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

[DoctorJ]

Brown Kenilworth would seem to be nice in the mix. Can dress up or down.

 

[specialk0449]

Many thanks Cold Iron for posting the detailed description about the proper care of shell cordovan. I found it to be very informative. I have admired the look of your shoes for some time.

 

[ryewo[i dmfsOZI490w]



I don't think so.  Destin is the only outlet in FL and it's a six-hour drive from Orlando.  Somewhere in GA would be the other possibility and I'm not aware of an outlet in that state.

Alright, thanks. Not sure it would be worth it then.

 

[Sam Marlowe]

Brown Kenilworth would seem to be nice in the mix. Can dress up or down.

Kenilworth is a good choice. My current favorite right now is the Vernon. I have a pair in brown and in the black.

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF8808_1_40000000001_-1

 

[Karotona]

Hey Guys.I am looking to buy my first pair of AEs. I work in a very casual office (I wear mostly dark jeans and grey wool trousers). I was just about to buy a black pair of Delrays from my local store (they are having a 20% off sale on all AE styles in January) when I saw that the AE website is having a sale on Waltons and Lasalles. Waltons are $239 and Lasalles are $199 right now. Are these good prices? 

I haven't been watching AE prices long enough to know if these are good deals, or if I should wait it out for a better sale. Thanks for any advice.

 

[chinngiskhaan]

Absolutely. The price drop happened Friday at 6pm EST

thanks for the info sir! That was like an hour and a half after I left the store!

 

[BobStrauss]

Kenilworth is a good choice. My current favorite right now is the Vernon. I have a pair in brown and in the black.

http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF8808_1_40000000001_-1

Thanks, guys. What about brown suede? Strand, perhaps?

 

[PK35216]

Just picked up some Mora 2.0's in dark brown at my outlet. I am going to hold tight until I receive a pair of Brooks Bros. Peal & Co. (Alfred Sargent made?) brown double monks for comparison later next week.

Any thoughts on the relative merits of each shoe are welcome. Obviously, the BB shoes will be about twice as expensive (despite getting both pairs on sale).

I am especially curious if anyone with some experience in the Mora 2.0 can say whether they have experienced signifcant creasing above the cap. I have seen some on line that have such creasing, and I hate creasing above the cap on any style (I try not to be too fussy about other creasing).

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[kmdsimpson]



Just picked up some Mora 2.0's in dark brown at my outlet. I am going to hold tight until I receive a pair of Brooks Bros. Peal & Co. (Alfred Sargent made?) brown double monks for comparison later next week.

Any thoughts on the relative merits of each shoe are welcome. Obviously, the BB shoes will be about twice as expensive (despite getting both pairs on sale).

I am especially curious if anyone with some experience in the Mora 2.0 can say whether they have experienced signifcant creasing above the cap.  I have seen some on line that have such creasing, and I hate creasing above the cap on any style (I try not to be too fussy about other creasing).

Thoughts appreciated.

I own shoes from both AS and AE, and there is no comparison. The AS look and feel like shoes that are twice as expensive. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with AE's; the AS are just the next tier up in quality and price, and it shows.

Are you sure the Peals you ordered are made by AS? Some are made by C&J, which are also in that upper tier. Some are made by Loake, which are not impressive at all, and might even be slightly below AE. But I think if your shoes are in the $600+ retail range, they are AS or C&J.

I'll be interested to hear your opinions once you have both shoes in your hands to compare.

 

[gringodaddy]

^^^ I too own both AE and Peal (though mine are CJ and not AS) and I will summarize my experience this way: I will never again buy another pair of AE shoes (poor fit, materials and construction), and inversely I actively seek out BB Peal CJ and AS made shoes due to their inherent quality, fit and materials. No disrespect to the AE lovers in this thread.

 

[chinngiskhaan]

^^^ I too own both AE and Peal (though mine are CJ and not AS) and I will summarize my experience this way: I will never again buy another pair of AE shoes (poor fit, materials and construction), and inversely I actively seek out BB Peal CJ and AS made shoes due to their inherent quality, fit and materials. No disrespect to the AE lovers in this thread.

The argument for buying AE shoes is simply this: You save money (due to the shoes lasting several years longer) and get a far better look and feel when compared to buying non goodyear welted shoes.

I wouldn't be able to say from experience how AE shoes compare to the likes of AS or CJ, but I would imagine it going something like this: AS and CJ and the like have a better looking, better quality shoe but I don't necessarily think buying those shoes instead of AE's will save you money in the long run. So, if money is not a concern, by all means buy the higher end brands. They no doubt are nicer looking, but if money IS a concern, AE is a good choice in my opinion. AE offers good (not top of the line) quality, and a reasonable price, especially when sales come around.

 

[ridethecliche]

At the pricepoint they're in, AE competes with brands like Cole Haan...That choice is a no brainer.

AE doesn't advertise itself as a luxury shoemaker. They are after the average guy that might check them out after getting tired of having to buy a new pair of dress shoes every year/other year because they fall apart.

A pair of brown and black AE's will work fine for a business wardrobe for atleast 5 years if taken care of and resoled etc. At that pricepoint you might have one pair of shoes from CJ/AS and that's potentially after a resole for each shoe.

 

[Mark_Y]



At the pricepoint they're in, AE competes with brands like Cole Haan...That choice is a no brainer.

IMO, Allen Edmonds doesn't compete with Cole Haan. They blow them out of the water. I've owned both and AE is by far a superior shoe.

 

[gringodaddy]

The argument for buying AE shoes is simply this: You save money (due to the shoes lasting several years longer) and get a far better look and feel when compared to buying non goodyear welted shoes.

I wouldn't be able to say from experience how AE shoes compare to the likes of AS or CJ, but I would imagine it going something like this: AS and CJ and the like have a better looking, better quality shoe but I don't necessarily think buying those shoes instead of AE's will save you money in the long run. So, if money is not a concern, by all means buy the higher end brands. They no doubt are nicer looking, but if money IS a concern, AE is a good choice in my opinion. AE offers good (not top of the line) quality, and a reasonable price, especially when sales come around.

My experience was very different. I bought a pair of Randolph's in September, from the Madison Ave store. I found them stiff, nearly impossible to break in, with inferior leather. 'd have accepted all of that if they'd have lived up to the durability I'd hoped for in a US made goodyear welted shoe. Alas, after no more than 20 wearings a hole has appeared in the sole, and chunks are missing from the leather. My BB branded CJ's didn't need a new sole for more than 5 years, and to this day the leather polished up easily and there are no discernible blemishes beyond what you'd expect. Money is a great concern to me, so at full retail, I find this level of durability abhorrent and a deal breaker.

 

[gringodaddy]

At the pricepoint they're in, AE competes with brands like Cole Haan...That choice is a no brainer.

AE doesn't advertise itself as a luxury shoemaker. They are after the average guy that might check them out after getting tired of having to buy a new pair of dress shoes every year/other year because they fall apart.

A pair of brown and black AE's will work fine for a business wardrobe for atleast 5 years if taken care of and resoled etc. At that pricepoint you might have one pair of shoes from CJ/AS and that's potentially after a resole for each shoe.

I doubt most in this thread would compare Allen Edmonds to Cole Haan. Perhaps I'm wrong. Granted, I've had Cole Haan shoes that lasted far longer before repair was needed than my only pair of AE's. Never again, for over $300 a pair.