Allen Edmonds - Blobby?

[JGloger]

Originally Posted by Doug11

Thanks Quinn, we have all been waiting anxiously for 2 years for you view on blobbiness.

 

[MyOtherLife]

why bump this old thread from 2009?

 

[JDMills]

Knew it wasnt a strand

 

[chinngiskhaan]

The New Orleans in Walnut are slim, sleek, and classic with a modern/young twist.

 

[Quadcammer]



The New Orleans in Walnut are slim, sleek, and classic with a modern/young twist.

nobody gives a **** about your silly new orleans. one of AE's uglier models fwiw.

 

[chinngiskhaan]

thanks for the helpful post quadcammer! Good to know you have better things to do with your life than spewing hate on the internet! For a minute there I was thinking that too many people these days spent too much time talking trash behind a computer... but your classy comment sure proved me wrong! oh wait... nevermind...

 

[YRR92]

I agree with the post from 2011:

why bump this old thread from 2009?

 

[mw313]

most people don't think about the combination of the shoe style/welting, the last shape, shoe size, and shoe width.

I can wear the most "blobby" shoe style there is and it still will look more 'elegant" than blobby (if they can make my size) because i am a 15 AAA. It is completely different if someone wears the same style in a 7 or 8 EEE.

 

[harlequin782]



most people don't think about the combination of the shoe style/welting, the last shape, shoe size, and shoe width. 

I can wear the most "blobby" shoe style there is and it still will look more 'elegant" than blobby (if they can make my size) because i am a 15 AAA. It is completely different if someone wears the same style in a 7 or 8 EEE. 

Ive been saying the same thing in here for a year or so now, but it is always interpreted as making excuses for allen edmonds blobby lasts...but I too wear a size 15...and like you said, people come along with these itty bitty feet and are suprised when non italian shoes look blobby on their feet.

 

[mw313]

Exactly!

Yes the last is important but it only can slightly change the appearance of the foot shape. The actual size is what will determine the general appearance. For someone with a short fat foot, a nice elongated last Italian shoe can help to make the foot look less blobby, unlike some of the more natural lasts by AE that may feel more comfortable for their foot type. People need to remember that people in different areas of the world have different types of feet as well, so the last makers for a certain area usually will make lasts that fit those feet well, first. The different types of welts can make a huge difference too, due to how close the edges can be cut. A blake stitch shoe will usually look slimmer than a larger Goodyear welt or a Norvegese and the like. In wide feet as in many people, every bit of slimming in addition to the last shape can help. In the extreme opposite, like me (15AAA) the extra bulk can help to prevent it from looking like a pair of skis. For the more "normal" shaped foot (if there is one), the person can try out a variety and then make a decision after seeing them on their own feet.

There really are so many factors in the over all look of the shoes and that is why there are many different shoe makers who all use their own proprietary lasts. That is why some people like the fit and look of certain styles and brands of shoes. It even can come down to comfort vs. style in some cases. There are many people who want a very sleek looking shoe to help the style of their feet, and they may find one that works, but it doesn't mean that shoe will be good for their feet either. In the end, there may need to be a compromise between the two (last style vs last fit for the foot type) or more searching needs to be done. (Usually the most problematic practices are the people with wide feet getting shoes way too narrow and possibly the wrong size to make up for things, which throws off the heel to arch distance. That can make the shank lay under the foot at another spot from where the foot should bend, throwing off the proper gait and possibly damaging joints overtime.)

There are many new or at least not very well know brands who have very different lasts so you can look for the ones that will both look and fit you well. Trust me and just do some searches (or ask me) because I have spoken to many around the world to find out who would even be willing to try to make shoes for me without having to go into the bespoke price range yet. There are a lot of British and Italian shoe brands that most people don't know of (not to mention the Eastern European shoe makers) without doing some searching. Of course there is always a good bespoke shoe, where the shoe maker can do their best to make a last that fits your foot as perfectly as possible and also help to bring out the best that your feet can show in a shoe, but there is a large price to that one.

That is why no one really should be complaining so much about the style of certain lasts, as long as they are of a somewhat classic style, because that last may work well for some people, but not others. Being in the "foot business", I see a huge variety of types of feet and many people (including myself and probably harlequin782) with unusual feet are just happy to find brands who can make properly fitting shoes for us, but we are just the extreme. Not all lasts are made to look as sleek as those from G&G or elegant as EG or JL, but those shoes will not fit everyone. Even with the more common foot types, some people have a foot that will only fit comfortably in an American last, and other will only fit will in an Italian, British, Eastern European, etc.

I hope this helps a little bit and always love to discuss brands, lasts/styles, and construction of shoes if anyone has any other questions. I have had to do so much research for myself and my field so I would love to help others, including to give people contacts at a variety of the different shoe makers, with whom I have personally spoken.

 

[jas0nt]

E's looks like big black or brown pill capsules in my opinion. If that's what you like then who really cares, wear it till your heart's content.

 

[Suit of Nettles]

AE's looks like big black or brown pill capsules in my opinion. If that's what you like then who really cares, wear it till your heart's content.

They look like black or brown pill capsules even when they're walnut, navy, chilli, or #8 shell? Have you encountered many cap-toe, longwing, or mocc-sewn pill capsules in your part of the pharmaceutical world? I'll have to ask the dispensary about their thoughts on blucher vs. balmoral gel-caps next time...

Flippancy aside, we can all agree that AE doesn't offer the most low-profile or streamlined lasts or welts out there; we can also agree that not everyone likes a supremely streamlined shoe, otherwise we'd all be wearing wholecut patent court pumps with elongated point-toes 24/7. Fit does also complicate things. I typically take a 10.5 EEE, and even then it's a squeeze in some lasts. I suppose I could try to 'compensate' by wearing cemented shoes with no welting and the sleekest lasts possible, but I have no interest in that; on the other hand, I do tend to avoid gunboats because they make me look and sound like a conquering elephant, and this is only desirable some of the time.

 

[YRR92]

I agree with the post from 2011:

why bump this old thread from 2009?

 

[mw313]

In the end, we all can get whatever we like, so it really doesn't matter. Looks are important but all that i was trying to point out is that some people are limited in their choices due to their size, plus the shoes look completely different when widths are involved.