Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread 2018 - News, Pictures, Clothing, Accessories, etc.

[Fueco]

@orange fury

Sanforized denim dyed with artificial indigo wont lose dye as readily as loomstate denim with real indigo when soaked.

They also won’t fade like better denim, but if you like them, rock ‘em...

 

[Thrift Couture]

Goodfellow denim update:

Soaked last night (one hour inside out in hot water) and dried overnight- still slightly damp at the waist, but dry overall. I did an hour soak in hot water, and they didn’t shrink much at all (pretty sure they’re sanforized). This is positive for me because I was afraid the length might shrink too much, but I don’t see any change. There was a bit of dye that came out when I pulled them out of the tub, but if they’ve lightened up, I can’t tell.

I actually do like the fit of these- they’re slim but not tight, and do have a pretty good rise. Also, I noticed when I turned them inside out that the selvedge ID actually goes all the way to the waistband- I’ve seen cheaper pairs in the past where the ID only goes up to mid calf or the knee.

Fit post wash (excuse the Lulu’s t shirt- at home today):
View attachment 1040954

I wouldn’t necessarily spend a day hitting every Target in a 100-mile radius trying to find a pair, but if you have a Target near you or happen to be at one, I would check to see if they have these- they seem to pretty well made. I’m not upset with this purchase.

Also, fwiw, I think word has gotten out about these. I got the last pair of 32x32 at my Target, and 3 other people were carrying pairs around as I was checking out.

Thanks for the update! Looking forward to picking mine up. Grabbed two pair online, the last night of the BOGO sale.

 

[audog]

Goodfellow denim update:

Soaked last night (one hour inside out in hot water) and dried overnight- still slightly damp at the waist, but dry overall. I did an hour soak in hot water, and they didn’t shrink much at all (pretty sure they’re sanforized). This is positive for me because I was afraid the length might shrink too much, but I don’t see any change. There was a bit of dye that came out when I pulled them out of the tub, but if they’ve lightened up, I can’t tell.

I actually do like the fit of these- they’re slim but not tight, and do have a pretty good rise. Also, I noticed when I turned them inside out that the selvedge ID actually goes all the way to the waistband- I’ve seen cheaper pairs in the past where the ID only goes up to mid calf or the knee.

Fit post wash (excuse the Lulu’s t shirt- at home today):
View attachment 1040954

I wouldn’t necessarily spend a day hitting every Target in a 100-mile radius trying to find a pair, but if you have a Target near you or happen to be at one, I would check to see if they have these- they seem to pretty well made. I’m not upset with this purchase.

Also, fwiw, I think word has gotten out about these. I got the last pair of 32x32 at my Target, and 3 other people were carrying pairs around as I was checking out.

I read the Q&A on Target website about these and one of the answers was Yes, they are sanforized.

 

[audog]

Goodfellow denim update:

Soaked last night (one hour inside out in hot water) and dried overnight- still slightly damp at the waist, but dry overall. I did an hour soak in hot water, and they didn’t shrink much at all (pretty sure they’re sanforized). This is positive for me because I was afraid the length might shrink too much, but I don’t see any change. There was a bit of dye that came out when I pulled them out of the tub, but if they’ve lightened up, I can’t tell.

I actually do like the fit of these- they’re slim but not tight, and do have a pretty good rise. Also, I noticed when I turned them inside out that the selvedge ID actually goes all the way to the waistband- I’ve seen cheaper pairs in the past where the ID only goes up to mid calf or the knee.

Fit post wash (excuse the Lulu’s t shirt- at home today):
View attachment 1040954

I wouldn’t necessarily spend a day hitting every Target in a 100-mile radius trying to find a pair, but if you have a Target near you or happen to be at one, I would check to see if they have these- they seem to pretty well made. I’m not upset with this purchase.

Also, fwiw, I think word has gotten out about these. I got the last pair of 32x32 at my Target, and 3 other people were carrying pairs around as I was checking out.

Based on reviews here (you and @St Hubbins) just ordered a pair online.

 

[kammerer66]

View attachment 1040952
View attachment 1040949
A fine and pleasant Monday to you, fellow enthusiasts. Participating in the lesser worn shoes theme this week. Here’s one. The Jefferson. Haven’t worn since January. Dusting off the Grandpa Pimpin’ look for today. Lands’ End wool pants and PPBD.

Looking sharp! I like the stripes. How did the interview go

 

[orange fury]

@orange fury

Sanforized denim dyed with artificial indigo wont lose dye as readily as loomstate denim with real indigo when soaked.

They also won’t fade like better denim, but if you like them, rock ‘em...

I’ve been keeping my expectations low- it’s $40 Target denim, not $300 Japanese small batch. That said, I’ve been happy with them for the price paid.

I do think, in the same price range, the 501STFs that use Cone Mills denim is a better deal. Also, if you don’t care about wait time, Gustin gets great reviews. But Target did a pretty good job with these- I’ll still certainly enjoy wearing them.

Supposedly, according to Reddit, Naked and Famous was approached by Target about a collab, but the price point was going to be too high- that would’ve been pretty cool.

Edit- I will say, one thing I really like about them is that they’re 100% cotton, no stretch component. I don’t mind 1-2% elastane in chinos, but I avoid it in denim. I would’ve thought at this price point they would’ve added it, but I was happy to see they didn’t.

 

[M2511]

I have a silly, but honest question. Who is Baker Mayfield? I'm sorry, make that two... Why am I being informed of his choice of shoe?

Baker Mayfield is good friend of Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers and has been openly advocating for Yelich to win the National League MVP so it’s been a thing around here-that said,when AE signed Mayfield up for the photo shoot the Browns had lost a million straight games. His breaking that losing streak was better for AE than for the Browns,otherwise the hilarity of AEs new overlords paying to associate with flailing incompetence would be too rich. As it stands Yelich ought to win the MVP,who inflicted so much delightful sadness on the Cubs this month!

I think we can trust him to promote everything he gets paid for.

He's the rookie QB that was highly touted out of college. His presence and advertising of the brand is not intended for probably a large majority of their customer base that purchases any of their classic historically. It is targetted at the same people who like the more "on trend" stuff and see someone that is recognizable and popular to them wearing the brand. This isn't really a big deal to me, brands do it and AE isn't small scale at all. I agree you don't want to lose your existing customer base but I don't think him representing the brand causes that at all (even if the browns are still the browns). Until I see a major reduction in shoes in the classic line I'm not worried about those disappearing. Looking forward to seeing improved quality as the new machines get implemented and hand finishing is seen in newer acquisitions.

I was at a retail store yesterday. It was depressing with half the store filled with garbage. Then, they had these small signs explaining what “Speed welt” and “Bench welt” are. Unbelievable! The only thing that stood out was Stirling in brown Dublin. They were nice with sturdy feel to them. No way I will pay $495, but might pull the trigger for about 50% off (too close to my original McTavish). Who knows, this boot might be the last decent thing coming out of AE.

They just did a terrible job rolling out these naming conventions. It was an attempt at transparency but the delivery was a flop. It's all GYW but each one is being done with different materials depending on the label and line the shoes are part of.

Look guys, I don’t want to start a discussion about GS on this thread. There is a dedicated thread for that. I have always refrained from discussing this brand here, but decided to finally comment. We can take it elsewhere if you want to discuss.

Based on what I have read, shell cordovan from Horween is a good bit more expensive. I have a pair of Meermins made from shell cordovan from Comipel, a tannery in Italy, which I paid $350 for. The quality of build is about the same as AE, maybe a bit better. Shell cordovan is ok and it’s a decent value for the price. In terms of quality of leather, Horween is clearly better. It’s not just my opinion, there is plenty of info out there.

I understand the quality of GS is great and you all are happy. That’s the most important thing! My issue is with GS charging 85% premium for shell cordovan and using less expensive and lower quality leather. All the Big Boys don’t charge such a premium, and they all use Horween and arguably have higher production costs. To me it’s not honest business. But then again, we all think differently and value is very subjective.

Seems fair to discuss because it particularly since it is being compared to or reference to relative to AEs products. Their stuff looks (photos only for me) nice, and members that I trust here have a pretty good opinion of their products. I have no problem buying stuff that isn't MiUSA, many of my shoes are not (though more than 50% are still MiUSA). We can have the conversation about the upper program and how much is actually MiUSA another time. Now I have no idea what their labor force is being paid in China but I think it is pretty safe to say the decision to make stuff there wasn't because of their love of Chinese food. Its cheap, and while I don't know their actual costs, pretty safe bet it played a significant role in the decision making to craft shoes there. I don't think it is arguable, the big boys you speak of have higher production costs. If they spit out a shoe I think is worth the price they charge then I'm ok with where it is made. Pretty similar to what j. fitz does with his shoes made in a factory in portugal (maybe it is spain I don't remember). His shoes were excellent for the money and they aren't made in Northampton. If the value for my money is there to me, I'll purchase it, if it isn't I won't.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

View attachment 1040952
View attachment 1040949
A fine and pleasant Monday to you, fellow enthusiasts. Participating in the lesser worn shoes theme this week. Here’s one. The Jefferson. Haven’t worn since January. Dusting off the Grandpa Pimpin’ look for today. Lands’ End wool pants and PPBD.

Both shoes and pants are fantastic. Love the loud closely spaced chalk stripes on conservative grey. Juxtaposition is perfect. Looks upscale, classy and fun. Jeffersons are the ideal companion, doesn’t get any better.

 

[madhat]

@orange fury

Sanforized denim dyed with artificial indigo wont lose dye as readily as loomstate denim with real indigo when soaked.

They also won’t fade like better denim, but if you like them, rock ‘em...

All I'm reading is pluses. I don't care for stacking or sick faydz. I'll have to see for myself what "slim" means for me!

 

[M635Guy]

It’s not just my opinion, there is plenty of info out there.

Can you refer me to that information? I've heard mixed reviews about Shiniki and the other Italian tannery, but not much about Comipel other than my experience and the deep-dive from Jesse at Guarded Goods that had good things to day about it.

I've got a decent amount of shell - AE, Florsheim, multiple Alden and the one GS and I can't see any basis for saying the shell on any is better or worse.

I've only held Shiniki (here in Japan) and that pair felt a bit thin and plasticy to me.

 

[matwa]

Cool, damp weather moving in, so Leeds

 

[Fueco]

All I'm reading is pluses. I don't care for stacking or sick faydz. I'll have to see for myself what "slim" means for me!

There’s much more to it than that. But it’s fine if lower quality denim does it for you. Just know that it’s like comparing Penguin dress shoes to AE or Alden in that the jeans may look nice and be comfortable, but they aren’t high quality.

 

[Thrift Couture]

Look guys, I don’t want to start a discussion about GS on this thread. There is a dedicated thread for that. I have always refrained from discussing this brand here, but decided to finally comment. We can take it elsewhere if you want to discuss.

Based on what I have read, shell cordovan from Horween is a good bit more expensive. I have a pair of Meermins made from shell cordovan from Comipel, a tannery in Italy, which I paid $350 for. The quality of build is about the same as AE, maybe a bit better. Shell cordovan is ok and it’s a decent value for the price. In terms of quality of leather, Horween is clearly better. It’s not just my opinion, there is plenty of info out there.

I understand the quality of GS is great and you all are happy. That’s the most important thing! My issue is with GS charging 85% premium for shell cordovan and using less expensive and lower quality leather. All the Big Boys don’t charge such a premium, and they all use Horween and arguably have higher production costs. To me it’s not honest business. But then again, we all think differently and value is very subjective.

I get where you're coming from. I am not well versed in the quality aspects of one tannery vs the other, or one company's manufacturing processes vs the other. In my opinion Horween seems better than the Comipel shell cordovan used by GS, but in my personal experience GS offers a better constructed shoe than Meermin. Is it $250 better? That is relative to the individual. I probably would not purchase Meermin again, as they weren't for me. I have a couple pair of GS in shell cordovan because they were offered in colours I couldn't purchase at the time, for the price I paid. Would I prefer GS to use Horween? Hell yes! In the same vein, I'm working on a navy blue shell cordovan MTO from Bonafe. They use Horween and they are by far the most expensive shoes I have purchased. Are they worth it? It remains to be seen. Another person might say hell no. In a perfect world I would love to have all of the rare shell colours from Alden and AE, but they are not easily accessible. If I have to pay $1000+, it might as well be a one off. Lol! We are all shoe enthusiasts that get passionate about the subject, and I appreciate the insight from everyone here.
I'm not always digging AE, but I'm always digging this thread!

 

[sterlingindigo]

I perceive Allen Edmonds shell to be thicker than Alden’s. Maybe this is a misperception based on lining or something else but the AE shell does seem to be more substantial than Alden to me. Anyone else share this perception or can clear up this misperception?

 

[LLEE]

Serious case of the Monday morning blues.