shoe bags at all.

I can certainly understand the cost savings side for the private equity types who now run AE, but when it's still marketed as a luxury item you're potentially cheapening the brand. Dangerous, especially if the quality slips at all - and I found some imperfections in the Wilbert that really should have made mine a second quality shoe. Since I got it for a second quality price, no biggie, but not a good sign either.

 

[vincerich]

Originally Posted by old64mb

I actually confirmed it with my friend who bought PAs and several other dress shoes - no shoe bags at all.

I can certainly understand the cost savings side for the private equity types who now run AE, but when it's still marketed as a luxury item you're potentially cheapening the brand. Dangerous, especially if the quality slips at all - and I found some imperfections in the Wilbert that really should have made mine a second quality shoe. Since I got it for a second quality price, no biggie, but not a good sign either.




If it has second-quality imperfections and you got it for a second-quality price, what makes you think that it's not a second?

 

[old64mb]

Originally Posted by vincerich

If it has second-quality imperfections and you got it for a second-quality price, what makes you think that it's not a second?
Among other things, AE labels their seconds on the box. Of my 20 or so currently owned pairs of AEs, the 6 or 7 seconds all are clearly labeled as such (and whatever imperfections they have are generally not noticeable, which is why I've been so comfortable buying from outlet stores sight unseen.) They also don't generally sell seconds except through that channel, which is one reason why when you are searching for a 7 or 8 year old model your only choice will be a second, since the firsts have long been liquidated. There's also the point that when AE drop shipped it, as far as they knew they were shipping to a Shoebuy customer who paid full MSRP for it. The discount was entirely transparent, including on the pick slip from the warehouse. Finally, the other 3 pairs of shoes along with the 5 belts were all perfect. I don't really have that much of a problem with them goofing on one pair out of gosh, 35 or so I've ever owned - I'm sure JLibourel still has me beat cold - but if I wasn't a hardcore AE customer I'd wonder what the heck was going on when you combine the switch to plastic covers along with opening up a box of first qualities with some flaws. The downside to Bing cashback is that while I'd normally just do an exchange, it gets tricky in terms of whether or not the cashback would be revoked if I did so. I'd rather not lose the pair of Wilberts entirely...they're rather comfy.