Allen Edmonds rant ;)

[Phileas Fogg]

In my opinion, AE is very much like Brooks Brothers: the U.S. market has shifted away from suits to a more casual style of dress for men. I think it's a bit unrealistic to assume that style forum members are an accurate representation of men in the U.S. buying shoes at the AE price point. People in this thread seem to dislike AE but there's an AE dedicated thread with a decent amount of participation.
I think it's safe to say that quality has gone down, independent of styling. That's fairly true of a lot of products and not unique to shoes.
However, I think part of it is still the idea for some people in the U.S. that American Made still has meaning. At the same time, people new to shoes costing more than $150 may not be comfortable ordering over the internet. They may actually like to visit a store and try them on. AE is much more readily available by me than Alden. Also, as mentioned, their price point used to be a bit lower and they had good availability of 'seconds' - so. being able to get a decent dress shoe that was made in America under $300 was not something a lot of other companies could provide.

So, I think for that reason, AE tends to be a launching point for some people. It was for me. I've since branched out to numerous shoe and boot makers now that I have more experience on what fits me and with about 30+ pairs I tend to look for more specific things. I don't tend to buy AE, I prefer Alden, Crocket & Jones, Trickers and Carmina for dress and dress casual.

But, like I said earlier, I don't think the people here (including myself) are a representative sampling of the U.S. market. I think it's a bit tougher now.

I will say, while the styling of my Carmina shoes/boots is a little more fashion-forward they're also less comfortable than the C&J, Trickers, Alden or AE counterparts. So, they're more of a limited use set of shoes/boots in my rotation.

I still like AE for a basic, entry level proper shoe. Their availability makes them attractive for those who may not be comfortable buying shoes online. They’re often on sale making them accessible to a wider audience.

For 95% of men, I’m willing to bet, AE is a standard bearer and they have ZERO interest in spending the kind of money in shoes that we talk about here.

 

[Monsieur de Givenchy]

In my opinion, AE is very much like Brooks Brothers: the U.S. market has shifted away from suits to a more casual style of dress for men. I think it's a bit unrealistic to assume that style forum members are an accurate representation of men in the U.S. buying shoes at the AE price point. People in this thread seem to dislike AE but there's an AE dedicated thread with a decent amount of participation.
I think it's safe to say that quality has gone down, independent of styling. That's fairly true of a lot of products and not unique to shoes.
However, I think part of it is still the idea for some people in the U.S. that American Made still has meaning. At the same time, people new to shoes costing more than $150 may not be comfortable ordering over the internet. They may actually like to visit a store and try them on. AE is much more readily available by me than Alden. Also, as mentioned, their price point used to be a bit lower and they had good availability of 'seconds' - so. being able to get a decent dress shoe that was made in America under $300 was not something a lot of other companies could provide.

So, I think for that reason, AE tends to be a launching point for some people. It was for me. I've since branched out to numerous shoe and boot makers now that I have more experience on what fits me and with about 30+ pairs I tend to look for more specific things. I don't tend to buy AE, I prefer Alden, Crocket & Jones, Trickers and Carmina for dress and dress casual.

But, like I said earlier, I don't think the people here (including myself) are a representative sampling of the U.S. market. I think it's a bit tougher now.

I will say, while the styling of my Carmina shoes/boots is a little more fashion-forward they're also less comfortable than the C&J, Trickers, Alden or AE counterparts. So, they're more of a limited use set of shoes/boots in my rotation.

Very smart analysis, and I think you’re right. AE is fairly comfortable, fairly good, fairly affordable, fairly available. It’s the ultimate lukewarm dress shoe. That is the secret of its success and probably the reason behind my ire. Thanks.

 

[CommanderMcBragg]

I would offer that poo-pooing AE as "the ultimate lukewarm dress shoe" sounds really bad to the vast majority of working stiffs who have never paid more than $70 for a Kenneth Cole dress shoe from Macy's.