ALLEN EDMONDS APPRECIATION THREAD 2021: News, pictures, clothing, accessories, etc.

[EdwardWilson]

Picked up these Mac Neils 2.0 from eBay for $60. The uppers are in great shape, which is my experience with country or Scotch grain, they rarely scuff or suffer gouges. This is also why 50 year old Imperials remain so popular. This is a thicker leather that would not be suitable without the correction.

That being said, I do prefer the original Mac Neil, the 2.0 feels narrower and lacks the wide, fat look. The soles are Dainite and I’m thinking of sending to AE for double leather traditional oak soles. I rarely buy very used shoes and I’m curious if the prior owner’s imprint will be an issue for comfort.

 

[EZB]

Looks like the whole

Well…

Apparently my wife contacted AE and told them I had too many pairs of shoes,,,
View attachment 1705675

Looks like the whole model got canceled! No longer offered.

 

[AEfaninTampa]

Wearing my bone PA sneakers with added bonus of an AE branded floral patterned shirt!

Wondering what AE sale Black Friday will bring…

 

[madhat]

Looks like the whole

Looks like the whole model got canceled! No longer offered.

Assume they ran out of fabric?

 

[middlepP]

Pulled these GG laces from my brown HMs. Think I need some with a reddish tint to really get the look I'm after.

"Who taught you to wear Guarded Good laces with your Daltons?"
-Thrifty taught me.
"Thrifty taught you well!"

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Nothing romantic today. Just the Black Hills I picked up in late 2021. Some very big creases on the right shoe, but doesn't matter given the nature of the design. Very comfortable with great support.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Assume they ran out of fabric?

Fabric is probably on a container at Long Beach.

 

[ducatiti]

So i just received my Dalton’s. Would you guys accept this or return? Not seconds, fyi.

 

[madhat]

So i just received my Dalton’s. Would you guys accept this or return? Not seconds, fyi.

View attachment 1706041 View attachment 1706042

It's on the shaft, and won't really be that noticeable when wearing. I personally wouldn't care. But, I also wouldn't be buying Daltons.

 

[EdwardWilson]

So i just received my Dalton’s. Would you guys accept this or return? Not seconds, fyi.

View attachment 1706041 View attachment 1706042

I would return. I assume you paid somewhere in the ballpark of $300 and for that price if you have to ask, I think the answer is self-evident.

 

[Thrift Couture]

Pulled these GG laces from my brown HMs. Think I need some with a reddish tint to really get the look I'm after.
View attachment 1706027 View attachment 1706028 View attachment 1706027

"Who taught you to wear Guarded Good laces with your Daltons?"
-Thrifty taught me.
"Thrifty taught you well!"

Looking good Sir!

 

[ducatiti]

I would return. I assume you paid somewhere in the ballpark of $300 and for that price if you have to ask, I think the answer is self-evident.

I just got off the phone with AE. Paid around $280 tax inclusive. They will refund $57 as an additional discount. Will keep them Thanks.

 

[MrOxford]

In order to answer your question I must first explain....
AE is a mass producer. They have a factory mentality. Accordingly they establish procedures, policies and, services in a way that is practical for them to be viable, make a profit and, service their customers. They are also faced with the challenge of training their employees on every level to represent the company in the image they desire. They're primary business is selling new shoes. Repairs are a secondary business used as a support to sell new shoes. After-all, who is going to pay $400.00 for a pair of shoes that can't be re-crafted. IMO there is nothing wrong with that business model. So, the repairs that come in to AE have to fall within specific guidelines that they set for them to be willing to do the repair. Basically the shoes start on the assembly line go through a process which can be duplicated 100's of times per day, completed and, out the door. Anything outside the very basic realm can and most likely be rejected or condemned.
In the repair industry every pair is treated as a one-off. That's a shop mentality which is unlike a factory mentality. When "AE states that a pair of shoes can only be rebuilt 3 times" that is their claim based on what they determined but, it's not true if you factor in a quality repair shops expertise. We are used to seeing extra work that needs to be done that a factory is not set up to do. That extra work means the shoe needs to be pulled off the line which cuts into profits. It's true that AE replaces the welts as part of their re-crafting process. Replacing the welts is not always necessary. In fact it's most often not necessary. When AE replaces a welt the shoe gets put on a welting machine. That machine can pierce holes through the upper, lining and, gemming which are not where the original holes were thereby weakening the structure of the shoe.
Yes, after 3 of those processes I can see why AE (or most of the factories) would not want to repeat the process further.
In a competent repair shop welts are not replaced unless necessary and they charge extra for that. But, since they rewelt by hand they stitch through the original holes of the upper, lining and gemming no damage is done what so ever. Additionally, if the upper or lining is weak in any specific areas it gets patched and supported. If the gemming appears to be loose in some areas it gets glued back into place. I can't tell you how many times we receive shoes from a customer that were condemned for repair from the maker. It's almost 100% a typical repair for a competent repair shop.
All of it amounts to the difference between a factory mentality and a competent repair shop mentality.

Thank you for your contribution to this thread. I appreciate you making the time to draft a reply.

The AE factory mindset is to make affordable shoes. Most people just cannot or willing if they have the money to spend $2000 for hand-made shoes (bespoke) by an American shoemaker. Most people focus on price and not the actual hours required to make shoes from scratch.

All in all, I wish you a wonderful Christmas!

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Picked up these Mac Neils 2.0 from eBay for $60. The uppers are in great shape, which is my experience with country or Scotch grain, they rarely scuff or suffer gouges. This is also why 50 year old Imperials remain so popular. This is a thicker leather that would not be suitable without the correction.

That being said, I do prefer the original Mac Neil, the 2.0 feels narrower and lacks the wide, fat look. The soles are Dainite and I’m thinking of sending to AE for double leather traditional oak soles. I rarely buy very used shoes and I’m curious if the prior owner’s imprint will be an issue for comfort.

View attachment 1706007 View attachment 1706008

I like those socks. In regards to the 2.0, that insole (poron) can sometimes take up more space than a regular model. That was a common complaint about those insoles.

 

[EdwardWilson]

I like those socks. In regards to the 2.0, that insole (poron) can sometimes take up more space than a regular model. That was a common complaint about those insoles.

Yes the poron is definitely an issue. I have a pair of BB Mac Neils 2.0 that I sent to Bedo’s to remove the poron.

On this pair, the top of my toes are pushing against the top of the shoe, I assume because there is no weight pushing the poron down. It is slightly uncomfortable but I think with wear will be fine. It is also the reason for the orange and blue socks, they are my thinnest pair. I normally wear thick socks because my ankles are quite puny.

Old posts on this forum were quite vocal about the poron and sizing issues. It seems AE wanted to add more cushioning, but neglected to consider the volume of the poron. I would be curious to know if there were complaints that the standard Mac Neil felt stiff. In my experience the double leather sole provided much more cushioning than a standard single leather. These are Dainite which I find somewhat unforgiving compared to leather soles.

From my perusing of old catalogs this appears to be the only brown Mac Neil offered in the last ten years, though I could be wrong. Perhaps next year they will offer a MTO Mac Neil in natural or bourbon or tobacco. We can only fantasize.