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

[wasmisterfu]

Crosspost from vintage:

So here they are (and, IMHO, at 27 years and counting, now into vintage territory), 1994 Olympiads. Basically a Broadstreet, but using upgraded materials, most notably, white nubuck instead of white dyed calf. These were a limited edition run, designed for the 1992 US Olympic Team’s ceremonial uniforms. As a lover or all things spectator, this is a real unicorn find (especially in my size).

I had to give the non-nubuck parts, and the interiors, a solid dose of AE Leather Lotion, given that these have spent their entire life in a box (essentially as packaged from the factory).

That said, these are the most NOS of NOS I’ve ever encountered. Never even tried on, they smelled exactly like a brand new pair, still wrapped in their factory plastic bags, fresh from Port Washington. Which is just plain neat, because these are from a different era. And they’re just so pretty to look at.

Will I ever wear them? I dunno, maybe for a very special occasion (I might request that I’m buried in them). Right now, they might be the only NOS pair of Olympiad’s in existence. And they’re all mine.

 

[Count de Monet]

I’d wear them.

Shoes are made to worn.

Cars are made to be driven.

guitars are meant to be played (and with acoustics particularly, it can actually help them to be played).

Would wearing them bring you more joy than keeping them in a box on a shelf to pull down and sniff from time to time? Only you can answer that. But I’d wear those suckers. They’re like my Heritage spectators, but with better specs.

 

[stook1]

Crosspost from vintage:

So here they are (and, IMHO, at 27 years and counting, now into vintage territory), 1994 Olympiads. Basically a Broadstreet, but using upgraded materials, most notably, white nubuck instead of white dyed calf. These were a limited edition run, designed for the 1992 US Olympic Team’s ceremonial uniforms. As a lover or all things spectator, this is a real unicorn find (especially in my size).

I had to give the non-nubuck parts, and the interiors, a solid dose of AE Leather Lotion, given that these have spent their entire life in a box (essentially as packaged from the factory).

That said, these are the most NOS of NOS I’ve ever encountered. Never even tried on, they smelled exactly like a brand new pair, still wrapped in their factory plastic bags, fresh from Port Washington. Which is just plain neat, because these are from a different era. And they’re just so pretty to look at.

Will I ever wear them? I dunno, maybe for a very special occasion (I might request that I’m buried in them). Right now, they might be the only NOS pair of Olympiad’s in existence. And they’re all mine.

That is one hell of a find! Wear them in good health (unless you choose to be buried in them instead, lol)!

 

[James1051]

"Hi. My name is @AEfaninTampa and I'm a shoe-holic."

The bad news is, I have been living in my two pair of Long Branches (alternating daily) for the past almost four weeks. They have been beat to hell working at the farm. From putting in new fence posts, to building new horse stalls, running PVC (word of advice - DO NOT get purple PVC primer on your shoes), to today’s special, field dressing a pig. All my “pretty” shoes have been relegated to dust collection.
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The good news is that I start a new job on Monday, mainly WFH, but get to head North to meet everyone at the main office in person the week of the 7th! Now, five days, 10 pairs of shoes oughta cover it! Hmm, how many bags do I get free on Southwest? Maybe I can squeeze in an extra pair.

Congrats on your new job ?

 

[wasmisterfu]

I’d wear them.

Shoes are made to worn.

Cars are made to be driven.

guitars are meant to be played (and with acoustics particularly, it can actually help them to be played).

Would wearing them bring you more joy than keeping them in a box on a shelf to pull down and sniff from time to time? Only you can answer that. But I’d wear those suckers. They’re like my Heritage spectators, but with better specs.

Collections are weird things; generally I agree, but I do have a few NOS items that are more interesting as time capsules and clean examples of things from a bygone era. Out of many dozens of pairs, this might be one of four pair that are somewhat in that category.

That said, every pair I own can be worn and these straddle that line (versus, for example, my mid 1950’s NOS Weyenberg’s, which really are just museum items).

Spoiler: Non-AE thread violation

 

[savvysartorial]

Cigar for a gloomy Tuesday in the Lou.

Spoiler: Alden

 

[wasmisterfu]

Cigar for a gloomy Tuesday in the Lou.

Spoiler: Alden

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Nice. Very nice. I like the tie also.

 

[bluejazzmonkey]

"Hi. My name is @AEfaninTampa and I'm a shoe-holic."

The bad news is, I have been living in my two pair of Long Branches (alternating daily) for the past almost four weeks. They have been beat to hell working at the farm. From putting in new fence posts, to building new horse stalls, running PVC (word of advice - DO NOT get purple PVC primer on your shoes), to today’s special, field dressing a pig. All my “pretty” shoes have been relegated to dust collection.
View attachment 1611874
View attachment 1611875
View attachment 1611876
The good news is that I start a new job on Monday, mainly WFH, but get to head North to meet everyone at the main office in person the week of the 7th! Now, five days, 10 pairs of shoes oughta cover it! Hmm, how many bags do I get free on Southwest? Maybe I can squeeze in an extra pair.

You are one of our amazing Brothers. That horse barn is badass! I love it and I believe that every horse deserves a beautiful stall. Bravo.

 

[Duke Santos]

So, Ol' Duke Santos is a little upset. My pair of Whitney PTB have developed a heel problem. I bought these on close out for 127 clams in Summer 2019, and they stayed pretty much unworn until earlier this year. I've given them a bit of wear but nothing excessive. Now, the heel block on one shoe is already going South. The rubber part is clearly coming unglued, and today I noticed that the bottom layer of the leather stack is also starting to give a bit.

Should I just have them fully resoled with a rubber city sole? Have a local cobbler glue the loose heel parts back? Would that make them ineligible for AE recrafting down the road? I also thought about using them as a test pair to check out Trenton & Heath's work.

Since that sole has been discontinued, I wonder what the official AE replacement would be.

@ae_ashley ?

 

[Roycru]

Wearing snuff suede Neumoks today.

For fans of "A-E In The Wild" pictures, once again resisted the temptation to take a picture with Paul Smith's pink wall and took a picture a few blocks west of there.

My picture is more representative of Melrose Avenue and Melrose Place today. Most of the stores are now vacant and every restaurant I went to in the past has closed forever.

Paul Smith's Pink Wall is an LA Instagram Phenomenon — But Is it Paying Off for Paul Smith?

The brand has all but denounced the wall's social media success.

fashionista.com

For fans of food pictures in shoe threads, Lemon Drizzle Cake, tea, and me at Josephine.

Coordinated the pocket square and tie with the two red spots on my forehead from Cryosurgery at UCLA Medical Center last Thursday.

Amongst all the vacancies, a few new stores have opened on Melrose Place.

This is one of the new stores. Don't think they sell men's shoes so didn't go in to look.

 

[DawgPound]

Blew out a tire today on the freeway, so snapped a photo of my 2020 trunk show Leeds in the sun while the poor guy did the dirty work in the 95* heat. I paid for roadside assistance with my insurance, might as well use it since my clothes would’ve been ruined.

Here are the same pair under different lighting in the tire shop. I really like how they change in different lighting.

 

[Duke Santos]

Blew out a tire today on the freeway, so snapped a photo of my 2020 trunk show Leeds in the sun while the poor guy did the dirty work in the 95* heat. I paid for roadside assistance with my insurance, might as well use it since my clothes would’ve been ruined.

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Here are the same pair under different lighting in the tire shop. I really like how they change in different lighting.
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Like polishing shoes, every man should know how to change a tire. Unlike polishing shoes, every man should know when to pass the task off to another man.

 

[DawgPound]

Like polishing shoes, every man should know how to change a tire. Unlike polishing shoes, every man should know when to pass the task off to another man.

Ha! Exactly. I’m a car guy at heart (and also an engineer/mechanically inclined)...used to do my own work. So there was a long pause before dialing the roadside assistance phone number. He was there fast, the clothes are still clean, and I’m happy.

 

[wasmisterfu]

So, Ol' Duke Santos is a little upset. My pair of Whitney PTB have developed a heel problem. I bought these on close out for 127 clams in Summer 2019, and they stayed pretty much unworn until earlier this year. I've given them a bit of wear but nothing excessive. Now, the heel block on one shoe is already going South. The rubber part is clearly coming unglued, and today I noticed that the bottom layer of the leather stack is also starting to give a bit.

Should I just have them fully resoled with a rubber city sole? Have a local cobbler glue the loose heel parts back? Would that make them ineligible for AE recrafting down the road? I also thought about using them as a test pair to check out Trenton & Heath's work.

Since that sole has been discontinued, I wonder what the official AE replacement would be.

@ae_ashley ?

Pictures?

Short answer is that any part of the heel stack is an easy fix for a cobbler, just make sure they they don’t attempt to tack the heel through the insole from the inside (as is common on other shoes), as that is a no-no with AE’s design (which only affixes the heel-base through the outsole from the bottom up). If they aren’t familiar with AE’s construction, and they do what I described, that will invalidate them for recraft. You most certainly don’t need to resole or recraft, and probably don’t need a new heel stack.

I wouldn’t get too discouraged, AE’s unitized 360 welt construction is very durable, but the heel stack has always been the one weakness in their design (going back to day one). However my cobbler can sort that situation out in 30 minutes during a lunchtime visit.

 

[Duke Santos]

Pictures?

Short answer is that any part of the heel stack is an easy fix for a cobbler, just make sure they they don’t attempt to tack the heel through the insole from the inside (as is common on other shoes), as that is a no-no with AE’s design (which only affixes the heel-base through the outsole from the bottom up). If they aren’t familiar with AE’s construction, and they do what I described, that will invalidate them for recraft. You most certainly don’t need to resole or recraft, and probably don’t need a new heel stack.

I wouldn’t get too discouraged, AE’s unitized 360 welt construction is very durable, but the heel stack has always been the one weakness in their design (going back to day one). However my cobbler can sort that situation out in 30 minutes during a lunchtime visit.