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

[Buddha25]

What kind of AE's are these in the picture on their website? Are these Mcallisters in merlot? And yes I am a shoe newb so forgive my ignorance lol!

 

[kentyman]

What kind of AE's are these in the picture on their website? Are these Mcallisters in merlot? And yes I am a shoe newb so forgive my ignorance lol!

Yes, those are most likely the Merlot McAllisters, though the Burgundy Cordovan Cambridges and Brown Jeffersons look quite similar.

Anyone know why standard McAllister plus customer V Tread Tap Sole costs more (+$25) than the McAllister with Combination Tap Sole? Is it just a funny quirk of the website, or does the V Tread Tap Sole somehow differ from the Combination Tap Sole? It sure doesn't look like it from the pictures on their website.

 

[brokencycle]



Yes, those are most likely the Merlot McAllisters, though the Burgundy Cordovan Cambridges and Brown Jeffersons look quite similar.

Anyone know why standard McAllister plus customer V Tread Tap Sole costs more (+$25) than the McAllister with Combination Tap Sole? Is it just a funny quirk of the website, or does the V Tread Tap Sole somehow differ from the Combination Tap Sole? It sure doesn't look like it from the pictures on their website.

They probably made a batch with the combination sole. It may be market testing to see how it sells as a standard option.

 

[kentyman]

My seconds came in. [...] I'm having a little bit of trouble deciding whether I got the right sizes. My Strands are 8.5D, so I got 8.5D Kenilworth and 8D McTavish. The Kenilworths feel like they could be a tad big, and the McTavishes feel like they might be a tad narrow. Is it normal to need to size down with the Kenilworth? Should I consider 8E for the McTavish, or can I expect the leather to stretch out as I wear them more? Or maybe I could just try to stretch them myself with thick socks around some shoe trees?

[...] If they don't fit properly, then you should exchange them, but the fitting of the McTavish is a little bit tricky. Some people size down a half size and up a width. Some people skip the width adjustment. Personally, I stuck with the same size as all my other 5-last shoes, but that's partially because I only wear a size 7D, and I didn't want to go up in width (which I would have to do if I went down the 6.5, as it's not available in D without a special order). I ended up having no issues with width, and the length worked out fine. They will stretch out a little, but they should at least feel comfortable now. If they hurt, I don't think they'll stretch enough to change that.

I contacted Jay in Charleston, and here were his thoughts:


Quote:
After trying them on some more, I think the McTavish is more "snug" than uncomfortable. I wore them around the house and they started to feel alright, though I wasn't walking around in them all day. My pinky toe is still a little crowded, but I feel like this might go away after breaking in. Does this sound right to y'all?

As for the Kenilworth, I confirmed that they wear a little looser than my already-broken-in Strands. I'm concerned that with wear, they'd become too big. I'm wondering if an 8D or 8E would fit better than my usual 8.5D. Has anyone had the same experience on the 5 last when going from a balmoral to a blucher?

 

[coolarrow]

I bought a pair of Park Avenues last week and used them for a convention for a week. I used AE's print out guide to gauge my sizing and went with a 7.5D.
They were tight. If i wore thin socks, they were bearable but if the socks were a little thicker, my right pinkie toe would hurt as well as the midsole. The uppers have stretched out as below (this looks extremely unnatural to me)- is this a terribly sized shoe for me? Length actually seems right but width is too narrow.

I am going to have to go to the Alden store but any opinions would be appreciated.

I have put them up on eBay to anyone who is interested. Will having stretched the uppers like this destroy the resale value of the shoe?

This pair also has a "bowing" problem.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

This pair also has a "bowing" problem.

Agree. There seems to be a serious case of "Park Avenue bowing" going on here (it seems be happening often enough to have a name patented after it), which is a separate issue from the other fit problems described. Has this just been going on with the Park Avenue? There doesn't seem to be much mention of this with other 5-lasted balmorals (like the Fifth Avenue). I will say, while this problem keeps popping up, it has me nervous to buy any 5-lasted balmorals for myself.

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]



Agree.  There seems to be a serious case of "Park Avenue bowing" going on here (it seems be happening often enough to have a name patented after it), which is a separate issue from the other fit problems described.  Has this just been going on with the Park Avenue?  There doesn't seem to be much mention of this with other 5-lasted balmorals (like the Fifth Avenue).  I will say, while this problem keeps popping up, it has me nervous to buy any 5-lasted balmorals for myself. 

FWIW, I'm wearing brown shell strands as I type. No bowing.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

FWIW, I'm wearing brown shell strands as I type. No bowing.

Yeah, the Strand is another example of one that doesn't seem to have problems with bowing (at least I don't remember hearing it). I wonder why it only seems to be the PA's that are having the problem.

 

[poena]

my strands bow.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

my strands bow.

Have they had a bowing problem since they were new, or did it develop over time?

 

[TheSizzle]

I apologize in advance for the crummy picture, but the Fedex man just showed up with my new bourbon Strands.

 

[blazingazn]

^cool matching belt.

 

[kmdsimpson]



I apologize in advance for the crummy picture, but the Fedex man just showed up with my new bourbon Strands.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Very nice! And nice coordination with the tie and belt - you should see if you can license that photo to Allen Edmonds, so they can improve their own product shots on the website.

 

[TheSizzle]

Very nice! And nice coordination with the tie and belt - you should see if you can license that photo to Allen Edmonds, so they can improve their own product shots on the website.

I'll be taking a couple shots with better lighting, but thank you. The color definitely comes across better in person than on the website.

 

[poena]



Have they had a bowing problem since they were new, or did it develop over time?

since new... I posted a pic of it a while back