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

[horsey shoes]

On this election day, no matter what your political preference, the biggest question for this forum has to be, will the President Elect wear black PAs at the swear in ceremony Jan 2013?
Whoever it is, they could at least spice it up a bit with new bourbon PAs or even a walnut shell Strand...

 

[Winston S.]



On this election day, no matter what your political preference, the biggest question for this forum has to be, will the President Elect wear black PAs at the swear in ceremony Jan 2013?
Whoever it is, they could at least spice it up a bit with new bourbon PAs or even a walnut shell Strand...

As much as I like AEs, I can't endorse the short toe caps on the AEs. Not sure if there are any other good alternative American shoes though.

 

[clarksdb]



As much as I like AEs, I can't endorse the short toe caps on the AEs. Not sure if there are any other good alternative American shoes though.

The Park Avenues have been worn by many Presidents during inauguration. So the cap toe must be fine. Maybe not for trendy SF but in the real world they are near perfect.

 

[Winston S.]



The Park Avenues have been worn by many Presidents during inauguration. So the cap toe must be fine. Maybe not for trendy SF but in the real world they are near perfect.

Meh. Even if it has been worn by many presidents during inauguration, doesn't mean it's right.

I don't think my or other people's opinions about the short cap toe has anything to do with being trendy.

 

[sevenfoldtieguy]



As much as I like AEs, I can't endorse the short toe caps on the AEs. Not sure if there are any other good alternative American shoes though.

Answer: Alden black shell captoe bal (straight tip or perf tip).

 

[0ShinAkuma0]

The Park Avenues have been worn by many Presidents during inauguration. So the cap toe must be fine. Maybe not for trendy SF but in the real world they are near perfect.

Well put, I have to agree with this.

Alright, I'm fairly new to the world of nice shoes, my favorite shoe brand is Allen Edmonds (clearly). I have a question, well first let me state that I'm able to see the clear difference in quality from a high quality shoe like AE to that of a brand like Cole Haan, Florsheim, Stacy Adams, etc.
So why am I unable to see the difference from AE to the more expensive "nicer" shoes like John Lobb and Edward Green? I see them and I come to the conclusion that AE looks to be of equal quality (or even better in some cases). What am I missing here, is it an instance of paying big money for a brand, but it doesn't necessarily reflect proportionally the level of quality?
From what I can tell from people's opinions on certain forums and threads, it seems that people think AE is somewhat of a "gateway" nice shoe that will lead you eventually to the nicer shoes like E.Green/J.Lobb etc. I'm just having problems understanding this.

 

[clarksdb]



Well put, I have to agree with this. 

Alright, I'm fairly new to the world of nice shoes, my favorite shoe brand is Allen Edmonds (clearly). I have a question, well first let me state that I'm able to see the clear difference in quality from a high quality shoe like AE to that of a brand like Cole Haan, Florsheim, Stacy Adams, etc.
So why am I unable to see the difference from AE to the more expensive "nicer" shoes like John Lobb and Edward Green? I see them and I come to the conclusion that AE looks to be of equal quality (or even better in some cases). What am I missing here, is it an instance of paying big money for a brand, but it doesn't necessarily reflect proportionally the level of quality? 
From what I can tell from people's opinions on certain forums and threads, it seems that people think AE is somewhat of a "gateway" nice shoe that will lead you eventually to the nicer shoes like E.Green/J.Lobb etc. I'm just having problems understanding this.

Good question. I think the higher you go on the spectrum of shoes the less difference you see. I'm sure brands costing more than AE have a few small details that make them worth the price to some people. You are right though that the difference in quality from brands below AE to AE is quite substantial even to someone who doesn't know much about shoes. The difference in quality from AE to C&J for example is probably only noticeable to a very select few in the general population. That's just what I can make out of this, not sure what others here think.

To add, even though the Park Avenue might have a short cap toe according to many on here, I really don't have to worry about creasing happening on the wrong spot. Even though I like the longer cap toe placement on my Cliftons, I can already see some creasing on them happening in front of the cap toe. Now I know there have been discussions here if the cap toe placement affects creasing or not so I might be wrong...

 

[New Shoes1]

The Park Avenues have been worn by many Presidents during inauguration. So the cap toe must be fine. Maybe not for trendy SF but in the real world they are near perfect.

Park Avenues are like pleated pants on a nice suit: timeless, classic and always appropriate, but not the first choice if you are looking to follow the current fashion trends more closely.

 

[imainish]



On this election day, no matter what your political preference, the biggest question for this forum has to be, will the President Elect wear black PAs at the swear in ceremony Jan 2013?
Whoever it is, they could at least spice it up a bit with new bourbon PAs or even a walnut shell Strand...

In the interest of some change in Washington......... I nominate the Harrison!

 

[Jigg]

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).

The 8D slipped off of my foot and I couldn't get the 7.5D on my foot.
I went to the store and tried the 8D with a tongue pad and that wasn't comfortable either. It was my first time at this location and the Manager helped me. She was fantastic.
We're going to try a Walden and a 9C in the Patriot to see if it fits.
I personally like the look of the Patriot over the Walden.

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.

Depending on the color you want, they offer some narrow sizes that may fix the slippage you're experiencing.

 

[random-adam]

After discussing footwear with a like-minded friend yesterday evening (within earshot of my wife) and upon the realization that I've spent an awful lot of money on shoes between my new shell Daltons and a pair of custom Quoddy deck boots, I've decided to undertake a sabbatical of sorts -- no new shoes until November 2013.

My stable is sufficient for any possible career changes in the next year shy of construction or logging; I have a decent assortment of leather- and rubber-soled shoes. There's honestly not much more available in a 14AA anyway. I might make an exception if I see some NOS Ritz or Copley formal shoes on eBay for an unparalleled scream of a deal... but I believe a year of reflection, research, and thriftiness will do me good.

Endless thanks to AE for providing shoes that fit my foot and to all of you goons for the enlightenment and encouragement. I'll be back!

Adam

 

[New Shoes1]

After discussing footwear with a like-minded friend yesterday evening (within earshot of my wife) and upon the realization that I've spent an awful lot of money on shoes between my new shell Daltons and a pair of custom Quoddy deck boots, I've decided to undertake a sabbatical of sorts -- no new shoes until November 2013.
My stable is sufficient for any possible career changes in the next year shy of construction or logging; I have a decent assortment of leather- and rubber-soled shoes. There's honestly not much more available in a 14AA anyway. I might make an exception if I see some NOS Ritz or Copley formal shoes on eBay for an unparalleled scream of a deal... but I believe a year of reflection, research, and thriftiness will do me good.
Endless thanks to AE for providing shoes that fit my foot and to all of you goons for the enlightenment and encouragement. I'll be back!
Adam

With shoes in particular, I think you can reach a point where a "one in, one out" rule can be a good thing as it makes you really think hard about whether you need that next pair of shoes. I'm thinking I'm one pair of shoes away from implementing this rule, just so I can avoid being that guy with more shoes than his wife.

 

[bucksfan]

Good question. I think the higher you go on the spectrum of shoes the less difference you see. I'm sure brands costing more than AE have a few small details that make them worth the price to some people. You are right though that the difference in quality from brands below AE to AE is quite substantial even to someone who doesn't know much about shoes. The difference in quality from AE to C&J for example is probably only noticeable to a very select few in the general population. That's just what I can make out of this, not sure what others here think.
To add, even though the Park Avenue might have a short cap toe according to many on here, I really don't have to worry about creasing happening on the wrong spot. Even though I like the longer cap toe placement on my Cliftons, I can already see some creasing on them happening in front of the cap toe. Now I know there have been discussions here if the cap toe placement affects creasing or not so I might be wrong...

From the shoe owner's perspective, it is somewhat noticeable, from the perspective of others simply observing the shoes, certainly not noticeable. (except for those of us here). The real differences are in the details - in the C&J (for RL) shoes that I have, there are absolutely no stitching errors, double-stitches or holes missing thread. The soles are stitched perfectly. The heels are attached without any errors (not true for some of my AE or Aldens). The fit and finish is just a notch above. However, I will say I have gotten perfect shoes from AE also - just not every pair.

The question (rightly asked) is whether it's worth the price difference.

After discussing footwear with a like-minded friend yesterday evening (within earshot of my wife) and upon the realization that I've spent an awful lot of money on shoes between my new shell Daltons and a pair of custom Quoddy deck boots, I've decided to undertake a sabbatical of sorts -- no new shoes until November 2013.
My stable is sufficient for any possible career changes in the next year shy of construction or logging; I have a decent assortment of leather- and rubber-soled shoes. There's honestly not much more available in a 14AA anyway. I might make an exception if I see some NOS Ritz or Copley formal shoes on eBay for an unparalleled scream of a deal... but I believe a year of reflection, research, and thriftiness will do me good.
Endless thanks to AE for providing shoes that fit my foot and to all of you goons for the enlightenment and encouragement. I'll be back!
Adam

Great! - Enjoy your sabbatical and take care of your shoes. Please post pics. There are not enough pictures of well worn-in shoes on this thread! Instead of a "cold turkey" sabbatical, I have chosen to strategically add to my collection, when a deal is too good to pass up, and only for a specific $ amount per year.

It seems the focus around these fora is about acquiring, when it should be (in my estimation) about enjoying and caring for the shoes and clothing items we have. To that end, here are my shell MacNeils today (about 18 months old at the moment).




(as a side note, can you tell I just got a new phone with a decent camera?) More pics to come!

With shoes in particular, I think you can reach a point where a "one in, one out" rule can be a good thing as it makes you really think hard about whether you need that next pair of shoes. I'm thinking I'm one pair of shoes away from implementing this rule, just so I can avoid being that guy with more shoes than his wife.

LOL - once you cross over the line (more shoes than your wife) you get comfortable with it. For me, it's more about how much closet space I'm given. I don't want to be the guy who needs to store shoes in other closets in the house.

 

[Papa Doble]



After discussing footwear with a like-minded friend yesterday evening (within earshot of my wife) and upon the realization that I've spent an awful lot of money on shoes between my new shell Daltons and a pair of custom Quoddy deck boots, I've decided to undertake a sabbatical of sorts -- no new shoes until November 2013.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

My stable is sufficient for any possible career changes in the next year shy of construction or logging; I have a decent assortment of leather- and rubber-soled shoes. There's honestly not much more available in a 14AA anyway. I might make an exception if I see some NOS Ritz or Copley formal shoes on eBay for an unparalleled scream of a deal... but I believe a year of reflection, research, and thriftiness will do me good.
Endless thanks to AE for providing shoes that fit my foot and to all of you goons for the enlightenment and encouragement. I'll be back!
Adam

I'm a pair or two from doing the same. I find that my preferences change over time, which is one reason I'm glad I take so long to make decisions about these things. So, I plan to wear what I have for a year or so and see if that reveals any holes in my wardrobe. I'd also like to take the time to really take good care of and appreciate the shoes that I have, as bucksfan points out below (I already do this, but it would be nice to not constantly be thinking about the next pair and mentally neglecting the pairs I have). Hopefully I stick to the plan.

It seems the focus around these fora is about acquiring, when it should be (in my estimation) about enjoying and caring for the shoes and clothing items we have.

 

[Papa Doble]



From the shoe owner's perspective, it is somewhat noticeable, from the perspective of others simply observing the shoes, certainly not noticeable.  (except for those of us here).  The real differences are in the details - in the C&J (for RL) shoes that I have, there are absolutely no stitching errors, double-stitches or holes missing thread.  The soles are stitched perfectly.  The heels are attached without any errors (not true for some of my AE or Aldens).  The fit and finish is just a notch above.  However, I will say I have gotten perfect shoes from AE also - just not every pair.  

The question (rightly asked) is whether it's worth the price difference.

Agreed.