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

[audog]

Yeah?!?!

View attachment 1400075

Besides, snakes and scorpions and other such things, can't get through boots......sandals or loafers leave one to attack. oh it's over 90 here and I wore boots today

 

[Southwick]

I notice that AE has taken down the notice of pausing the recraft service. Does that mean that they are up and running? I apologize for the dumb question.

 

[dpgaloot]

Respectfully, I agree with the Major on all counts. Those are perfect. To me, a really light welt color on a medium to dark dress shoe draws the eye to the wrong thing.

Those are gorgeous as they are. Take them for a spin and start enjoying them. Never look back.

Have I mentioned I think they look great?

Thanks for the feedback here guys, I'm going to run with them as is. I agree they are beautiful.

Just got a shipment notification from the 30% off sale. Waiting is hard, it's kind of like the same feeling as when you knew you were a good boy but Christmas is still a week away.

 

[Southwick]

I picked up these Sanfords on eBay awhile ago for a fair price, no bargain. I would have spent just about any amount because i love the five eyelets. I assumed they were the usual calfskin uppers, but on receipt they look almost too shiny and have some pronounced wrinkles that don’t seem commensurate with the level of wear on the soles. Is it possible these are polished cobbler? What else might they be? I am obviously going to wear them with joy, because I just love the style, but I guess I wasn’t aware that AEs of this vintage were made with cheaper leathers.

 

[sam67]

'Polished cobbler' the same as 'bookbinder'?

 

[madhat]

I picked up these Sanfords on eBay awhile ago for a fair price, no bargain. I would have spent just about any amount because i love the five eyelets. I assumed they were the usual calfskin uppers, but on receipt they look almost too shiny and have some pronounced wrinkles that don’t seem commensurate with the level of wear on the soles. Is it possible these are polished cobbler? What else might they be? I am obviously going to wear them with joy, because I just love the style, but I guess I wasn’t aware that AEs of this vintage were made with cheaper leathers. View attachment 1400112

'Polished cobbler' the same as 'bookbinder'?

80s era polished cobbler is not the garage CG you find today. They used high quality calf and coated it for a more consistent and easily maintainable finish. Can you provide the numbers from the inside for better dating?
Calling @wasmisterfu to teach these boys about these.

 

[Southwick]

80s era polished cobbler is not the garage CG you find today. They used high quality calf and coated it for a more consistent and easily maintainable finish. Can you provide the numbers from the inside for better dating?
Calling @wasmisterfu to teach these boys about these.

Glad to oblige!

 

[wasmisterfu]

80s era polished cobbler is not the garage CG you find today. They used high quality calf and coated it for a more consistent and easily maintainable finish. Can you provide the numbers from the inside for better dating?
Calling @wasmisterfu to teach these boys about these.

Yup, 82-92 PC is generally made of very good, supple top-grain leather (buffed down) and then coated with a nearly indestructible PU finish. The bend (creasing) is sometimes so tight, the stuff almost looks like shell. Even later PC was made of decent quality leather, but it tends to crease more crudely.

The problem with PC is that you can’t restore it without extreme measures (that involve stripping off the PU finish). And once the finish degrades from wear setting in, it will start to look pretty gnarly.

As for the dating on those, they’re from 1992.

 

[wasmisterfu]

'Polished cobbler' the same as 'bookbinder'?

So rather than use these fungible “marketing” terms, I’ll break it down into three main categories:

1. Full-grain leather - nowadays, the stuff generally used by AE, Alden, and other quality makes. Grain is apparent, sometimes will have an applied finish over dyed leather. Easy way to identify: drops of water on the vamp will be absorbed by the leather, leaving two dark spots.

Full grain:

2. PU finished/coated leather - been around a long time in various forms. At the top end is high-quality top-grain leather that’s be buffed down and coated (more like infused) with a PU finish, giving it a perma-shine appearance. Generally weather resistant, it was very popular from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. This is the stuff Church’s labels “binder” and AE called polished cobbler.

This is an example of the high-quality stuff:

At the other end of the spectrum is stuff that’s essentially the same, but has a somewhat thicker finish, with the grain buffed down further to obfuscate low-quality, scarred leather. This is what’s commonly referred to as “corrected grain” as the purpose is to high defects in the grain of the leather. When you strip this stuff (or even just examine very closely), there will often be significant scarring, tick-bites, etc. Because of the heavier finish, this leather tends to be much stiffer and it also can crease deeply. It’s worst attribute, is unlike the high quality stuff, it often feels like it just won’t “break in”.

Low quality CG:

3. Bonded leather - this stuff is often confused with PU coated top-grain leather, as it’s also PU coated, giving untextured versions a vary similar appearance. How it’s made, however, is entirely different. It’s basically the particle board of leather: it’s made of leather scraps, glued onto a fabric backing, then PU coated and then optionally stamped with a texture. This stuff is also called sometimes called “book-binder“ leather as it was developed as a low-cost alternative for the book binding business. It’s since been widely adopted in everything from furniture to clothing. It’s also the worst stuff imaginable when it comes to shoes, as it tends to self destruct. To be clear, this stuff is not CG leather; it’s not really leather at all, IMHO.

Bonded leather:

 

[CMR16]

I picked up these Sanfords on eBay awhile ago for a fair price, no bargain. I would have spent just about any amount because i love the five eyelets. I assumed they were the usual calfskin uppers, but on receipt they look almost too shiny and have some pronounced wrinkles that don’t seem commensurate with the level of wear on the soles. Is it possible these are polished cobbler? What else might they be? I am obviously going to wear them with joy, because I just love the style, but I guess I wasn’t aware that AEs of this vintage were made with cheaper leathers. View attachment 1400112

If you look at prior catalogs from AE they do offer a few different types of Sanford's with 5 eyelets before 2001, which was 2 in calf and 2 in polished cobbler -- although it could be more or less.

I only know this because another member mentioned that AE discontinued the older Sanford's before 2001. I reached out to AE CS regarding a pair I purchased from Ebay with model number 5367 and they said that it was assigned in 1994.

Chances are that is polished cobbler, as it does look a bit shiny for calf. But as far as I know AE only made the Sanford in either calf or polished cobbler.

 

[wasmisterfu]

If you look at prior catalogs from AE they do offer a few different types of Sanford's with 5 eyelets before 2001, which was 2 in calf and 2 in polished cobbler -- although it could be more or less.

I only know this because another member mentioned that AE discontinued the older Sanford's before 2001. I reached out to AE CS regarding a pair I purchased from Ebay with model number 5367 and they said that it was assigned in 1994.

Chances are that is polished cobbler, as it does look a bit shiny for calf. But as far as I know AE only made the Sanford in either calf or polished cobbler.

The model referenced above is 5237, burgundy polished cobbler, page 9 of the 1992 catalog. Based on the date code (and construction details, such as insole branding and lining stitching) they were made in 1992.

 

[Thrift Couture]

Yeah?!?!

View attachment 1400075

Always...

 

[sam67]

So rather than use these fungible “marketing” terms, I’ll break it down into three main categories:

1. Full-grain leather - nowadays, the stuff generally used by AE, Alden, and other quality makes. Grain is apparent, sometimes will have an applied finish over dyed leather. Easy way to identify: drops of water on the vamp will be absorbed by the leather, leaving two dark spots.

Full grain:

2. PU finished/coated leather - been around a long time in various forms. At the top end is high-quality top-grain leather that’s be buffed down and coated (more like infused) with a PU finish, giving it a perma-shine appearance. Generally weather resistant, it was very popular from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. This is the stuff Church’s labels “binder” and AE called polished cobbler.

This is an example of the high-quality stuff:

At the other end of the spectrum is stuff that’s essentially the same, but has a somewhat thicker finish, with the grain buffed down further to obfuscate low-quality, scarred leather. This is what’s commonly referred to as “corrected grain” as the purpose is to high defects in the grain of the leather. When you strip this stuff (or even just examine very closely), there will often be significant scarring, tick-bites, etc. Because of the heavier finish, this leather tends to be much stiffer and it also can crease deeply. It’s worst attribute, is unlike the high quality stuff, it often feels like it just won’t “break in”.

Low quality CG:

3. Bonded leather - this stuff is often confused with PU coated top-grain leather, as it’s also PU coated, giving untextured versions a vary similar appearance. How it’s made, however, is entirely different. It’s basically the particle board of leather: it’s made of leather scraps, glued onto a fabric backing, then PU coated and then optionally stamped with a texture. This stuff is also called sometimes called “book-binder“ leather as it was developed as a low-cost alternative for the book binding business. It’s since been widely adopted in everything from furniture to clothing. It’s also the worst stuff imaginable when it comes to shoes, as it tends to self destruct. To be clear, this stuff is not CG leather; it’s not really leather at all, IMHO.

Bonded leather:

Hey, Thanks! Always more to learn. Whatever your specialty is......

 

[Shoenut]

Grayson does not get a ton of wear from me.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Grayson does not get a ton of wear from me.
View attachment 1400209

Given that those best loafers are shell best loafers, I think you should endeavor to increase their wear.