Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread 2019 - News, Pictures, Clothing, Accessories, etc.

[Moose22]

typical of when someone complains of discomfort on peoples favorite brand everyone just assumes is wrong fit, etc in other words they blame the person almost as if you're stupid or dumb and that's why you have discomfort

I'm wearing the right fit. I was measured at AE store and other brand stores and I'm a perfect medium D. I don't need wider shoes, that's ridiculous. I wear sneakers in medium for decades and my feet in brannock are in medium, both at the store and a brannock I bought from amazon.

The shoes are just uncomfortable from the start because of the way they are designed. These are my first goodyear welted dress shoes, so I don't have any previous experience with this type of shoes. Maybe they'll get comfortable in a few weeks or maybe they won't.

I've read quite a few threads of this very same forum of people complaining of AE shoes being uncomfortable, so apparently I'm not the only one, but to say a person who has discomfort is because he is too dumb to find the right fit is ridiculous.

You're too dumb to find the right fit bro, don't blame our beloved shoe brands, we blame you, is your fault you have discomfort.

Dude, I said it elsewhere, but you seem to want to take the worst possible interpretation of everyone's help. You are NOT properly fitted.

Using the brannock to get the right fit is like tracing a house's foundation and telling me what the house looks like. It's one good measure, but it is NOT the whole fit. Not sure what you don't get about that, but if shoes hurt you they are NOT the right fit. Regardless of what one measure says. They might start out a little snug, but a couple of wears and a little walking to sink your foot into the cork and exercise the leather a little should be all it takes.

By the way, I think your salesman is bad at his job. I had an SA pull a dozen pairs of different sizes from different lasts out to try to figure out my issues. Because of his help I bought a pair of rogues as seconds, the same size as my failed 5 last attempts, and they fit nicely. Very nicely. Perfectly. They're my favorite shoes 4 years later. Bluchers in the 201 last are the thing, and balmorals are very much acceptable. 333 last balmorals fit great, same last bluchers are a little too roomy but I can make it work. I cannot fit a 5 last balmoral, period, so no park aves for me. That's the way it will be with everyone, 70% of the people who try a 201 will find it too roomy and like the 5 last, us high insteppers will be the opposite.

This will be the case with every brand of real shoe you buy. It isn't the same as athletic shoes with fabric tops or leather ones with glued, rubberized soles which have a ton of give and which are made generically roomy to fit everyone. I actually have different socks for different GYW shoes the fit is so precise. For example, I can't wear the cushion sole socks I need for my 333 last bluchers with my 333 last balmorals, or anything 201 last. The difference in fit and profile from last to last and style to style can be that great.

You will find the same is true of EVERY company that makes high quality welted leather dress shoes. Some lasts will fit you better than others. Some lasts you'll find not roomy enough, others you'll size down from your brannock, some will have too much or too little room for the instep and just won't fit right, and that's the way it is. And I mean EVERY brand of high end dress shoe here.

Your SA should know this and pointed you toward a blucher or a taller last immediately. Not knowing that doesn't make you stupid, it means you don't understand those specifics yet. The SA's job is to know that and help you, which he seems to have failed at wildly from other comments you've made.

And I'm not an AE fanboy. I have several pair of their shoes, but I have soured on the company pretty greatly over the last two years. In no small part because anything they might do interesting is done on the 5 last, which is a horrible fit for me regardless of size or width, but also because of many many other reasons. I'm not defending AE, just pointing out that you are kind of coming off as a jerk. People aren't calling you stupid, they're genuinely just trying to help.

 

[James1051]

Last time I’ll ask about these. Brown shell lightens over time, could I expect the darker boot to lighten over time and “catch up” mostly to the darker one? Im hoping a combo of brown cordovan cream on the lighter, and sun exposure to the darker will help, as id like to keep these and not pay for new at full price

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I would keep that pair, without any hesitation. The difference is only discernible to a very critical eye looking closely. Namely, you.

It’s shell. They will never be identical. The variation is part of the charm. They will both gain some incredible patina as they age. I doubt that I would even worry about the cream, the sun, etc. Enjoy them!!

 

[ace13x]

Last time I’ll ask about these. Brown shell lightens over time, could I expect the darker boot to lighten over time and “catch up” mostly to the darker one? Im hoping a combo of brown cordovan cream on the lighter, and sun exposure to the darker will help, as id like to keep these and not pay for new at full price

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There is only ONE question you need to answer: Am I happy enough with these right now to keep them?

You can’t reliably count on any lightening or darkening.

 

[MajorDash]

What shoe brushes do you guys like to use? I need to get a new brush, but I'm not sure what to get. I think I would like one of the larger/longer brushes.

 

[M2511]

What shoe brushes do you guys like to use? I need to get a new brush, but I'm not sure what to get. I think I would like one of the larger/longer brushes.

Duh, go find a horse and just brush your shoes against its mane. You could try the tail but be careful, it might kick you trying to protect the pair of Cordovan shoes it holds in its rear. I seem to recall people being pretty happy with grant stone brushes.

 

[madhat]

Duh, go find a horse and just brush your shoes against its mane. You could try the tail but be careful, it might kick you trying to protect the pair of Cordovan shoes it holds in its rear. I seem to recall people being pretty happy with grant stone brushes.

That was going to be my suggestion. I've got some from shoecaresupplies.com that are MiUSA that are good, but my ones of amazon (Rayln) are junk.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Last time I’ll ask about these. Brown shell lightens over time, could I expect the darker boot to lighten over time and “catch up” mostly to the darker one? Im hoping a combo of brown cordovan cream on the lighter, and sun exposure to the darker will help, as id like to keep these and not pay for new at full price

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I have a pair of brown shell Dundees with a similar degree of color variation. The variance has actually increased, not decreased, overt time. But as someone set up thread… I’m the only one who notices. I get lots of compliments on those shoes; they look great. If it really bothers you I’d return, but it won’t bother anyone but you.

 

[ace13x]

People aren't calling you stupid,

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I was/am.

 

[Vocans]

Brown shell HMs from the initial gmto run a couple years back (that I later snagged as seconds). I really need to wear these more often.

 

[smfdoc]

I would keep that pair, without any hesitation. The difference is only discernible to a very critical eye looking closely. Namely, you.

It’s shell. They will never be identical. The variation is part of the charm. They will both gain some incredible patina as they age. I doubt that I would even worry about the cream, the sun, etc. Enjoy them!!

+1.The variation in shell is a distinct part of the charm. Unless you get black, expect some variation.

 

[Ashley_S]

One of the biggest myths about buying shoes is that you need to "break them in" before they become truly comfortable. If that was true, then Allen Edmonds products need at least a five year break-in period. I have never owned a more uncomfortable pair of shoes. They're stiff as all get-out and never adopt to your gait. A total waste of a lot of money.

I'm returning to Grenson, Alden or Johnston and Murphy. At least their shoes feel great from the first and have no need of "breaking in".

I completely agree! I'm not a fan of a break in period at all, and when I hear about a customer who feels they needs to suffer through a period of extended discomfort in order to be satisfied with one of our shoes, it instantly sends my alarm bells off.

You shouldn't have to suffer through discomfort... and a fit session is an art, not a science.

Tips for to ensure a great fit session:

1. Be certain you are standing. Your feet spread in length and width when you stand, so we can't expect accuracy when you are seated.

2. It's important that the over length of the foot is measured, as well as the arch measurement AND the width. Noting just one or two of these measurements is simply not enough. All three are absolutely critical to having the best fit.

3. There are things that are just not able to be measured with the brannock device. We must account for these things, as they also really help to determine your size. Are you flat footed? Do you have a thin foot? Do you have a fleshy foot? Do you use inserts? These are questions that need to be asked and explored.

4. Socks make an enormous difference, so you should ask for a pair of try on socks if you enter the store with athletic socks.

5. You should make sure you are standing with your body weight evenly distributed. Shifting your weight to one side will skew the results.

6. We are actively looking for snug, but I would emphatically discourage anything you would describe as tight.

7. Not only is it acceptable, it is sometimes necessary to have extra room in the toes, and we are looking for as close to zero slip in the heel as humanly possible.

Please pm me of you'd like help finding a veteran associate to give you another opinion. You might want to look into the new Americans Collection as well, my friend. That collection features a cork/foam composite which will be a little springier and cushier but not at the expense of the actual support most of our customers have come to expect with the classic cork midsole.

I'd love to have you back on the bus, and if I can be a resource for you in the journey to finding your perfect size, I'm happy to be.

Note: if anyone ISN'T near a store and CAN'T be fitted by an AE pro, let me know and I'll send you a little visual I made that you can use with the help of a partner to either determine your size or send to your favorite long distance SA for a remote fit session of sorts. Its best to have the foot in person of course, but it might help to get you going in the right direction.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Last time I’ll ask about these. Brown shell lightens over time, could I expect the darker boot to lighten over time and “catch up” mostly to the darker one? Im hoping a combo of brown cordovan cream on the lighter, and sun exposure to the darker will help, as id like to keep these and not pay for new at full price

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Some have cautiously recommended leaving a darker one in the sun for a few hours. I've never tried this though, as people have said it's a bit risky.

What shoe brushes do you guys like to use? I need to get a new brush, but I'm not sure what to get. I think I would like one of the larger/longer brushes.

I just own one from AE and one from Nordstrom. I think the AE ones work fine and are pretty cheap.

 

[schweezly]

I would keep that pair, without any hesitation. The difference is only discernible to a very critical eye looking closely. Namely, you.

It’s shell. They will never be identical. The variation is part of the charm. They will both gain some incredible patina as they age. I doubt that I would even worry about the cream, the sun, etc. Enjoy them!!

There is only ONE question you need to answer: Am I happy enough with these right now to keep them?

You can’t reliably count on any lightening or darkening.

I have a pair of brown shell Dundees with a similar degree of color variation. The variance has actually increased, not decreased, overt time. But as someone set up thread… I’m the only one who notices. I get lots of compliments on those shoes; they look great. If it really bothers you I’d return, but it won’t bother anyone but you.

+1.The variation in shell is a distinct part of the charm. Unless you get black, expect some variation.

Thanks all. I really like them, just under certain lighting it’s more noticeable. Loosely laced in the basement:

Price on seconds right now is pretty much too good to let go. These will get beaten up year round in Midwest weather anyways

 

[Brit-Abroard]

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These are great looking boots and I have to say that those laces look fantastic and really complement the shave shell.

 

[audog]

wrong thread