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Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread 2016 - News, Pictures, Sizing, Accessories, Clothing, etc

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Middlife

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Maiden voyage for my chili McGregors on cheap office carpet. Really glad I stumbled into the EE, would have been swimming in a EEE.

Wait what?! How did you get McGregors in EE?
 

Neo1

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@BennJeff I'll offer my 2 cents since I actually tried on the lake forest orthotic at one point so I have some idea what you're talking about.
1. For a formal bal, id say go for a bloor st or hopkinson, PA and Carlyle and see which is best. Maybe start with 9E and go from there.

2. Disagree with the black. With charcoal lots of people would say chili - good choice. I prefer walnut - its more flashy and works well with shiny perorated captoes and wingtips. Oxblood would be my close 2nd.
 

bishopcraiga

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Quote:
Wait what?! How did you get McGregors in EE?
Picked them up from the Jeffersonville outlet via the shoe bank. It was the only McGregor listed under 11EE. Figured since it's a blucher I'd try it even though my Park Avenues are 11 EEE.
c6a3eec570b8d87b9dd19aee8f770493.jpg
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 

Middlife

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Picked them up from the Jeffersonville outlet via the shoe bank. It was the only McGregor listed under 11EE. Figured since it's a blucher I'd try it even though my Park Avenues are 11 EEE.

c6a3eec570b8d87b9dd19aee8f770493.jpg


Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
I was trying to get McGregors in EE for quite some time but was told that they unfortunately did not make them in EE. I would have to imagine that you got a pair that someone wasn't 100% happy with from a special size request order. You are a lucky man!
 

Buster Brown

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For any of you have Amex cards, there's a $50 for $250 AE coupon just popped up until June.


Thanks for pointing this out. I was just about to order something from Shoe Bank. With tax, I'm just under $200. I'm tempted to add one of the $67 pairs to my order as my net cost for the add-on item would be under $25. Anyone have experience with the Sandman slipper?

700


It's either that or some random bit loafer/boat shoe/driver that I could flip on eBay.
 

bishopcraiga

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Quote:I was trying to get McGregors in EE for quite some time but was told that they unfortunately did not make them in EE. I would have to imagine that you got a pair that someone wasn't 100% happy with from a special size request order. You are a lucky man!
Lucky indeed. I figure that is exactly what happened, but a slight eyelet misalignment, that I didn't even notice at first, and two small blemishes that will inevitably even out with wear weren't enough for me to be anything but giddy when the fit is so spot on. It is strange that they only did a regular size run on them. Why else would you put it on the 65? Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 

redmusic1

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Hey guys,

Just wanted to run a few questions past you AE experts. I'm attending a wedding in roughly a month's time and suppose I need some new shoes to go with my suit. Currently the only pair of AEs that I own are some orthotics that I picked up a few years ago at Nordstrom Rack for cheap when I needed some shoes quickly for a function. They are in the Chili color and I believe are known as the "Lake Forest" from 2013. They are a 9.5 D and I find that they fit quite comfortably. My question I suppose is what do you think my sizing would be in other AE lasts? My foot is generally pretty flat but I've never thought of it being all that wide. Several pairs of AE I have tried on seemed to be too narrow for me though. We have an AE outlet near us which is most likely where I will purchase my shoes so any last help is appreciated so I would know what to tell them should they need to order a pair for me from another store.

My 2nd question would be what AE colors do you guys think go well with a charcoal/dark charcoal suit? I know they classic would be black obviously, but black probably wouldn't fit into the rest of my wardrobe all that well. I'd prefer to find a shoe and color to wear with my suit but also that I would wear at other times with dark jeans or something since it's not everyday I have the need to wear a suit. Most people would probably tell me to just buy some beater shoes for the occasion but I have issues throwing money away on cheap shoes.

Cheers and thanks for any insight or help you can provide.

I don't think this is a minority view at this point, but I love these kinds of questions and must display my overly inflated ego by putting my four cents in on the matter.

I mostly agree with the Count on this. Charcoal (if true charcoal and not mid gray which I often see labeled as such) is right next to black on the formality spectrum. Between that and jeans, you have less formal suits, conservative odd combinations, other odd combinations, slacks without a tie, chinos with a tie, and any number of other scenarios. don't try to find a double duty shoe for these two ensembles. In my opinion, you're going to be making a big compromise to choose one shoe to go with your suit and dark jeans. You are going to be getting a shoe that should really be worn with one or the other, or possibly one that really shouldn't be worn with either. Best case scenario, it doesn't immediately look wrong to the untrained eye. But, the trade off is that you are definitely going to be falling short of the best overall appearance of both ensembles, the suit and the more casual ensemble. I for one, wouldn't choose this option if I already had shoes that would look great with my jeans. Get the suit shoe and look your best when you wear that suit. After all, isn't that the point of having a dark suit in the first place –to present your best self?

Also, I think your color choice for a true charcoal suit (charcoal trousers are a different animal) is going to be limited to black or burgundy (with a black sole). If the suit leans more toward med grey, I agree with others that you might go dark chili. If there are other combos in your normal wardrobe like chinos with a jacket or tie, you might consider a balmoral brogue, but otherwise, I would just recommend sticking with the black or merlot PA or the black FA.

As for contemplating the purchase of the shoe and weighing costs, may I suggest thinking about it this way. What justified the expense of the suit? If you've invested a little money in a suit you expect to ensure that you are adequately outfitted for certain occasions, why not invest in a pair of shoes to go along with it? Regardless of how many wears you get out of the shoes, they are going to go with that suit perfectly every time you wear it. And if you didn't invest much in that suit, the shoes can definitely be worn with whatever your next conservative suit purchase is going to be, whether grey (whatever shade) or navy. Even if you only wear them an average of three times a year, you may realistically end up with plenty of wears over more than a decade to justify the present expense. In my opinion, if buying a conservative suit can be justified (which I believe to be the case for any man with the means in America to do so), then buying a proper pair of calf skin oxfords to accompany that suit is also justifiable.
 

smfdoc

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Hey guys,

Just wanted to run a few questions past you AE experts. I'm attending a wedding in roughly a month's time and suppose I need some new shoes to go with my suit.
I just went to a wedding as a guest this last weekend. It was held in a private house on the California central coast and was a very nice opportunity to shoe watch. I spotted one Alden, two AEs, neither of which was a Park Ave, and one guy with a really nice Italian loafer. Nearly everything else was a sea of unattractive shoes with rubber soles. A large number of apron and bicycle shoes. My take home was we on the SF are FAR more serious about appropriate footwear/clothing combinations than 95% of the people attending a very nice wedding. All of the groomsmen and the groom wore light gray canvas Vans sneakers. Philistines. A decent AE shoe, well polished, will put you in the upper 2% at most events.
 

naspratt

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Thanks for pointing this out. I was just about to order something from Shoe Bank. With tax, I'm just under $200. I'm tempted to add one of the $67 pairs to my order as my net cost for the add-on item would be under $25. Anyone have experience with the Sandman slipper?
700

It's either that or some random bit loafer/boat shoe/driver that I could flip on eBay.


I have the Sandman and dig it. Super cozy. Well worth the $77 I paid, and about the same as an L. L. Bean shearling slipper.
 

Neo1

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I looked at the sandman when it came out but passed. I'm not a slipper guy. They seemed nice, soft, lightweight. They aren't USA made like the Banff but they also aren't narrow as ****, which is a big plus.
 

MattRiv

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I just went to a wedding as a guest this last weekend. It was held in a private house on the California central coast and was a very nice opportunity to shoe watch. I spotted one Alden, two AEs, neither of which was a Park Ave, and one guy with a really nice Italian loafer. Nearly everything else was a sea of unattractive shoes with rubber soles. A large number of apron and bicycle shoes. My take home was we on the SF are FAR more serious about appropriate footwear/clothing combinations than 95% of the people attending a very nice wedding. All of the groomsmen and the groom wore light gray canvas Vans sneakers. Philistines. A decent AE shoe, well polished, will put you in the upper 2% at most events.

Isn't this the truth.

My brother's wedding was last weekend and I spent quite a bit of time with my dad as he decided on a shoe to wear with his dark charcoal suit. He ended up going with a dark chili Lexington from the shoebank, as he likes the derby style more than an oxford. I explained to him the rules, just how everyone has been explaining them to @BennJeff but at the end of the day if you are wearing AEs, you are light years ahead of the crowd.

IMO, if you aren't going to go with black or burg, he needs something dark chili or oxblood, which would both go well with dark denim. I personally am OK with wearing most non-black dress shoes with jeans, but I understand why others here shy away from this.
 

ProfilaBinding

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Isn't this the truth.

My brother's wedding was last weekend and I spent quite a bit of time with my dad as he decided on a shoe to wear with his dark charcoal suit. He ended up going with a dark chili Lexington from the shoebank, as he likes the derby style more than an oxford. I explained to him the rules, just how everyone has been explaining them to @BennJeff but at the end of the day if you are wearing AEs, you are light years ahead of the crowd.

IMO, if you aren't going to go with black or burg, he needs something dark chili or oxblood, which would both go well with dark denim. I personally am OK with wearing most non-black dress shoes with jeans, but I understand why others here shy away from this.

I think one of the biggest hurdles to get over is understanding the "why". Prior to 2015, I never understood why anyone would pay $250 for a pair of shoes. I should mention that I have a painful, uncommon health condition that affects my feet. If I wear shoes that do not provide good support or are not of good quality, I get severe pain that can majorly interfere with my life. My Brooks running shoes are some of the best running shoes in the world, yet I will reach for my AE shoes over them if I’m walking for a long time. My first AE shoe was the Ashton, when I was forced to wear something nicer for a new job, and I was shocked to find out that they kept my feet pain-free better than any running shoe could. I became a loyal customer when I learned this. Then you throw in the fact that they look good and fit my conservative tastes, it’s a perfect match. I should also mention I've owned Rockports and cheaper dress shoes, and they gave me a lot of foot pain issues. AE has never given me painful feet.
 
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