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

[cpeter47]

Yeah.... Those shoes may have been well taken care of, but they are nowhere near "like new" by any reasonable definition.

I'll be blunt--the seller is either an idiot or a liar. On the few occasions when something like this happened to me, I demanded and received a full refund. I feel that I am doing a disservice to the whole eBay buying community if I let sellers get away with blatantly false sales like this.

Depending on how the uppers look, I'd dispute for a full refund.

Demand a full refund and keep the shoes? The shoes do have value, just not the $125 that I paid for them. Either I get a full refund and send the shoes back or I get a partial refund and keep them. Overall the uppers are in good shape and from the feedback, they won't need to be recrafted right now so I think they have some value. What would you say is a reasonable amount to pay for them?

 

[JezeC]

If the uppers squeak by squeezing it together, is it because the leather is too stiff? Would using Lexol benefit? I would rather apply the lexol on the inside to prevent darkening of the uppers.

 

[BackInTheJox]

New webgems are up. Disappointing.

I'm not ashamed to admit I like them, especially in brown and in blue. Certainly one of AE's better attempts at casual summer wear, in my opinion.

 

[brooklyn]

Received factory second Amok with this spot. There was a red pen mark that they tried to remove. Can they be saved?

 

[delmar]

Demand a full refund and keep the shoes? The shoes do have value, just not the $125 that I paid for them. Either I get a full refund and send the shoes back or I get a partial refund and keep them. Overall the uppers are in good shape and from the feedback, they won't need to be recrafted right now so I think they have some value. What would you say is a reasonable amount to pay for them?

Either send them back for a refund or keep them for $125.00 and learn to like them. It's too late to chisel the seller down now.

 

[BespokeBrooklyn]

I am looking to buy a new pair of penny loafers. What are your thoughts on the Patriot versus the McGraw (which has been discontinued, but is still available at AE outlets). The Patriot's look is a bit sharper, but the McGraws are $159, and seem to have a roomier toe box, which is generally good for the shape of my feet (which are wide, but not quite wide enough to justify moving up to an "E" width).

 

[CalGuy13]

So I finally decided to pick up a pair of McAllister, and I realized a sale literally just ended a few days ago.

Any idea when the next similar sale for firsts through AE will be? Is there a chance an AE retail store would still honor the sale price?

 

[JezeC]

Lasalle 2nds.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

Alright, can somebody break down the different welt-types as to which are higher quality from best to worst? For example, I pretty much only know Goodyear 360 and 270, but I'm not sure which one is "better". I know that the 270 looks sleeker, but does is give up quality for that extra 90 degrees? How is that 90 degrees attached to the shoe?

I'm asking this because I'm seeing quite a bit of talk about the Blake welting over the last few pages. Where does that play in?

Also, I stopped in my local AE store at the Somerset Collection in Michigan over the weekend, and I decided to take a pass at the Salvatore Ferragamo store right next door. Their shoes are very sleek. Anyone know what kind of welt they use? Also, anyone know why AE only uses Goodyear 360?

On that note, what do Alden, EG, C&J, etc. use?

I know...lots of questions in there.

Ferragamo has different lines, the studio line (lowest) is cemented and not welted at all. The tramezza (top) is good year welted it can be a decent buy if you can find them on sale. I would imagine the main line could be blake stitched but I am not 100% sure.


There is not a difference in quality in regards to 270 vs 360 degree stitched welts merely an aesthetic choice.

Generally good year welted shoes are easier to resole and thus appear more often in the good ole USA. Resoling a blake stitched shoe requires the cobbler to have a specialized machine to do so. Only AE can say why they choose gyw shoes but it is worthing noting they have a robust re-crafting business.

The reason for the difference isn't quality driven, as Bespoken said. It's an aesthetic choice. The tighter heel makes for a dressier product. On 270 degree welted shoes, the heel zone of the sole is nailed on. After the the leather upper is lasted, a heel seat is nailed on, with the nails being driven up through the bottom and clinching into the leather insole. Lasts have a steel plate on the bottom, which causes the nails to bend and clinch the leather when they strike the plate. The sole is then nailed in the heel area in the same way, before the actual heel stack is nailed on. The nails are covered up with the leather cushioned sock liner that you see in other Goodyear-welted shoes. Contrary to popular belief, that sock liner's 1st intention isn't to pass on comfort to the wearer. It is to cover up the nails that are holding on the rear of the sole and heel. AE doesn't make their shoes this way, so those sock liners aren't "needed."

It is cheaper, easier, and more streamlined to manufacture 360 degree welts. That's the reason that AE sticks to that design. It isn't a cheaper shoe from a shoe quality standpoint. It's just different. 360 degree welts don't need shanks, and they don't need as many nails. As mentioned above, they also don't need sock-liners if the sole isn't nailed on at the heel. They also save a couple of steps in the manufacturing process, which eliminates the need for people to perform those steps. Those savings are passed on to the customer, and is one of the reasons AE is a more affordable shoe. Of course, that's at the expense of a more refined looking shoe on some models which may actually be more aesthetically pleasing with a 270 welt.

All companies that do Goodyear-welting (with the exception of AE) alternate between the two methods depending upon what is most appropriate for the style of shoe and its intended function and level of formality. Traditionally, country or casual styles may be 360, while dressier styles are 270. AE's company model just disregards these traditions in favor of streamlining their manufacturing.

 

[srolaser]

Don't care for the beige piping at all. Look like a clown shoes.

 

[srolaser]



I decided I needed an "in the wild" shot of my Rush Streets. I think this is one of the better ideas AE has had recently.

Chris

Don't care for the beige piping at all. Look like a clown shoes.

 

[srolaser]



Got a response from Vanessa at UrbanDaddy. More pics!

Did you name these shoes? Very clever. Are these made to order? Were these available for purchase at one time? Very interesting. Look great. What are the specifications? S

 

[srolaser]



New webgems are up. Disappointing.

In a word, horrible. S

 

[tifosi]



Demand a full refund and keep the shoes? The shoes do have value, just not the $125 that I paid for them. Either I get a full refund and send the shoes back or I get a partial refund and keep them. Overall the uppers are in good shape and from the feedback, they won't need to be recrafted right now so I think they have some value. What would you say is a reasonable amount to pay for them?

Of course not. I meant return the shoes since you aren't happy and get another pair. In what world can you ask for a refund and keep the item? That would be awesome!

 

[peppercorn78]



New webgems are up. Disappointing.

Dunno man. I'm currently in the market for some neighborhood/playground beaters. Maybe these will work.