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

[meursault42]

Thanks for the response. Just wanted to follow-up super quick though, do you mean the rough collection is larger than the average shoe, or larger than the average AE (because they already run slightly large)?

 

[ckprax]

The rough leather does not fit the last quite as tightly; as a result they tend to run larger than a similar shoe on the same last (i.e. Strand).

 

[elstinnett]

As anyone heard from Jay recently? I sent him a PM before Christmas about some shoes and belts, but never heard back.

 

[bobbyz]

Yeah he said that he's away from the job for a while and would be in touch once he's back.

 

[Olifter]

...

Does anyone out there size differently on the fifth street boot (5 last) than, say, the strand or PA/FA(5 last)?
I am TTS 9.5D but my 5 lasted AE's (all shoes) are 9D. I always wear thin dress socks. And I only wear them in dressier settings, never casually.
I am thinking for this boot (a 5 lasted boot) - given the potential likelihood of thicker socks and possible wear in more casual settings - I may want to go 9E or 9.5D. Going to an AE retailer and trying them on is not an option.
For those that own this boot and a 5 lasted shoe, any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.[/

I just received a couple pair of Fifth Street boots last week and ordered them in the same size as my Strands. I size up from D to E with the 5 last. They seem to fit well. Been off work, just worn them a little around the house, but I am wearing one of them all day tomorrow. These are my first boots, so I really don't know what to expect.

 

[Olifter]

...

Does anyone out there size differently on the fifth street boot (5 last) than, say, the strand or PA/FA(5 last)?
I am TTS 9.5D but my 5 lasted AE's (all shoes) are 9D. I always wear thin dress socks. And I only wear them in dressier settings, never casually.
I am thinking for this boot (a 5 lasted boot) - given the potential likelihood of thicker socks and possible wear in more casual settings - I may want to go 9E or 9.5D. Going to an AE retailer and trying them on is not an option.
For those that own this boot and a 5 lasted shoe, any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.[/
I just received a couple pair of Fifth Street boots last week and ordered them in the same size as my Strands. I size up from D to E with the 5 last. They seem to fit well. Been off work, just worn them a little around the house, but I am wearing one of them all day tomorrow. These are my first boots, so I really don't know what to expect.

^ reply is there.

 

[N8ter]

Hello, I am new to the forum and new to AE shoes and I wanted to ask the collective brain trust a couple of questions. I picked up a pair of Parkway seconds from the shoe bank during the recent sale and they don't have any very noticeable defects with the exception of the back seam on the left shoe. It is a bit harder to see in the photo below than in person, but the seam angles to the right about 10 degrees or so. Is this fairly typical of what you would see on an AE second? I don't have any experience so I would hate to take it back and then end up with something worse. Also, for those of you in the Milwaukee area as I am, can you trade one shoe of a pair in for another if you go into one of the banks or must it be the pair?


The other question I have is do folks here think these shoes are formal enough to wear for formal business meetings such as customer sales meetings? Trade shows where the vendors (me) must dress formally, but the customers generally are business casual? Based on what I typically see people wearing I won't feel uncomfortable or out of place in them, but I was just wondering if that is the consensus. I do have some cap-toe balmorals, but they are not comfortable traveling and on your feet all day shoes.

Thanks for the assistance and a couple of additional pics below.

 

[g-banger]

Hi All,

i finally joined the AE club - purchased a pair of AE Strands in Walnut. i can understand now why there is such a big following for AE's

i want to darken these up as they are too light for my liking, is it wrong to apply layers of brown polish? or should i start off with mid brown first?

many thanks!

 

[meursault42]

Quote: I've done the polish darkening on a few pairs of shoes and I'd say go as dark as you want, but test the color on an unobtrusive bit of shoe leather first to make sure it's the tone you are going for. I had a walnut pair of strands, I put a standard brown polish (It was my first pair of leather shoes so I want to say I was using something silly like kiwi polish or whatever) and they went straight to a deep mahogany.
Hope that helps.

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]



Ends the 13th, here is a link to the ad. http://echo2.bluehornet.com/hostede...3c94c249451b60d37d4867a07997626f&ei=QB0MPIT1N

According to the SA it is Jan. 2. Sounds like there is some confusion afoot.

 

[reidrothchild]

Do not darken them. Walnut is an awesome color that will darken a bit over time naturally. I suspected mine had darkened, so I compared my 2 1/2 year old Bel Airs to a co-worker's new Madison Ave's, and mine were noticeably darker. Anyway, if you want brown shoes, just buy a pair of brown shoes. I saw brown Cliftons on the seconds list for $130. Buy those and enjoy your strands as they are.

 

[TheSizzle]



...AE Strands in Walnut...
i want to darken these up as they are too light for my liking, is it wrong to apply layers of brown polish? or should i start off with mid brown first?

Personally, I find the walnut to be a beautiful color.

If you wanted darker shoes, you could take the above advice and start with something brown, but I don't think that's the color scheme you wanted. Since the bourbon color starts as walnut, perhaps those would have worked, or even something in chili.

Now, since you have these already, you could probably make them seem a bit darker by applying some cognac or brown polish. The result should be quite nice, but if you really don't like it, you can bring them back towards their original, beautiful color.

The risk is low. Give it a go, and see what you think. Then, you could post some pictures for others.

 

[adsmith4]

According to the SA it is Jan. 2. Sounds like there is some confusion afoot.

Agreed, from what I have read, the SA's are confused themselves. I am hoping it is the 13th bc I held off today and am going to go back to my local store next week so I have some time to decide what I want to add to my collection.

 

[archangle13]

My first attempt at polishing my Jefferson:

 

[kmdsimpson]



Hello, I am new to the forum and new to AE shoes and I wanted to ask the collective brain trust a couple of questions. I picked up a pair of Parkway seconds from the shoe bank during the recent sale and they don't have any very noticeable defects with the exception of the back seam on the left shoe. It is a bit harder to see in the photo below than in person, but the seam angles to the right about 10 degrees or so. Is this fairly typical of what you would see on an AE second? I don't have any experience so I would hate to take it back and then end up with something worse. Also, for those of you in the Milwaukee area as I am, can you trade one shoe of a pair in for another if you go into one of the banks or must it be the pair?

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

The other question I have is do folks here think these shoes are formal enough to wear for formal business meetings such as customer sales meetings? Trade shows where the vendors (me) must dress formally, but the customers generally are business casual? Based on what I typically see people wearing I won't feel uncomfortable or out of place in them, but I was just wondering if that is the consensus. I do have some cap-toe balmorals, but they are not comfortable traveling and on your feet all day shoes. Thanks for the assistance and a couple of additional pics below. [

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

URL=http://www.styleforum.net/content/type/61/id/623911/]

[/URL]

a) as you said, it's hard to tell the seam issue from the photo. But if it's not bothering you too much, might not be worth taking a chance on a different pair. These look great to me. b) I would say these are borderline for dress. The stitching is a little casual. But I might say this: if you are one step down from full dress, maybe no tie and/or no jacket,, or a blazer/sportscoat instead of a suit, these are fine. If you are full dress - full suit and tie - the captoe bals are better. But the other factor is that you're dealing with other people who are not dressed up, and who will not note the subtleties of which shoes you wear. So I might say it's OK. Bottom line, not exactly right, but not ridiculous looking, either.