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

[bucksfan]



bucksfan what a pleasant surprise to see your post this morning! I hope all is well with you and the family. Yes your pictures do help, I feel much better about my decision to store my shoes in bags knowing that you do too 

Thank you, it is good to be seen! Things are great, just very busy, which precludes me from being able to spend much time on the forum. Yes, I choose to use shoe bags, because I typically will wear a pair of shoes once per month or so. The bags, of course, do a good job of keeping the dust off, but they also protect the shoes pretty well, which is important with two little ones running around the house.

 

[indigoroots]

What's the consensus on AE belts here?

Looking for 3 simple and classic dress belts to match my (1) black park aves, (2) merlot mcallisters, and (3) walnut strands.

Any recommendations on specific models?

 

[Odradek]



Dear AE Friends,

Tanger Outlets is currently sending out FREE 20% coupons for use in participating stores. You'll need to sign up on their website and choose your location. I just signed up, immediately received my 20% coupon and called my friends over at the Riverhead store and boom! I just picked up a pair of Franciscans for $239!  The 20% is good for pretty much anything in their store.

Step 1.  http://www.tangeroutlet.com/tangerstyle
Step 2.  http://www.shoebank.com/FactorySecondInventory.php
Step 3.  Call Lou @ 631-369-0947 (Riverhead)
Step 4.  Smile

Enjoy!

I've used some of these Tanger coupons at AE last year, and also got one e-mailed to me recently.
Just heard from Kristle at J'ville that they can't be used on closeout shoes.

 

[peppercorn78]

Somehow I ended up with a 5th shell cordovan shoe (that's 4 pairs in #8 so far).

Picked up this pair of Randolphs on the bay for ~ $90. Pretty good shape for the price. Soles are barely used. Might use these for airport beaters.

These pics are straight out of the box. I'm about to give them a few Macs and some Reno.

I'm not normally one to buy used shoes, but in the past 3 weeks I've seen 2 decent pairs of shell in my size on EBay (that never happens) for reasonable prices, and my impulses won out. I guess this is what y'all mean when you say cordovan is addicting.

As for the Randolph fit (as someone asked earlier), I find it on the roomy side throught the ball to the heel (granted these are a little stretched from prior wear). I would recommend a half size down from the Patriot. Or in the same size as your 5 last shoes.

Edit: here's another sunlight pic after two rounds of Mac and a Reno treatment . Starting to see the bare shell peeking through.

 

[Josh Savage]

Are these the socks or do I need something else? Wearing a blue shirt.

Shirt^^^

 

[Jonkr15]



What's the consensus on AE belts here?

Looking for 3 simple and classic dress belts to match my (1) black park aves, (2) merlot mcallisters, and (3) walnut strands.

Any recommendations on specific models?

I have the Manistee in Bourbon and Wide Basic in Chili. Both are nice and match well, but I'm not sure I would pay full price for either. I got both off eBay for 25%-50% off brand new.

The broguing on the Manistee matches my Strands perfectly and I've received compliments on it. Some may think it's too much, but I don't think so. The Wide Basic would work with anything since it has no pattern. I will say that the buckle on the Wide Basic can scratch up the belt if you're not careful.

I also saw that 6pm.com has the Grapevine on sale for $100. Not sure how the color matches though.

 

[Cold Iron]

Speaking of brogans, Kahuna75, what you have there is definitely a brogan. See the heel stitching and speed hook sticking out? Minus speed hooks, this is like a Red Wing 9016, comme ça:



Or the aforementioned Wolverine 1000 Mile, speed hooks and all:



Neither has the precise sole/welt combo, but the sole in the image might be a replacement. Or some other brogan; for about 50 years there you could hardly get another kind of work boot.

My first thoughts exactly, great post thefoxtooth. Kahuna75 you are a blessed man if your wife likes the looks of a heritage or semi-dress work boots. I wish AE made more of a selection along those lines. I really like my black cherry RW Beckmans, the featherstone leather was a bear to break in but worth it once it did.

Bayfield CXL, 744 made by AE, RW Beckman, Krause also made by AE


I went through Red Wing yesterday and will be going to Red Wing on Wednesday. While Red Wing is on the Mn. side of the river many people from Wi. cross the river to work there. Weinbrenner is also in Wi. and made my Gary Borger original wading boots. Filson used them to make their boots for years until they moved production to Dominican Republic (sound familiar?). Filson recently moved production back to the US from the DR. I have 3 boots made in La Crosse, Wi. before they moved production to China. And a pair of custom made Russell Moccasin Grand Slam Sheep Hunters which are also made in Wi. Wisconsin has a long history of producing footwear including Allen Edmonds of course.

Is using shoe bags controversial?

I do not believe it is. The reason I have not in the past and several others have mentioned is the fear of putting them in bags and then out of sight out of mind. I think it was Pastor that said he put his shoes in bags and then the bags in plastic containers and then put pictures of the shoes on the outside of the containers. I like that idea but do not have the space for it. So before I bag and tag my shoes and boots I will take pictures and print them keeping a binder handy. I do like bucksfan method of grouping them too.

 

[Usonian]

How has everyone's experiences with the AE Shoe Bank been? Do they tend to have issues that stick out, or are they really really minimal problems that only I will see if I'm looking for them? I could probably end up buying way too much stuff from there.

 

[lemmy127]



How has everyone's experiences with the AE Shoe Bank been? Do they tend to have issues that stick out, or are they really really minimal problems that only I will see if I'm looking for them? I could probably end up buying way too much stuff from there.

It's a really YMMV proposition. I've bought at least half a dozen seconds in the past year, and only one pair had defects that made me consider about returning. I had some that I couldn't find a defect on. From my own experience, most of the defects are easily concealed by your first polish job. But I've also seen people get seconds with a captoe that deviates greatly in color from the rest of the shoe, bad stitching, off-center broguing, different sized wingtips/captoes, etc... which are things I would return.

 

[hohneokc]



What's the consensus on AE belts here?

Looking for 3 simple and classic dress belts to match my (1) black park aves, (2) merlot mcallisters, and (3) walnut strands.

Any recommendations on specific models?

You can't go wrong with the wide basic dress belt - high quality, classic looks, goes from formal the business casual well. I also like the Manistee, but I would be somewhat hesitant to wear that model with a suit - just a personal thing with me.

Chris

 

[Usonian]

It's a really YMMV proposition. I've bought at least half a dozen seconds in the past year, and only one pair had defects that made me consider about returning. I had some that I couldn't find a defect on. From my own experience, most of the defects are easily concealed by your first polish job. But I've also seen people get seconds with a captoe that deviates greatly in color from the rest of the shoe, bad stitching, off-center broguing, different sized wingtips/captoes, etc... which are things I would return.

Alright, excellent, thank you. I'd kinda been scoping the Graysons, and the Hanover, and Possibly the Mora 2.0, if that's any help as to what problems may be found.

 

[thefoxtooth]

Thanks, Cold Iron.

Would you like to see what a Red Wing brogan I bought in 1990 looks like?



I still wear them all the time, BTW. They may be more Obenauf's than boot at this point, but whatever they are, they're going strong.

 

[thefoxtooth]

How has everyone's experiences with the AE Shoe Bank been? Do they tend to have issues that stick out, or are they really really minimal problems that only I will see if I'm looking for them? I could probably end up buying way too much stuff from there.

As you saw a little up the thread, I'm sending a pair back. But that's my third Shoe Bank pair, and the other two I'm still trying to find the defect on years later. They're great about returns and exchanges and shipping is free, so all you have to lose is return shipping. I've found it to be worth the risk, definitely.

 

[Usonian]

As you saw a little up the thread, I'm sending a pair back. But that's my third Shoe Bank pair, and the other two I'm still trying to find the defect on years later. They're great about returns and exchanges and shipping is free, so all you have to lose is return shipping. I've found it to be worth the risk, definitely.

Oooh, I actually missed that. I just started checking AE stuff out a few days ago, I'd had my eye on some Alden boots, but AE is more in my price range, and I'm liking their designs a lot. I'm going to get measured this week and start going wild on the Shoe Bank.

Also, if anyone knows of a pretty much identical shoe to the Grayson that has laces instead of tassels, I would love to know about them.

 

[konoyaro]



Are these the socks or do I need something else? Wearing a blue shirt.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Shirt^^^

I have conservative tastes, so if it were me, I'd use socks that are closer to the color of blue in the shirt, like a navy blue or a patterned sock that has navy blue incorporated into the pattern.