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

[smfdoc]

@smfdoc Why not try 12 EEE for them, since the 73 is a shorter last? No weaseling intended.

Yeah, I am giving that some thought, but I doubt the additional half size will fix the fit issues.

 

[JFWR]

Lol 10eee

11.5 see. Smfdoc and I are shoe twinsies, albeit my feet are a bit more accommodating.

 

[FatTuesday]

Today,

AE Patriots in football grain...

 

[Silver13gt]

Shell MacNeils for wingtip Wednesday.

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

Does your uncle still have any of those old catalogs, and his home phone? The reason I ask is I've been searching eBay for vintage AE catalogs but unlike Sears, Canadian Tire, Marshall Fields or even Victoria's Secret, AE catalogs are not to be found.

Nah they're long gone and I am not sure it was AE anyway; just fancy schmancy stuff in that 1980s style of oversaturated colors and pictures of tabletop arrangements reminiscent of a saccharine Americana that probably never actually existed. He's not exactly a sentimental guy, and gets rid of stuff a bit too regularly for my liking. I was actually helping him clean the garage once and found wedged between some boxes his PhD dissertation, written several decades before pdfs were invented. Asked if he wanted it and he was like, "Nah you take it. It just reminds me of how much grad school sucked." For his futile attempt at warning me off the path, he got a sheepish mention about a decade later in my dissertation, when my own PhD misadventure finally concluded. ?

Your McCallisters are great shoes.

This is true. They were actually a bit of an impulse buy. AE ran some ridiculous sale on them a few years ago and I took advantage, but unfortunately they now sit in an awkward spot in my shoe rotation in terms of style and formality, between my burgundy captoes and shell Daltons; I find myself always reaching for those, and rarely for the McAllisters. Nowadays, I collect wears on them by traveling with them; don't want them to turn into a pair of sad neglected closet queens, right? They're quite versatile in that you can pair them with everything from navy or gray suits to dark wash denim, which is what I take on the road anyway, so it makes for efficient packing.

I suspect AE was appealing was to the upper middle-class, suburban white family that joined country or dinner clubs in a different era. Bankers, lawyers, accountants, middle management, salesmen types, but I missed that world.

That's always the target demo for these entry-level luxury companies, I'd imagine. There's no point in trying to market to a higher tax bracket since they're already your people or they aren't, and if you go one lower, you won't find too many people willing to drop four benjamins on a pair of old-fashioned shoes. The newly-minted-upper-middle-class person though will probably be up for a tangible little token that he or she has secured a seat at the table, or at least as secure as one can be on the fickle anxiety-fueled machine that is American white-collar labor.

This sweet-spot demographic still exists I suspect, though perhaps less inclined towards historical trappings of financial success, like nice shoes, and more likely to blow their funds on a Tesla or a tacky event that yields plenty of TikTok videos. I guess that's who these ugly new AE sneakers are for.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Guys, can I safely use renomat or acetone on the outband brown leather that the Badlands and Wilbert used? And does anyone know if the product AE uses as finish on their shoes, can it be bought for home use? My intention is to remove some of the wax that I got on the shoes by using conditioners that I did not know contained wax. @jpm1? Anyone?

 

[Shoenut]

Guys, can I safely use renomat or acetone on the outband brown leather that the Badlands and Wilbert used? And does anyone know if the product AE uses as finish on their shoes, can it be bought for home use? My intention is to remove some of the wax that I got on the shoes by using conditioners that I did not know contained wax. @jpm1? Anyone?

Isn’t the Wilbert made with a English waxy leather? What is the tiny amount of wax in a conditioner matter?

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Isn’t the Wilbert made with a English waxy leather? What is the tiny amount of wax in a conditioner matter?

The wax built up to the point where I get these ugly white creases on the shoes after I wear them. I guess I could just buy some cognac creme polish, but it probably won't match exactly. The leather color on the outland brown is sort of in between cognac and light brown.

 

[Shoenut]

Have you just tried any simple cleaner? I have had minimal issues with my Wilbert of the same color and I have cleaned with the horrible horrible saddle soap.

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Have you just tried any simple cleaner? I have had minimal issues with my Wilbert of the same color and I have cleaned with the horrible horrible saddle soap.

I have tried using AE's conditioner cleaner, which did not fix the problem and made it look worse. I don't own lexol, but I read that can work. I ordered some renomat, but unsure if that will be safe for this leather. I'm guessing acetone would not be what I want.

 

[EdwardWilson]

Guys, can I safely use renomat or acetone on the outband brown leather that the Badlands and Wilbert used? And does anyone know if the product AE uses as finish on their shoes, can it be bought for home use? My intention is to remove some of the wax that I got on the shoes by using conditioners that I did not know contained wax. @jpm1? Anyone?

This may not help you, but I bought some vintage Florsheim Imperials 93602s on eBay that were covered in some type of acrylic dye or plastic-like spray covering. I have never used acetone before, and was hesitant, but I figured the shoes were worthless to me so what the hell? And I eventually found that with persistent scrubbing, I did strip the leather down the original finish without damaging it. I used the little sponge that comes with Fiebings saddle soap which is extremely soft and it eventually crumbled to pieces.

So if I were you I would start with Reno'Mat, which really should not damage the leather and is much gentler than acetone. If that fails, I would try just a touch of acetone and a soft touch. It evaporates quickly and is not as harsh as some claim.

Alternatively, you can email AE recrafting and maybe send them a photo and ask for their thoughts. Their recrafters see more shoes than any cobbler in the world and likely have learned a trick or two of the years.

Best of luck!

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

@ProfilaBinding I am not sure of the nuances of this Wilbert leather, but as a general rule of thumb, acetone and renomat require a bit more practice. If it's just crusty wax working its way loose, you can sometimes get it off with a horsehair brush and some elbow grease. If that fails, I would escalate to water with a bit of rubbing alcohol mixed in. Say, 30% alcohol total, so about a 1:1 ratio of water and the 70% stuff for sanitizing surfaces. That should soften the old wax enough that you can buff it off with a cloth. I've even been able to soften large slivers of of flaky wax with the dilute alcohol and then just scrape the crud off with a thumbnail. A fingernail is relatively soft and will take off the wax without scuffing the leather. It might take a few rounds; don't get discouraged if you don't seem to make any progress after the first few passes.

Failing that, you can escalate to the harsher solvents but definitely start in an area that isn't visible when the shoes are worn, like the inner heel, or the edge of the tongue.

 

[JFWR]

The wax built up to the point where I get these ugly white creases on the shoes after I wear them. I guess I could just buy some cognac creme polish, but it probably won't match exactly. The leather color on the outland brown is sort of in between cognac and light brown.

Try neutral wax used on a cotton ball as a rubbing agent. It takes off old wax remarkably readily, and does wonders on the pigment of cream polish, too.

 

[Shoenut]

Possible rain called for McTavish.

 

[munchau]

Cambridge and windowpane today.