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

[dancingbear]

I think AE has come a long way, albeit there are some kinks. As I had to return the Harrison due to the uneven heel causing pain...

AE is going to hve to do something about this issue on the Independence collection. I have a less pronounced version of the same issue on my Jeffersons. There seems to be too little margin of error on the heel attachment making the shoe less comfortable than your average AE.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

I have the Black Hills and I think they would be a good choice for your needs. Treat the leather with some AE Leather Lotion and they should be good to go. The Rough Collection leather is a bit tougher so they should hold up for your needs - but I wouldn't go hiking in an rocky area with them. The lug soles are great for wet days. I usually wear mine only in the fall/winter with jeans/khakis/cords.
I have some AE Cascades I wear on weekends in the fall/winter. It is a lower boot so that might interest you.
Chris

Thanks for the input! Yeah, my definition of "heavy" use in this context just means that I will wear them every weekend regardless of weather, but they would be for whatever the family has planned (young kids at the park, young kids birthday parties, shopping around town, running errands, etc.) I really just want something that doesn't have a leather sole to get ground down too quickly, or something that will require a polishing after every wear by doing the above mentioned stuff. I don't want something that is bulletproof and heavy, so the Long Branch, Bayfields, Indy Boots, etc. are a bit more than I want.

 

[BootSpell]

I hate to be impatient and post this in the AE thread, but I am not getting any responses. I was hoping some of you could check out these boots I spotted at Brooks Brothers and give some opinions on what I said about them. I need a pair of shoes with a specific application, and these are on my list of considerations. I need some shoes to wear with jeans during the fall/winter on weekends. I also want them to be useful for foul weather days year round. So essentially they will only get worn on weekends 6 months out of the year, and the occasional days when heavy rain is forecasted. As for AE's that I have considered for this purpose, I am looking at the new Rapid City (1st choice), or perhaps the Black Hills. I am not overly enthusiastic about the boot offerings from AE right now for this specific application. I don't require them to be boots, but I will be buying them with the expectation that they will get somewhat "heavy" use rather than "careful" office use. I would appreciate some input! Thanks!

http://www.styleforum.net/t/321339/opinions-on-these-boots-from-brooks-brothers

Alden Indy boot. Sorry...

 

[BootSpell]

Alden Indy boot. Sorry...

Ignore this. Your last post mentioned "heavy"...

 

[VinnyMac]

....you shoe guys are alright with me. Some of these look GREAT!...makes me wish that I didn't have all of those B-school student loans to pay back, haha.

 

[DJTraveler]

Here's an interesting tid-bit about how AE creates the new bourbon color. This quote comes directly from AE's facebook page:

"..they originally start out walnut, but we hand burnish the darker finish/detailing onto them."

Very interesting!

 

[Winston S.]



I hate to be impatient and post this in the AE thread, but I am not getting any responses.  I was hoping some of you could check out these boots I spotted at Brooks Brothers and give some opinions on what I said about them.  I need a pair of shoes with a specific application, and these are on my list of considerations.  I need some shoes to wear with jeans during the fall/winter on weekends.  I also want them to be useful for foul weather days year round.  So essentially they will only get worn on weekends 6 months out of the year, and the occasional days when heavy rain is forecasted.  As for AE's that I have considered for this purpose, I am looking at the new Rapid City (1st choice), or perhaps the Black Hills.  I am not overly enthusiastic about the boot offerings from AE right now for this specific application.  I don't require them to be boots, but I will be buying them with the expectation that they will get somewhat "heavy" use rather than "careful" office use.  I would appreciate some input!  Thanks!

http://www.styleforum.net/t/321339/opinions-on-these-boots-from-brooks-brothers

Personally I would rather get a pair of Chukkas or the rubber soled version of the Daltons for that specific use. I'm not thrilled about the look of the Brooks Brothers boot and the fact that it is part of BB's outlet line.

 

[OptoDoc]

Sent the Kenilworths back to AE today. I'm hoping the bowing is due only to a certain manufacturing run of the shoes because I don't believe any other combination of length/width could fit any better. If not, than I'll either have to live with it or not wear the shoes. I hope this is not the case as they truly are beautiful.

I think I'll go to the AE store in New Orleans this weekend and try on some different lasts so that I can fill out my Christmas wishlist...

 

[New Shoes1]

Sent the Kenilworths back to AE today. I'm hoping the bowing is due only to a certain manufacturing run of the shoes because I don't believe any other combination of length/width could fit any better. If not, than I'll either have to live with it or not wear the shoes. I hope this is not the case as they truly are beautiful.

I think I'll go to the AE store in New Orleans this weekend and try on some different lasts so that I can fill out my Christmas wishlist...

While there, you should pick up some gift cards to give to your coworkers as Christmas gifts.

 

[OptoDoc]

While there, you should pick up some gift cards to give to your coworkers as Christmas gifts.

Unfortunately I work for one of the largest Eye Centers in Baton Rouge...16 doctors and 50+ staff. Not sure I can afford to supplement their shoe obsession and my own (especially since I'm only 2 years out of school and still have over $100K in student loans).

 

[PopFarmer]

Has anyone gotten a good fit with the Patriot yet?
Bringing the pair I ordered online to the store tomorrow to see if I can get a better fit.

Jigg,
Not sure if anyone responded to you. What is your fit issue? Too long, too narrow, etc..? I think if you take them to a store they can do some slight things to stretch...I was just in this weekend on my Patriots b/c one had developed a squeek. They are going to send me a brand new shoe. But I mentioned my D was a bit tight, and SA also said they could try to stretch them some.

On the squeek issue, SA said he had gotten email from corporate about it and they have shifted production process so new Patriots will hopefully not develop this. I love the shoe's style, and while the fit not 100% spot on it's better than the Walden (which was going to be my other Penny Loafer choice).

 

[clarksdb]

So did you guys go true to size or size down 1/2 for Patriots? The 10D in the del ray last fit me well. I have a 10D Park Avenue as well, they fit well but there is some marginal heel slippage. Not sure if I should go with 9.5 or 10 in Patriot. I know some people have said they run small.

 

[horsey shoes]

Spoke to Customer Service yesterday and my Gramercys will not be available for yet another 2-3 weeks.
I was told that my pair were damaged in the manufacturing process, again, and that they are at least 3 weeks behind on orders.
I understand hand-made issues and defects, but this seems to have happened a lot over the past few months as one of the webgem Fifth Street pairs I ordered had to be remade as well due to manufacturing defects.
I guess this is good news for the guys that are picking up seconds from the shoe bank, but I am little frustrated with the recent wait times due to defects.

I also did given in and order a pair of the Wolverine 744 LTDs from a vendor restock on eBay. Will take pics against some of the other shell colors when they land and keeping fingers crossed that they are as tobacco/cigar in color as they appear in the online pics.

 

[MoneyWellSpent]

Personally I would rather get a pair of Chukkas or the rubber soled version of the Daltons for that specific use. I'm not thrilled about the look of the Brooks Brothers boot and the fact that it is part of BB's outlet line.

Thanks for the input. I considered the Malvern chukkas, but I became a bit nervous about those after several people in the forum said they had real trouble getting those to fit properly. They are on clearance, so maybe they are worth a shot. They would definitely fit the bill for what I am looking for. I was hesitant about buying something from BB's outlet line as well, but their quality in person really did take me by surprise. On the flip side though, I guess I would be left out in the cold after purchasing them (no recrafting service or exemplary customer service like AE to stand behind the product).

 

[reidrothchild]

See my post in your other thread for pics. These are Made in Mexico. Not bad for the $145 they were going for during the holiday sale but not in the same league quality-wise as AE, so I wouldn't pay $248 for them. I returned these due to creasing issues (again, see other thread) and got the Malvern for $140 last year during AE's boot sale. The fit of the Malverns is weird (had to size up), but I don't regret making the switch because the leather is MUCH nicer.