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

[7_rocket]

This thread should be a sticky in the CM section. Along with all the various fits etc.

 

[Gauss17]



As a current medical student, I'm going to suggest continuing to skimp on the black shoes even for interviews (good luck by the way). I didn't get my first pair of AE until nearly the end of interview season and rode it out with a pair of beaten-up black Dockers or Rockport shoes.  Pick something comfortable - you're going to be on your feet all day during the interview - the Rockports are good for that. I've found very little use for black captoe bals in medical school, I just think they're too formal for clinic-wear and you won't have time to do much in terms of evening banquets and such.  If you can get them on a nice discount though, sure, why not? 

In general I've found that standing for 8-10 hours (you don't get to sit very much) in any pair of leather-soled shoes tends to be painful, and you'll probably end up buying a pair of Merrell's for clinics, and maybe Danskos for surgery.  I rarely wear my black PAs now.  If anything, the shoes I wear most commonly to clinic (and I still try to wear my nice shoes, because honestly, who wants to wear clogs?) are my brown Kenilworths.  The plain toe blucher is a really versatile look and given you'll be wearing at most a white-coat over a shirt/tie and trousers, it works quite well in a number of situations.  I do have the brown Fifth Aves (and RL Sandersons and Innswood) and wear them as well, but I'd say the Kenilworth is my most versatile and used pair of AEs (both in and out of the clinic). 


On the side I dropped by local high end menswear shop recently and asked what they sell most to their physician clientele, and the shoe rep recommended a few options: shoes that accommodate orthotic inserts (like some AEs, though I haven't liked these styles much), the $900+ Santonis he was trying to sell me on, and getting a dark crepe sole or something similar put on your dress shoes.  He showed me a few other high end brands w/ crepe soles and they were a dream to walk in, and they'd blend in at work also.  Of course these will wear out pretty quick so that's a regular cost, but he said it's worked well for some of his regulars.  I was wondering what SFers think about this suggestion?  I definitely would like to keep wearing my nicer shoes but for the foreseeable future I'm not going to be high enough on the totem pole to sit down and rest my knees/feet regularly, so the leather soled shoes are killing me.

I think PA's for interviews are fine, but yeah, you probably won't wear them all the time for residency and such. I think it comes down to whatever you are comfortable standing in. Some people can wear their leather-soled shoes all day, some aren't comfortable in them. For example, I can wear my sperrys all day, but some people with problematic feet may need orthotics. Some women can wear heels all day, others can't. If you read around the forum, some people walk miles in their AE's, others would never dream of doing so.

 

[random-adam]



I think I'm unsubscribing from this thread for a bit. I've spent way too much money on shoes lately and think I'm in a good place as far as what I own goes.

I tried that too, last November. Now it's nearly four figures and two MTOs later...

 

[New Shoes1]



Just did that today. Got a deer bone, reno and cordovan polish. Apparently Kirby from the Hanger Project will live chat with you. He (if it really was him) was helpful in explaining the purpose of renovateur vs saphir cordovan polish for cordovan shoes. I was told if I use the cordovan polish, I do not need to use renovateur. Do you guys have any experience with this for AE shells? 

I agree with this. I rarely use Renovateur on my shell shoes. It seems like the neutral Saphir cordovan creme does a good job moisturizing the shell.

Regarding the deer bone, I have one but rarely use it. You can see it adding fat/oil when using it, but I tend to find that brushing and occasional cordovan creme gets the job done by itself.

 

[patrick_b]



How about a StyleForum thank you card or letter??

Great idea. I'd happily pitch in to get her something.

 

[jungleroller]

Damn this webgem

 

[ridethecliche]

As a current medical student, I'm going to suggest continuing to skimp on the black shoes even for interviews (good luck by the way). I didn't get my first pair of AE until nearly the end of interview season and rode it out with a pair of beaten-up black Dockers or Rockport shoes. Pick something comfortable - you're going to be on your feet all day during the interview - the Rockports are good for that. I've found very little use for black captoe bals in medical school, I just think they're too formal for clinic-wear and you won't have time to do much in terms of evening banquets and such. If you can get them on a nice discount though, sure, why not?

In general I've found that standing for 8-10 hours (you don't get to sit very much) in any pair of leather-soled shoes tends to be painful, and you'll probably end up buying a pair of Merrell's for clinics, and maybe Danskos for surgery. I rarely wear my black PAs now. If anything, the shoes I wear most commonly to clinic (and I still try to wear my nice shoes, because honestly, who wants to wear clogs?) are my brown Kenilworths. The plain toe blucher is a really versatile look and given you'll be wearing at most a white-coat over a shirt/tie and trousers, it works quite well in a number of situations. I do have the brown Fifth Aves (and RL Sandersons and Innswood) and wear them as well, but I'd say the Kenilworth is my most versatile and used pair of AEs (both in and out of the clinic).

On the side I dropped by local high end menswear shop recently and asked what they sell most to their physician clientele, and the shoe rep recommended a few options: shoes that accommodate orthotic inserts (like some AEs, though I haven't liked these styles much), the $900+ Santonis he was trying to sell me on, and getting a dark crepe sole or something similar put on your dress shoes. He showed me a few other high end brands w/ crepe soles and they were a dream to walk in, and they'd blend in at work also. Of course these will wear out pretty quick so that's a regular cost, but he said it's worked well for some of his regulars. I was wondering what SFers think about this suggestion? I definitely would like to keep wearing my nicer shoes but for the foreseeable future I'm not going to be high enough on the totem pole to sit down and rest my knees/feet regularly, so the leather soled shoes are killing me.

Hah, thanks for the awesome post.

I actually wear sneakers in surgery. My current job is doing ortho research, so I spend some time in the OR. I'm not on my feet all day, but I wear leather soled shoes most of the time and I'm pretty comfortable in them. I've walked like 5+ miles in them nonstop and haven't had issues.

I definitely appreciate the suggestions. I probably own a couple of pairs of black shoes that'd fit the bill for interviews. I think I've had my fun with the shoe thang for a bit. I'm going to start saving that money for now because interviews and the associated costs are a doozy! I'll probably hit up thrift stores now and then for fun, but these big ticket items are done for a bit.

I will say that the CH's are now out of my price range because the discount codes on josabank that someone pointed out earlier have stopped working. Such a shame!

 

[VinnyMac]

I'm not liking how the captoe is dead-smack in the center. It really makes the boot look imbalanced.

Yeah. They look like blobs. I wasn't going to say anything, but...

 

[Patek]



Yeah. They look like blobs. I wasn't going to say anything, but...

I have to agree. I was very excited when this boot was coming out and then disappointed when it did.

 

[ScottyBoy920]

Damn this webgem

Agreed!

 

[NWTeal]

I agree with this. I rarely use Renovateur on my shell shoes. It seems like the neutral Saphir cordovan creme does a good job moisturizing the shell.

Regarding the deer bone, I have one but rarely use it. You can see it adding fat/oil when using it, but I tend to find that brushing and occasional cordovan creme gets the job done by itself.

Good to know thanks. I was going to use the deer bone mostly for smoothing out some imperfections on my daltons since they were seconds. I'll post before and after if it works..or doesn't

 

[chinngiskhaan]

I think I'm unsubscribing from this thread for a bit. I've spent way too much money on shoes lately and think I'm in a good place as far as what I own goes.

I went to the CH and AE stores today, but ended up getting a pair of much cheaper Aldo black boots. For now, I think I'm happy with my one pair of AE daltons. When I start interviews for medical school next year, I'll probably pick up a pair of AE Park avenue's for interviews. Maybe they'll have a shaker height in black by then. For now, I think I'm good. You guys rubbed off on me in the sense that I'm not the biggest fan of black shoes, so skimping on those was a good idea for me for now.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll probably pop in every now and then and then have to wipe the drool off my keyboard

I just got an idea for my masters degree project in psychology. I want to do a case study involving this thread!

The people running Allen Edmonds sure know their stuff when it comes to sales psychology. I realize they aren't the ones who started this thread, but putting us in connection with Allison was a genius business move on their part. Yes, I know, we make up a very small portion of Allen Edmonds' earnings... but you get the point.

and no, I don't have a problem with them aiding my shoe addiction.

 

[chinngiskhaan]

Yeah. They look like blobs. I wasn't going to say anything, but...

yeah me too. The cap looks waaaaay to short to me... Makes the shoe look very bulbous.

 

[SBear]



Thanks for the advice, SB. I was also convincing myself that the bone is unlikely to possess any magic properties, and the fact that it transfers "oils" to the shell, is probably a myth. I wonder if anyone compare the effect achieved from the bone vs. a tea spoon? Sounds like a worthy experiment. 

I am a professor of anatomy and physiology. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of bone and can tell you all about the molecular structure, etc. I can also assure you that bone does not have any oils to transfer. Any oils one might see when boning are being squeezed from the cordovan.

 

[Ironist]

Hey guys, after wearing poor quality shoes for so long I finally stepped up and bought my first two pairs of allen edmonds during the rediscover america sale with a 20% off coupon. I decided to go with these two instead of going with a black and brown park avenue since I wanted something with a little more impact that I could wear with a suit as well as business casual. I really like them so I don't want to return them but I wanted some opinions on whether or not the shoe is too big for me. My toe comes up to around the red line. I also bought one half a size down with the same width and that feels a lot more natural and snug, but my pinky toe seems to be pushing against the outside of the shoe so I think it will probably start to hurt after wearing it for awhile. For the bigger size, as long as I lace the shoes tightly it doesn't seem to be falling off my foot, but I'm wondering if I should just give up the shoes and wait awhile for another good deal on a size E width. Thanks for your help.