Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread 2020 - News, Pictures, Clothing, Accessories, etc.

[Ashley_S]

Edge and welt update!


Ok. I'll be amending the original post, but these are the six welt and edge combos you are able to pick from:

Antique welt & whiskey edge
Brown welt & light brown edge
Chocolate welt & polo brown edge
Brown welt & polo brown edge
Chili welt & polo brown edge
Black welt & black edge

I have them pictured from lightest to darkest. The brown and polo looks dark here but I think it's lighting and the fact that it's paired with black dainite.
Please also remember that if you choose a jr sole, your edge will always end up a smidge darker. It just works out that way.

I'd say simply put, if you want something close to buff, choose antique and whiskey. If you want a medium translucent brown, choose light brown (but the brown welt is a bit of a contrast, as pictured), and polo brown is a bit darker than that. It was also used on most shoes for the first cordovan show, before anyone had a choice.

 

[James1051]

Edge and welt update!


Ok. I'll be amending the original post, but these are the six welt and edge combos you are able to pick from:
View attachment 1458830

Antique welt & whiskey edge
Brown welt & light brown edge
Chocolate welt & polo brown edge
Brown welt & polo brown edge
Chili welt & polo brown edge
Black welt & black edge

I have them pictured from lightest to darkest. The brown and polo looks dark here but I think it's lighting and the fact that it's paired with black dainite.
Please also remember that if you choose a jr sole, your edge will always end up a smidge darker. It just works out that way.

I'd say simply put, if you want something close to buff, choose antique and whiskey. If you want a medium translucent brown, choose light brown (but the brown welt is a bit of a contrast, as pictured), and polo brown is a bit darker than that. It was also used on most shoes for the first cordovan show, before anyone had a choice.

Thank you. Do you have info on welt stitch colors used with these combos?

Also, that photo of the chili/polo combo, is that a red dainite sole and is that the combo now used on your Tan McTavish?

 

[Ashley_S]

Thank you. Do you have info on welt stitch colors used with these combos?

Also, that photo of the chili/polo combo, is that a red dainite sole and is that the combo now used on your Tan McTavish?

I don't. I imagine it will be tonal and honestly at the discretion of the team. I was told the stitching used on antique is a taupe color. This is an area that I am really trying to avoid splitting hairs about. I've shared your thoughts and concerns with our leadership and they hear you, but I have also been told we won't be remaking shoes due to stitch color.

 

[stook1]

I don't. I imagine it will be tonal and honestly at the discretion of the team. I was told the stitching used on antique is a taupe color. This is an area that I am really trying to avoid splitting hairs about. I've shared your thoughts and concerns with our leadership and they hear you, but I have also been told we won't be remaking shoes due to stitch color.

Hi Ashley, to be clear, I am not planning to order anything this round so feel free to ignore this... just trying to help/clarify. While it would be nice to have complete control over the welt stitching color, I think more important is that there's clarity around which welts will use which color thread and for it to be consistent. There are probably some people for whom this may impact their choice of welt/edge. Also, it could be an opportunity to keep things consistent for AE while also offering some additional choice for the customers. For example, the 4 darker edge/welt options aren't all THAT different from each other so perhaps offer one of them with light stitching and one of them with darker/tonal stitching. This way it's still consistent for AE but also allows for some control over the stitching color for someone that wants a darker welt/edge.

 

[stook1]

I don't. I imagine it will be tonal and honestly at the discretion of the team. I was told the stitching used on antique is a taupe color. This is an area that I am really trying to avoid splitting hairs about. I've shared your thoughts and concerns with our leadership and they hear you, but I have also been told we won't be remaking shoes due to stitch color.

Also, if I may throw another coal on the fire... it would be awesome, at some point, to bring back fudging on the welts for the trunk shows. It really dials up the presence quite a bit and seems like something that would get people excited.

 

[Shoenut]

Interesting, this has never happened to me, despite selling quite a few pairs of shell AE, Alden, and Carmina. Maybe 13B or 11UK isn't an appealing size to scam a seller over.

9D seems to be.

 

[Ashley_S]

Hi Ashley, to be clear, I am not planning to order anything this round so feel free to ignore this... just trying to help/clarify. While it would be nice to have complete control over the welt stitching color, I think more important is that there's clarity around which welts will use which color thread and for it to be consistent. There are probably some people for whom this may impact their choice of welt/edge. Also, it could be an opportunity to keep things consistent for AE while also offering some additional choice for the customers. For example, the 4 darker edge/welt options aren't all THAT different from each other so perhaps offer one of them with light stitching and one of them with darker/tonal stitching. This way it's still consistent for AE but also allows for some control over the stitching color for someone that wants a darker welt/edge.

Perhaps we can revisit this in coming years, but I think I have exhausted the stitching topic as much as I am able to this year. We really need to streamline things a bit this time. Stitching is going to be at the teams discretion this year.

 

[Aenonymous]

Spot-freakin'-on.

People sit here and conjecture upon AE decisions with ZERO insights into the company's P&L and think that it's fact. Spoiler alert: We are not AE's only customers. I could look at every AE model from 1922 to whatever Walker/Brogue/Chelsea/Monkstrap/Longwing hybrid is next on the decision tree and probably only be "into" about 7% of them. THAT'S OK! I love the Toyota 4Runner (specifically the 3rd generation), but I don't have to want a Venza or a Matrix when they release them, just because they're a Toyota with a hatchback or think that Toyota's quality is going down the crapper when they release a more budget-friendly line of cars to attract a different segment. Companies do this stuff all the time.

I worked in marketing for 20+ years writing copy and have worked in product development for the past 3. You do research and you innovate with new products as you try to grow your customer base. Sometimes, that means taking a chance on something that might not work. Not everyone wants to wear dress shoes all the time. Not everyone wants to wear dress boots all the time. Not everyone wants to wear work boots all the time. Not everyone wants to wear sneakers all the time. Not everyone wants to wear hippie sandals all the time (except hippies, and even then I'm sure that deep down inside, in the places they don't want to talk about, they kind of want to wear a pair of Chuck Taylors every once in a while). But, if you're a shoe company that makes good shoes, you need to find a way to tap into new and emerging markets if you want to keep making a profit.

AE sneakers are not for me. Not the ones from a few years ago and not the ones they're launching right now. Maybe some day that will change. But, I applaud the bringing out of new styles, especially if that's what the market will bear. Now, if they were releasing the new Strand and PA sneakers and discontinuing the traditional models of those, then we might have something to get our collective undies in a bundle about. But, call me crazy, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

In the end, we're all only as good as the shoes we wear. So, let's keep wearing the ones that make us happy.

Love,

Donkey

I'm just curious, how many pair of Johnston & Murphy and Florsheim are in your closet? And are you as passionate about them as your AE shoes?

I think the larger concern here is how AE is seemingly following what has been the trend in the US footwear industry in general and how we've all seen this segmenting strategy, in tandem with manufacturing those segments outside the US, pave a path toward general mediocrity and the ultimate demise of a company's domestic production.

 

[stook1]

I'm just curious, how many pair of Johnston & Murphy and Florsheim are in your closet? And are you as passionate about them as your AE shoes?

I think the larger concern here is how AE is seemingly following what has been the trend in the US footwear industry in general and how we've all seen this segmenting strategy, in tandem with manufacturing those segments outside the US, pave a path toward general mediocrity and the ultimate demise of a company's domestic production.

At the end of the day, it's pointless to scream into the wind about this topic (and this isn't targeted only or mainly to you but rather the longer discussion that's happening on SF, Reddit, etc. that was triggered by the sneaker email). AE is not going to remain 100% committed to domestic made welted footwear if they can't sell the product in sufficient volume to support the business. Buy more shoes and persuade your friends to do the same. If the demand is there they will produce it... or, if they can't turn a profit doing so than some other company will enter what is, essentially, a niche market to satisfy the limited demand.

For anyone that wants AE to continue as a going concern, especially in these times, I find it baffling how much moaning there is about trying to target/win sales with new product innovation. I'm not buying them either but I don't begrudge anyone that does nor do I have any issue with AE identifying new markets.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Spoiler alert: We are not AE's only customers.

I realized not everyone was "olive obsessed" once those Strands went to clearance so soon. Olive is my favorite color of any shoe, but not everyone has good taste like me.

 

[smfdoc]

I received a catalog today with one of the $50 to $75 discount code coupons in it, to be used with the purchase of a regular priced shoe. I will not be needing it. PM me if you need the discount code.

 

[Shoenut]

At the end of the day, it's pointless to scream into the wind about this topic (and this isn't targeted only or mainly to you but rather the longer discussion that's happening on SF, Reddit, etc. that was triggered by the sneaker email). AE is not going to remain 100% committed to domestic made welted footwear if they can't sell the product in sufficient volume to support the business. Buy more shoes and persuade your friends to do the same. If the demand is there they will produce it... or, if they can't turn a profit doing so than some other company will enter what is, essentially, a niche market to satisfy the limited demand.

For anyone that wants AE to continue as a going concern, especially in these times, I find it baffling how much moaning there is about trying to target/win sales with new product innovation. I'm not buying them either but I don't begrudge anyone that does nor do I have any issue with AE identifying new markets.

If AE can’t only what I want, when I want it, I am going to China.

 

[Shoenut]

I realized not everyone was "olive obsessed" once those Strands went to clearance so soon. Olive is my favorite color of any shoe, but not everyone has good taste like me.

Yeah, they only really needed to make three shoes.

 

[Vincent George]

Perhaps we can revisit this in coming years, but I think I have exhausted the stitching topic as much as I am able to this year. We really need to streamline things a bit this time. Stitching is going to be at the teams discretion this year.

@ae_ashley just tell the boys that we’re all getting purple thread!

 

[Vincent George]

I received a catalog today with one of the $50 to $75 discount code coupons in it, to be used with the purchase of a regular priced shoe. I will not be needing it. PM me if you need the discount code.

Expires October 4...can we use it for the trunk show? (Probably not.)