Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread - reviews, pictures, sizing, etc...

[tietherope]



They are really narrow compared to 5 last and do not break in easily if at all. Suggest going up a width or two but I think they're more readily available in D widths. I could be wrong.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm pretty sure it's just D width too. At least that's all there is on the Ralph Lauren website.

 

[ReppTiePrepster]

Hi... can anyone say something about the AE Dalton in shell cordovan. I am considering pulling the trigger on this boot. I own a couple of AE's but mainly collect Alden. How does the Dalton compare to a similar Alden boot? Will the one last for the Dalton fit the same way with other one-lasted shoes like the Leeds? Is the one last similar to Alden's aberdeen? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[bespoken pa]

The dalton has plenty of room in the toe box. I recently ordered a pair in the walnut shell and I couldn't be happier. I wouldn't say it was close to the aberdeen which I think is much sleeker and tighter in the toe box IMO.

 

[BootSpell]

Hi... can anyone say something about the AE Dalton in shell cordovan. I am considering pulling the trigger on this boot. I own a couple of AE's but mainly collect Alden. How does the Dalton compare to a similar Alden boot? Will the one last for the Dalton fit the same way with other one-lasted shoes like the Leeds? Is the one last similar to Alden's aberdeen? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I have four pairs of Daltons, two of them shell. I find the fit difference between the calf and the shell versions to be nil. One of the shell Daltons is unlined (walnut) and other than the obvious differences in feel between lined/unlined, still no significant difference for me in fit.

I can't speak to how it compares to the Leeds or other 1-511 last shoes as I own none. But I do own Modified last, Barrie last and Leydon last Alden boots. I'm an 8D in the Daltons, 7.5D in the Modifed and Barrie lasts, and 8E in the Leydon, although I only have the unlined chukka in the Leydon so don't feel really qualified to compare it to the Leydon.

Others seem to be able to describe differences in last fit much better than I think I can feel from wearing them. Having said that, I do feel that all the above sizes in the various lasts do fit me very well. From solely a fit perspective, my favorite is the Modified, followed by the AE 1-511 last.

Good luck! What color shell are you considering?

 

[ScottyBoy920]

Hooray!

They look great. Any noticeable flaws/defects?

 

[rydenfan]



Hi... can anyone say something about the AE Dalton in shell cordovan.  I am considering pulling the trigger on this boot.  I own a couple of AE's but mainly collect Alden.  How does the Dalton compare to a similar Alden boot? Will the one last for the Dalton fit the same way with other one-lasted shoes like the Leeds?  Is the one last similar to Alden's aberdeen?  Any thoughts would be much appreciated.  Thanks in advance!

RTP, I think you would be quite pleased with the boot. They need a touch more work to bring out the true shine but the construction is on par. I find the Dalton to run a touch narrow. I am an 8D in Barrie, 8.5D in the Leeds (also 1-511 last) and an 8E in the Dalton. I am right on the cusp of 8D or 7.5E in the Barrie. Your sizing will depend on if your Barrie size fits you better in length or width. Post some pics when you get them!

 

[njruss]

They look great. Any noticeable flaws/defects?

Not that I could see. I am probably not as diligent in my inspection as some but I looked them over fairly well and can't see anything that would concern me if they had been firsts (other than the little shoe mark on the soles of course)

 

[jonesle7]

Hooray!

What is the name of that shoe? They look fantastic!

 

[cincikid]

What is the name of that shoe? They look fantastic!

These are AE Elgin. It's a closeout style, unfortunately, so the stock is now extremely limited.

 

[polojock615]

Good day.

 

[tietherope]



Good day.

I can't wait to see them opened.

 

[DJTraveler]

I'd appreciate the opinions of the group on this one. I know much of this is personal taste so I'm conducting an informal survey. Which one should I keep?

LEFT: Ralph Lauren (by AE) Sanderson
RIGHT: McAllister



I wore the McAllister a number of times but recently had it replaced because of a sizing issue so this one is brand new. If I need to return it, I can. I then found the Sanderson on sale from dsw.com so grabbed it knowing I could return it if needed. I plan to wear these with suits and dress pants on non-suit days.

I'm leaning towards keeping the Sanderson because I already have a McAllister in merlot and have a walnut Strand on order which is very similar to the McAllister in many regards. The McAllister is striking and I received many compliments the few times I wore them. I do feel however that the broguing along the closed part of the laces may be a little much and is a distracting. That is what attracted me to the Sanderson. The Sanderson however doesn't seem as sleek looking. Maybe it's just all in my head. The burnishing on the Sanderson means the details on the toe don't stand out as much and overall is not as flashy of a shoe; but that's what I have the walnut Strand for.

As a side note... I take a 7.5E in the McAllister. When I went to order the Sanderson they only offered D(M) width on the site. So, I went with 8D(M) since I understood that the 2 last runs narrow and my McAllister are slightly snug. Well, they sent me 8E. They actually seem to fit fairly well but maybe that's why they look a little bulky to me. I'm not sure how they sent me an E since it wasn't even offered on the site. So, if someone is looking to get this shoe for a good price and you don't take a D, maybe call DSW and see what they have in stock.

Finally (I know this is long, thanks for reading), I'm surprised that these are $525 (retail but I paid $279 on clearance) shoes. Nothing seems much different from a feature and quality standpoint versus the McAllister. Maybe there's something I'm not aware of? The Sanderson is listed as calf (just like the McAllister) but when I do the nose test (not official but my nose is sensitive) the Sanderson smells more like my Elgin (cheaper leather) than any of the AE calf models that I have. Also, check out the side of the right shoe. It's not the worst thing in the world and I understand that these are hand-made and things like this happen but it's rather unsightly.



Thanks for reading and for your opinion! I attempt to return the favor whenever possible.

Personally, I prefer the McAllisters because they have a single oak sole. I feel the double oak sole on the Sanderson adds a bit more weight to the shoe - of which I am not very fond.

 

[Subutai]

Good day.

Six pairs in a single day?! That must be some kind of record...

 

[bawlin]

I felt like a boss when my 2 pairs arrived a few weeks ago. I can only imagine what receiving that order felt like.

 

[stgrim]

What do you think is the best shoe to show off the Bourbon finish?

I feel it's a tossup between the Hanover and the Strand.