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

[chinngiskhaan]

shameless repost here fellas... your advice would be appreciated

I have a high instep and am wondering which last is best for that. What should I do as far as sizing goes? I measure out at 10 D, the AE guy said I should go to 10 E because of my high instep. Does that sound right? would going to a 10.5 D be a better option?

Also... I have hammer toes and am wondering if any AE users in the forum have dealt with that problem.

 

[karryuunf]

The Classic Collection is a good start in that direction

 

[dapperdoctor]

If black is what you want, send them to B Nelson and have then dye them for you. Polish will work for a while but will be inconsistent.

Do you think that buying dye from Amazon or something and applying it myself would have the same effect that B. Nelson would come back with?

 

[jaywhyy]

Do you think that buying dye from Amazon or something and applying it myself would have the same effect that B. Nelson would come back with?

You'd have to strip them first then dye. I'd be wary of doing that myself if you're not well-versed.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but this is why a person shouldn't buy shoes just because they're on sale--think about if you'd ever really wear them comfortably and need them. Grey shoes are probably the least versatile color out there, and there's a reason they were on closeout.

 

[mdubs]



Thanks Mike! Appreciate the feedback on the dressiness of calf vs cordovan. I am familiar with the Mac method for polishing shell (hard not to be if you spend anytime reading about shoes ) but just to be clear, you're also suggesting I use it before I wear my shoes?

Shouldn't need to polish brand new shoes... Maybe buff with a cloth if dusty or anything... Just recommend the break in method of carpet wearing.

 

[Snoogz]



Spoiler: Defects in McAllister

Here are a few pictures of what I consider to be defects in my new AE's. I could see them going as seconds.. but not as perfectly new firsts.

U do realize you are buying AEs, and not G&Gs or EG, or Lobbs right? AE uses 2nd-3rd grade leather tier because they have to at their price point they offer. You are not always going to get a perfect shoe, and need to realize you are not purchasing top of the line tier grade. Don't get me wrong, I own more AE than anything else, because the craftsmanship and price point is excellent for my needs. But please keep in mind, that you can't expect a perfect shoe when only purchasing a shoe that MSRPs at 350$. FYI your shoes are perfectly acceptable in my opinion. The Shoe Snob recently wrote an article on shoe purchase expectations, I highly recommend the read, to put things in perspective. http://www.theshoesnobblog.com/2013/07/managing-your-shoe-purchase-expectations.html#.UgMl82S9Kc0

 

[JermynStreet]

Do you think that buying dye from Amazon or something and applying it myself would have the same effect that B. Nelson would come back with?

No; you have never done it before, and chances are your first try probably will not be your finest effort. Moreover, I see no reason why you should try your hand at a new pair of shoes. Granted, black is black, but just as you wouldn't learn tailoring by slicing up a Huntsman suit, I probably wouldn't recommend trying dying on your own brand new pair of shoes. Most cobblers are probably able to do a decent enough dye job; whether you choose B. Nelson or another high-end cobbler is up to you, but I would strongly advise against proceeding yourself.

 

[jasonmx3]



Please keep in mind that you can't expect a perfect shoe when only purchasing a shoe that MSRPs at 350$.

FYI your shoes are perfectly acceptable in my opinion.


The Shoe Snob recently wrote an article on shoe purchase expectations, I highly recommend the read, to put things in perspective.
http://www.theshoesnobblog.com/2013/07/managing-your-shoe-purchase-expectations.html#.UgMl82S9Kc0

+1 on this and the Shoe Snob article. Pricing down may also be an option if one wants to get perfect shoes. Machine made shoes are quite consistently made looks-wise (quality is another matter, however).

 

[Subutai]

I have a high instep and am wondering which last is best for that. What should I do as far as sizing goes? I measure out at 10 D, the AE guy said I should go to 10 E because of my high instep. Does that sound right? would going to a 10.5 D be a better option?

Also... I have hammer toes and am wondering if any AE users in the forum have dealt with that problem.

Hey Temujin,

I can't recommend a particular AE last that would necessarily be better, although I'm sure someone here has that knowledge. I have a relatively high instep as well, but my foot is a bit wide too (I though the two usually went hand in hand) so I go with an E width. Either way, I think a 10E and 10.5 D are the same width. The 10.5D will also just give you length you don't need.

I think the best thing to do would be to focus on bluchers wherever possible rather than balmorals.

 

[Cold Iron]

I purchased my first shell shoes today - I got a bit carried away and ordered 3 pairs, all seconds!! A black PA, brown Dundees and burgundy Leeds! I wear an 8.5D in my AE Weymouth and Dryden as well as C&J, so that's the size I ordered. Hopefully they'll all fit well, but if they don't that's fine too.

Couple of questions specific to shell cordovan:

- is there a recommended procedure prior to wearing new shell shoes, like there is with calf?

- how does the PA look in black shell cordovan compared to a black PA in calf? Is it going to look less dressy because it's made of shell?

BTW, the J'ville store was offering shell for 20% off their regular price of $449.00 ie $359.00. This is something they offered themselves, without me asking for it, so I'm guessing it's not related to the Tanger coupon mentioned earlier.

Congrats and I hope they fit well, those are 3 great shoes and you purchased them in the best color for each IMO! Great job.

I agree with Mike on the question about black PA shell vs. Calf. And also care of shell although for final buffing I feel a microfiber cloth does a better job of bringing out a shine.

Deburn, congrats on your new acquisition and welcome to the shell fan club!

As previously mentioned, the Mac method is definitely the recommended approach for break-in and general maintainence here. The break-in is pretty simple, just wear on carpet a few times for an hour to ensure proper fit (and I think it does help with forming good creases). Then start on the Mac method for polishing, which is to buff shoes with a slightly weat cotton cloth, brush vigorously with a horse hair brush, and then buff with a dry cotton cloth. Occasionally (once every 25 wears or so) use your cordovan care product of choice to maintain. The goal is to minimize the use of products.

I personally believe shell to be ever-so-slightly dressier than calf based upon the fact that it tends to be glossier and doesn't get the "micro"-creases that calf gets. Just my opinion though, kind of following the patent leather idea...

Best of luck and enjoy!

-Mike

Some say that shell has too many rolls to be considered formal, I disagree. Some others have said that black shell doesn't look good over time however I have never seen any pictures to prove that and I am very happy with my black shell. I have several shoes and boots where I purchased different colors of the same model but I have the PA in both black shell and calf. I picked up the calf for bad weather and they are the BB model with poron insoles and I don't care for the larger gap in the lacing that it causes. Every time I put them on I look at them and then put them back in the closet and wear the shell PA's instead. Which has held up just fine through snow and rain. I have yet to wear the calf outside of the house, they have at least an hour of polishing with the final coat in Saphir blue polish. Still dark outside so I couldn't take a picture with good lighting and a cell phone camera can't do a proper job of showing the depth of color that black shell has. Shell in the center and calf flanking on the ends.

My right foot is slightly smaller than left so the right shell shoe does have more rolls than the left which is typical for me. But I have worn them enough that I don't expect any more rolls to develop or become deeper. They are my go to shoe when the occasion calls for a dressier more formal shoe.

 

[New Shoes1]

Hey Temujin,

I can't recommend a particular AE last that would necessarily be better, although I'm sure someone here has that knowledge. I have a relatively high instep as well, but my foot is a bit wide too (I though the two usually went hand in hand) so I go with an E width. Either way, I think a 10E and 10.5 D are the same width. The 10.5D will also just give you length you don't need.

I think the best thing to do would be to focus on bluchers wherever possible rather than balmorals.

Depends on how high the instep is, but this is good advice if you are struggling to get a good fit with blamorals. I would caution, however, that the D width vs. E width issue is not just about the length you need as the heel on the E width is wider too. My personal experience is to focus on wider D width lasts because my heel swims in E width shoes. I would start with the 5 and 3 lasts and see how they fit.

 

[Cold Iron]

Do you think that buying dye from Amazon or something and applying it myself would have the same effect that B. Nelson would come back with?

You'd have to strip them first then dye. I'd be wary of doing that myself if you're not well-versed.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but this is why a person shouldn't buy shoes just because they're on sale--think about if you'd ever really wear them comfortably and need them. Grey shoes are probably the least versatile color out there, and there's a reason they were on closeout.

No; you have never done it before, and chances are your first try probably will not be your finest effort. Moreover, I see no reason why you should try your hand at a new pair of shoes. Granted, black is black, but just as you wouldn't learn tailoring by slicing up a Huntsman suit, I probably wouldn't recommend trying dying on your own brand new pair of shoes. Most cobblers are probably able to do a decent enough dye job; whether you choose B. Nelson or another high-end cobbler is up to you, but I would strongly advise against proceeding yourself.

I agree with jaywhyy and JermynStreet. A long time ago I used to dye brown pistol belts and holsters black before you could easily purchase them in that color. You have to deglaze and prep the leather first to get even results, yes even black. Someone here in this thread from the San Diego area recently posted that they had a cobbler dye their shoes black and they turned out perfect IMO from the pictures that they posted. That would be hard to do without experience and if I had a pair that I wanted to do that to I would have mine done by his cobbler instead of doing it myself. I had my local cobbler dye a pair of Yuma's so that they were not 2 tone and the results were good but not perfect. It isn't as easy as it seems and not every cobbler does a good job.B. Nelson I would also trust, he did the metal toe taps in my C&J for RL mahogany shell Marlows that I wore yesterday. Like JermynStreet said any cobbler can do a decent enough job it is up to you as to the level of end result that you are expecting to achieve.

 

[rpearlberg]

Depends on how high the instep is, but this is good advice if you are struggling to get a good fit with blamorals. I would caution, however, that the D width vs. E width issue is not just about the length you need as the heel on the E width is wider too. My personal experience is to focus on wider D width lasts because my heel swims in E width shoes. I would start with the 5 and 3 lasts and see how they fit.

Which AE shoes are on the 5 and 3 lasts? I'm waiting on a pair of 11E, but worry that the whole shoe will be too wide, as I just need a tad more room around the instep/toe area...

 

[New Shoes1]

Which AE shoes are on the 5 and 3 lasts? I'm waiting on a pair of 11E, but worry that the whole shoe will be too wide, as I just need a tad more room around the instep/toe area...

If you go to the AE website, you can filter your search based on specific lasts and browse through your options.

 

[Dnslater]

Chukkamok's just went on clearance for $195 as I was looking for a shoe/boot to wear to work on bad weather days to compliment my nicer leather soled dress shoes. Here is my Tan pair with a fresh coat of mink oil.





I'm a fan of the Rough collection and also have some Neumok's. They are unlined, so super comfortable and soft out of the box. Only negative is the leather is somewhat thin, especially at the tongue.