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

[jet-stream]

Chili Mills today:

 

[munchau]

Look what came in the mail today. Even included the old school burgundy bags.

 

[audog]

The only boots I have that need a sticky clothes roller to clean.

 

[NYCTechNerd]

...I miss the catalogs from last decade...were what inspired me to start collecting Allen Edmonds in the first place...Catalogs full of pictures of beautiful leathers shoes in every color and material, laid out side by side. No menswear models, and not a single sneaker in sight.

The (Strand) King has spoken.

 

[James1051]

Here is where the recent discussion of AE (i) reducing 201 offerings, (iI) reducing derby and blucher offerings, and (iii) eliminating the Independence, all intersect for me.

I have a high instep. The closest I can get to a good fit in a 5-65 last Oxford leaves a big V gap for me. The Indy line on the 201 was a fantastic option for me. It’s gone. Just about all “classic” dressy oxfords AE has left are on the 5 last. Many of the popular “casual oxfords” it persists in making (which is a bit of an oxymoron to me) - the Strandmonk and McTavish - are also on the 5 last.

Derby’s or bluchers on the 5 last, like my Badlands (Black Hills?), are fine but as pointed out up thread, AE derby/blucher offerings are shrinking in favor of things like the Strand-monk & McTavish.

Im glad I have my black Hopkinsons and dark brown ( remember dark brown??) Jefferson’s. They are great shoes.

I understand AE needs/wants to make a profit but for the shrinking (I guess) market for classic dress oxfords options, AE is pretty much a one last company. And it isn’t a flattering last for me. The seven works great for me but no longer a dress oxford option.

It’s like being a left handed guitar player (as am I) and walking into most guitar stores; lots of cool things to look at but nothing to buy.

Its not your main point, with which I agree, but McTavish is 201 isn't it? used to be

 

[EZB]

Maiden voyage today

 

[JFWR]

Polished two AEs on the right and my EGs on the left this week.

 

[JFWR]

Look what came in the mail today. Even included the old school burgundy bags. View attachment 1675079 View attachment 1675080 View attachment 1675081

That's ******* sexy.

 

[Genericuser1]

Brunch today and grilling tonight. It’s an AE twofer.

 

[munchau]

That's ******* sexy.

lol

 

[ProfilaBinding]

Here is where the recent discussion of AE (i) reducing 201 offerings, (iI) reducing derby and blucher offerings, and (iii) eliminating the Independence, all intersect for me.

I have a high instep. The closest I can get to a good fit in a 5-65 last Oxford leaves a big V gap for me. The Indy line on the 201 was a fantastic option for me. It’s gone. Just about all “classic” dressy oxfords AE has left are on the 5 last. Many of the popular “casual oxfords” it persists in making (which is a bit of an oxymoron to me) - the Strandmonk and McTavish - are also on the 5 last.

Derby’s or bluchers on the 5 last, like my Badlands (Black Hills?), are fine but as pointed out up thread, AE derby/blucher offerings are shrinking in favor of things like the Strand-monk & McTavish.

Im glad I have my black Hopkinsons and dark brown ( remember dark brown??) Jefferson’s. They are great shoes.

I understand AE needs/wants to make a profit but for the shrinking (I guess) market for classic dress oxfords options, AE is pretty much a one last company. And it isn’t a flattering last for me. The seven works great for me but no longer a dress oxford option.

It’s like being a left handed guitar player (as am I) and walking into most guitar stores; lots of cool things to look at but nothing to buy.

I'm with you on most of this. It does seem like AE is consolidating a lot of models to the 65. I wore my Badlands again today because the 5 last works so well in bluchers for me. Back in 2016/17, it did seem like AE was offering more new models on the 201. I've already mentioned this before, but the 201 fits almost identical to the 65 for me. I know this is not the case for a lot of people on here, which I find fascinating. I would love to see more options on the 201 because it's a last I can trust.

Also, be careful with left handed guitars. I hear that because most manufacturers do not create them frequently, they are often not made as well or need a lot of set-up done to them.

 

[AdaminPhilly]

Lots of sneakers and boots in the new RDA catalog. 52 pages, of which 36 give-or-take are either sneakers or boots.

At least they dedicated a few pages to the Strandmok! And if you squint really hard, you can even make out a single walnut Strand.

I miss the catalogs from last decade. Pictures like this:
View attachment 1674796

and this:
View attachment 1674797

were what inspired me to start collecting Allen Edmonds in the first place.

Catalogs full of pictures of beautiful leathers shoes in every color and material, laid out side by side. No menswear models, and not a single sneaker in sight.

Just beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Maybe one day we will get back there.

 

[Ashley_S]

Can you tell an SF newbie how the trunk show works. I know other companies from Europe will come to the US and have like a 2 day show and tell sort of. Usually in NYC or LA. What about AE? Is it available online?

Hey! Glad you asked.

Twice a year we do what we call a trunk show. In February, the materials used are usually non-shell. In September, always shell. This year, we felt like we were rushing to get out ducks in a row so we opted to push the show back to the very end of October/beginning of November.

We give you a menu of sorts of styles, colors, soles, and sometimes a few other methods of customization to choose from, and usually several of the options are not typically available to you in our standard line. Within the constraints of that menu you can create something specific to your personal tastes. We usually quote 12 weeks, but some people see a quicker turnaround. There are no discounts of any kind, but there are also no upcharges for your special makeup. It's just $695 for shoes and $725 for boots...usual shell prices. No returns or exchanges, so this is not the time to take sudden gambles with size. Definitely square that away before ordering.

We choose a handful of "host stores" that hold mixer events on kickoff day and have physical samples for you to touch and look at, and the host stores always change slightly from event to event, but EVERY store is armed with a ton of photos and references so you are 100% crystal clear on what you're getting into before pulling the trigger, even if your favorite store isn't a "host". Lots of customers email and call in, so you don't even really have to visit anyone in person. Just support any store you like, and if you don't have one, I can link you with one.

Speaking of which...it's about that time. I should be announcing soon. Stay tuned!

 

[Adhazem]

Hey! Glad you asked.

Twice a year we do what we call a trunk show. In February, the materials used are usually non-shell. In September, always shell. This year, we felt like we were rushing to get out ducks in a row so we opted to push the show back to the very end of October/beginning of November.

We give you a menu of sorts of styles, colors, soles, and sometimes a few other methods of customization to choose from, and usually several of the options are not typically available to you in our standard line. Within the constraints of that menu you can create something specific to your personal tastes. We usually quote 12 weeks, but some people see a quicker turnaround. There are no discounts of any kind, but there are also no upcharges for your special makeup. It's just $695 for shoes and $725 for boots...usual shell prices. No returns or exchanges, so this is not the time to take sudden gambles with size. Definitely square that away before ordering.

We choose a handful of "host stores" that hold mixer events on kickoff day and have physical samples for you to touch and look at, and the host stores always change slightly from event to event, but EVERY store is armed with a ton of photos and references so you are 100% crystal clear on what you're getting into before pulling the trigger, even if your favorite store isn't a "host". Lots of customers email and call in, so you don't even really have to visit anyone in person. Just support any store you like, and if you don't have one, I can link you with one.

Speaking of which...it's about that time. I should be announcing soon. Stay tuned!

Thanks for the breakdown. No I definitely have my size nailed down after several pairs. I’m looking forward to what you guys will come up with!

 

[bang4buck]

Here are two pairs I recently got for a total of about $100 on Ebay: