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JFWR

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What CURRENT styles are most appealing to you? What would you like to see in shell?

Now this is a great question, Ashley.

My favourite shoe from you is undoubtably the Strand. I love half-brogues, and I honestly believe that the Strand is the most handsome half-brogue on the market. I mean this across the board: I think the Strand at least equals, if not exceeds, any half-brogue on the market at any price point, absent one of a kind bespoke masterpieces. Nevertheless, we know the Strand is also pretty much AE's favourite shoe, as it is available in every combination under the sun. We don't need more Strands, save perhaps if you want to introduce even more colours as standard (like green and navy calf).

So I am going to focus on styles which I like a lot, and those which I specifically would like to see in shell.

I think the Kenilworth is one of your most underappreciated styles. It is a really excellent three-eyelet derby. I could see it looking quite elegant in shell. I don't like the Kenilworth in black, but it is beautiful in brown, and I think it would look splendid in an oxblood/colour 8 shell.

The 5th Avenue is not represented at all in shell. Given the 5th avenue is one of your QUINTESSENTIAL shoes (up there with the Park Avenue), why would you not offer this in shell? It would look great!

Though I prefer the Dundee, the Nomad chukka in shell would be quite nice.

The Landshark has shown that the Landon looks great in shell, too.

The Delrey might not be as nice as the Bradley, but I think it could look good in shell, too.

I know you said CURRENT styles, but the Sullivan street boots in cordovan would be be amazing, especially with a grain impressed on the shanks. You know what I want next trunk show? A pair of green shell cordovan sullivans, that's what I friggin' want.
 

Neo1

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Cmon guys, give Ashley a break. I’d be willing to bet AE has told her trunk shows and such are limited to current models. If not I’d be asking for Cornwallis or Bradley.

How about giving Neo a break? I cant wrap my head around the fact that not a single person asked for the Lake Forest - it seems like a total no brainer to me. Man do we have some real loafer haters around here lol.
 

Neo1

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Dundee Chukka. When I see people post theirs, I get jealous and I am not by nature a jealous person.

While I'm not in love with the 511 by any means I usually have no trouble with it all. I tried some Dundees in Freeport and came to the conclusion that I needed the 2.0 version solely for the fact that I found the heelcup so wide that with only two eyelets to hold my foot down I was basically walking out of them without the extra poron. I passed on the purchase. Much later I picked them up (2.0, grain) on closeout from Caleb and after fully breaking them in the heelcup thing is just sloppy large. I wear them but very infrequently. There was an oxblood BB pair floating around forever that even showed up at Paramus that Kristen offered to me for $99 that I passed on - the fit was just lousy for me.

Picked up the 1339 in burgundy shell last year...problem solved :)
 

JFWR

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Wearing khaki grain McTavishes today.

View attachment 1608318

Some of you may have recognized that as the floor at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal.

For fans of "A-E In The Wild" pictures, here I am standing in front of Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal between trains.

View attachment 1608319

Someday will finally figure out how to get the entire clock tower in the picture, as well as be sure to stand in the Sun rather than in the shade.

Since people keep asking how I take the pictures, took this one with the cell phone tripod mount and cell phone on top of the sundial.

View attachment 1608320

For fans of food pictures in shoe threads, a scone, tea, and me at the Tea Rose Garden in Pasadena CA.

View attachment 1608321

Once again, my belt did not match my shoes. Wore the Logan Avenue belt I got from @BackInTheJox in 2017.

View attachment 1608322

Sometimes wonder if A-E had made slighly narrower belts like this to coordinate with the woolly and leather parts of the various Wooley series shoes if they would have sold many.

Supremely elegant once again, man.

I sincerely need to get one of those tripods.
 

Neo1

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In the interest of pedantry and clarity - I stand slightly corrected. The Academy (and Alumnus, another nice shoe) are on the 2321, while the HM is on the 1757. In the immortal words of @Neo1, the 2321 "appears to have characteristics in common with the 1757."

Anecdotally, this seems true. I'd go with your HM size. This is the listing I mentioned earlier (not my listing;no affiliation whatsoever):

Also lots of used pairs out there.

Best of luck.

The Academy was one of the rare instances where I actually returned my purchase hahaha.

In the past I might have been a little harsh on the criticism but just so people understand where I'm coming from. The HM was like a breakout hit - it set the bar pretty high. I loved how they managed to keep them feeling soft & comfortable inside while at the same time providing some pretty solid support with a beefy double danite outsole - they're heavy and never cause me leg fatigue.

The Alumnus was like a "shell" of the HM - the fit was the same but if you found the heel of the HM large-ish at all you'd get slippage without the boot shaft. The outsole felt paper thin compared to the danite. It was ok, just not great. I honestly consider this a hole in the AE lineup - as the owner of two of the PTBs and 1 LWB from GS, I can tell you that's what AE should have done in the first place - they needed something heftier & more solid.

FWIW the 2321 was super similar to the 1757 - like I said I'd only be concerned about potential heel slippage on cxl without a boot shaft.
 

Neo1

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Maybe I've been away too long - some interesting trunk show choices going on - Nomads, the Kenilworth, the Venture....not gonna comment lol.

Current: Cornwallis, Strand, Cambridge, Hamilton , St. John, Dalton, Lombard, Lake Forest

Older: Manchester, Eagle County, Larchmont, Rogue, MacNeil, Ascher, Norwich, Player
 

vdubiv

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Calling for rain so Higgins Mill got my call....
20210512_060511.jpg
 

Count de Monet

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To me (and this is admittedly a traditionalist point of view) shell is best presented not as an alternative to fine calfskin in a dress oxford but instead on more casual shoes like loafers, split toes, bluchers & derbies, chukkas, saddle oxfords, and boots. Think of all the models in those categories AE has chosen to drop.

Of what’s left, I’d say the Grayson would be good as would the Long Branch.
 

EZB

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Now this is a great question, Ashley.

My favourite shoe from you is undoubtably the Strand. I love half-brogues, and I honestly believe that the Strand is the most handsome half-brogue on the market. I mean this across the board: I think the Strand at least equals, if not exceeds, any half-brogue on the market at any price point, absent one of a kind bespoke masterpieces. Nevertheless, we know the Strand is also pretty much AE's favourite shoe, as it is available in every combination under the sun. We don't need more Strands, save perhaps if you want to introduce even more colours as standard (like green and navy calf).

So I am going to focus on styles which I like a lot, and those which I specifically would like to see in shell.

I think the Kenilworth is one of your most underappreciated styles. It is a really excellent three-eyelet derby. I could see it looking quite elegant in shell. I don't like the Kenilworth in black, but it is beautiful in brown, and I think it would look splendid in an oxblood/colour 8 shell.

The 5th Avenue is not represented at all in shell. Given the 5th avenue is one of your QUINTESSENTIAL shoes (up there with the Park Avenue), why would you not offer this in shell? It would look great!

Though I prefer the Dundee, the Nomad chukka in shell would be quite nice.

The Landshark has shown that the Landon looks great in shell, too.

The Delrey might not be as nice as the Bradley, but I think it could look good in shell, too.

I know you said CURRENT styles, but the Sullivan street boots in cordovan would be be amazing, especially with a grain impressed on the shanks. You know what I want next trunk show? A pair of green shell cordovan sullivans, that's what I friggin' want.

I also think a Nomad in shell would be nice, but really what I want is the XLite sole to be offered with a shell shoe. Now, what would you say to a Williamsburg in shell?

Maybe I've been away too long - some interesting trunk show choices going on - Nomads, the Kenilworth, the Venture....not gonna comment lol.

Current: Cornwallis, Strand, Cambridge, Hamilton , St. John, Dalton, Lombard, Lake Forest

Older: Manchester, Eagle County, Larchmont, Rogue, MacNeil, Ascher, Norwich, Player

Unfortunately, the Cornwallis is no longer current. I think the Lake Forest is also being discontinued.


Great combo!
 
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