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

[NWTeal]

I know this cat is a regular here, but something about this just seems wrong to me. I feel like whomever commissioned the shoe should have first dibs on purchasing them as seconds. Does anyone else agree?

I think it's the fact that he's reselling them that rubs me the wrong way....

Pepper, I happen to agree with you.
I think if someone commissions a shoe and it gets rejected at AE before it is shipped, the person should be able to get a photo with a description of the flaw and decide if they want to buy it at a discounted price.

Agreed. This might belong on the MTO thread, but I think part of the MTO appeal is having a shoe that's unique to you. It cheapens it a little bit. At the very least I'd prefer it just go to the shoebank than an ebay seller. Don't blame the guy selling them he's just taking advantage, but I agree it's not ideal.

 

[csmitty]

Quote:
I tend to agree that its would be nice knowing that there is only one, or very few shoes like yours. I know some will copy a make up but thats usually only on here. Not that it really matters I guess, not like who ever buys it, from where ever, will run into you on the street with them on. I think it'd be fair to offer them to you first at a 2nds price. But then you'd have two of the same shoes pretty much. Unless they did the wrong color. The seller apparently used to work or co-op at AE so still has some contacts that funnel him the failed MTO's that are unique. Which is fine. And its really not even a bad price for them. The $197 for firsts is just taking advantage of a really good situation that has since disappeared. Unfortunately.

 

[JezeC]

Quote:
It's not a deal compared to the frequent AE shoe bank deals, but it's still not bad if you need something real quick for an event. His prices are definitely higher though. He must have a connection within AE to get first dibs on defective shoes.

 

[FreedBird]

It seems like my eBay postings generated quite a bit of controversy in this small corner of the internet, so I figured I would at least step in and say my piece, as I am also an active forum member here.

Yes, I buy seconds of MTO shoes for resale and end up with quite a few of the shoes individuals in this thread have commissioned. I am very selective in what I buy and I am certainly grateful that many of you commission awesome pieces, which I get to pass on to new owners. Not everyone who buys Allen Edmonds shoes has the depth of knowledge of the active posters in this thread and I learn new things all the time by reading this thread. I get to pass these shoes on to everyone from first time AE owners to long time AE fans, as well as individuals who have neither the patience, creativity, knowledge or finances to take advantage of the MTO program. I would consider many on this thread to be the exception, rather than the norm, when it comes to who the average AE customer is.

If you take issue with me reselling theses shoes at least take some comfort in knowing that I am hardly getting rich off this. I have to buy my inventory in cash, usually a few thousand dollars at a time and I will be lucky if I see a dollar of that back for 3-4 months. Essentially I am just a normal middle class guy trying to figure out a way to provide for my family and in some crazy way shoes do that. It would be nice if everyone here had their MTO shoes made up in a timely manner and right the first time, but if they don’t at least know they will probably end up in a good home and if you do end up seeing that person on the street wearing the same shoes as you it will make a pretty interesting conversation starter. Regards.

-Nick

 

[peppercorn78]

It seems like my eBay postings generated quite a bit of controversy in this small corner of the internet, so I figured I would at least step in and say my piece, as I am also an active forum member here.

Yes, I buy seconds of MTO shoes for resale and end up with quite a few of the shoes individuals in this thread have commissioned. I am very selective in what I buy and I am certainly grateful that many of you commission awesome pieces, which I get to pass on to new owners. Not everyone who buys Allen Edmonds shoes has the depth of knowledge of the active posters in this thread and I learn new things all the time by reading this thread. I get to pass these shoes on to everyone from first time AE owners to long time AE fans, as well as individuals who have neither the patience, creativity, knowledge or finances to take advantage of the MTO program. I would consider many on this thread to be the exception, rather than the norm, when it comes to who the average AE customer is.

If you take issue with me reselling theses shoes at least take some comfort in knowing that I am hardly getting rich off this. I have to buy my inventory in cash, usually a few thousand dollars at a time and I will be lucky if I see a dollar of that back for 3-4 months. Essentially I am just a normal middle class guy trying to figure out a way to provide for my family and in some crazy way shoes do that. It would be nice if everyone here had their MTO shoes made up in a timely manner and right the first time, but if they don’t at least know they will probably end up in a good home and if you do end up seeing that person on the street wearing the same shoes as you it will make a pretty interesting conversation starter. Regards.

-Nick

Meh, I guess I don't really feel as strongly about it as I thought I did. I've only done 2 MTOs, and both passed inspection, so it doesn't directly affect me. But I think that if I had had to wait another month for my custom boot, with the boot season rapidly fading behind us, I guess I would like to have right of first refusal to retain the flawed pair, even as a backup or beater or whatever. Maybe I would then have the replacement made in a different color. I dunno. I guess I don't have a problem with you or what you're doing, I just think as a courtesy, perhaps AE should reach out to the customer first when a pair fails QC.

 

[cincikid]

It seems like my eBay postings generated quite a bit of controversy in this small corner of the internet, so I figured I would at least step in and say my piece, as I am also an active forum member here.

Yes, I buy seconds of MTO shoes for resale and end up with quite a few of the shoes individuals in this thread have commissioned. I am very selective in what I buy and I am certainly grateful that many of you commission awesome pieces, which I get to pass on to new owners. Not everyone who buys Allen Edmonds shoes has the depth of knowledge of the active posters in this thread and I learn new things all the time by reading this thread. I get to pass these shoes on to everyone from first time AE owners to long time AE fans, as well as individuals who have neither the patience, creativity, knowledge or finances to take advantage of the MTO program. I would consider many on this thread to be the exception, rather than the norm, when it comes to who the average AE customer is.

If you take issue with me reselling theses shoes at least take some comfort in knowing that I am hardly getting rich off this. I have to buy my inventory in cash, usually a few thousand dollars at a time and I will be lucky if I see a dollar of that back for 3-4 months. Essentially I am just a normal middle class guy trying to figure out a way to provide for my family and in some crazy way shoes do that. It would be nice if everyone here had their MTO shoes made up in a timely manner and right the first time, but if they don’t at least know they will probably end up in a good home and if you do end up seeing that person on the street wearing the same shoes as you it will make a pretty interesting conversation starter. Regards.

-Nick

Nick--thank you for being candid. Rest assured, none of us minds your business model. Many of this forum members, me including, have flipped shoes more than once. As far as MTOs are concerned however, I'd appreciate having the right to buy the pair I have commissioned providing I can live with the defects. Alas, it sounds like this is in odds with AE's policy of only delivering top-notch products to the end customers.

 

[Darkside]

Anyone have any experience or opinions on the AE Regent Street? It's a model that has been discontinued. It is a long wing blucher like the Macneil, but it there is a single sole and the last of this shoe is slimmer and gets squarer at the toe. I was looking for a long wing blucher and initially had my sights set on the Macneil's but I saw a pair of these currently offered as closeout seconds.

AE Regent Street:

 

[Odradek]



It seems like my eBay postings generated quite a bit of controversy in this small corner of the internet, so I figured I would at least step in and say my piece, as I am also an active forum member here.

Yes, I buy seconds of MTO shoes for resale and end up with quite a few of the shoes individuals in this thread have commissioned. I am very selective in what I buy and I am certainly grateful that many of you commission awesome pieces, which I get to pass on to new owners. Not everyone who buys Allen Edmonds shoes has the depth of knowledge of the active posters in this thread and I learn new things all the time by reading this thread. I get to pass these shoes on to everyone from first time AE owners to long time AE fans, as well as individuals who have neither the patience, creativity, knowledge or finances to take advantage of the MTO program. I would consider many on this thread to be the exception, rather than the norm, when it comes to who the average AE customer is.

If you take issue with me reselling theses shoes at least take some comfort in knowing that I am hardly getting rich off this. I have to buy my inventory in cash, usually a few thousand dollars at a time and I will be lucky if I see a dollar of that back for 3-4 months. Essentially I am just a normal middle class guy trying to figure out a way to provide for my family and in some crazy way shoes do that. It would be nice if everyone here had their MTO shoes made up in a timely manner and right the first time, but if they don’t at least know they will probably end up in a good home and if you do end up seeing that person on the street wearing the same shoes as you it will make a pretty interesting conversation starter. Regards.

-Nick

Good for you.
I was very tempted by a pair of Schautal you had for sale a while back.

Just wondering if you ever lose a shoe over the rail into the snow.

 

[peppercorn78]



Anyone have any experience or opinions on the AE Regent Street? It's a model that has been discontinued. It is a long wing blucher like the Macneil, but it there is a single sole and the last of this shoe is slimmer and gets squarer at the toe. I was looking for a long wing blucher and initially had my sights set on the Macneil's but I saw a pair of these currently offered as closeout seconds. AE Regent Street:

I have those and love them. Not sure id buy the black one tho, as they are quite casual.

 

[ridethecliche]

E 10.5 suede chukkas on ebay. RL Saunders.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ralph-Laure...-Edmonds-/271441364480?_trksid=p2054897.l5671

 

[FreedBird]

I agree it might be a nice option to offer the custom seconds at a discount, at the same time AE probably needs to be making the maximum profit possible on these orders due to the additional costs of processing the orders (i.e. when they stopped allowing the MTO option on discontinued styles the sales probably weren't profitable enough). When I think of customs programs for most things I tend to think that the final product should be absolutely perfect, but I agree the wait can feel like it is more of a hassel than what the small imperfections are worth.

 

[mavrik13]

Anyone have any experience or opinions on the AE Regent Street? It's a model that has been discontinued. It is a long wing blucher like the Macneil, but it there is a single sole and the last of this shoe is slimmer and gets squarer at the toe. I was looking for a long wing blucher and initially had my sights set on the Macneil's but I saw a pair of these currently offered as closeout seconds.

AE Regent Street:

 

[bespoken pa]



I agree it might be a nice option to offer the custom seconds at a discount, at the same time AE probably needs to be making the maximum profit possible on these orders due to the additional costs of processing the orders (i.e. when they stopped allowing the MTO option on discontinued styles the sales probably weren't profitable enough). When I think of customs programs for most things I tend to think that the final product should be absolutely perfect, but I agree the wait can feel like it is more of a hassel than what the small imperfections are worth.

Personally it does not matter who gets the seconds on the mto's that someone commissions with the caveat that they (original customer)receive an opportunity to purchase them first. Obviously the individual who took the time to design the shoe/boot and who had to deal with the delay should be afforded the opportunity to have first crack at the seconds.

 

[LEgoiste]

I finally received a shipping confirmation on the Stanfords, that I purchased during the 20% off clearance sale more than 5 weeks ago, and should be delivered tomorrow.

 

[Hirsh]



My Gaziano and Girling MTOs are very similar, and great shoes, although they're quite heavy to wear..

Smart but very solid!!!