Allen Edmonds Shoes - I need 5 pairs! Fifth Avenue + Strand + Mcallister + Vernon + Delray

[madman]

I finished business school and am starting work as a marketing manager for Samsung.

I have 4 suits: 2 navy (both are dark, 1 darker than the other), 1 charcoal, 1 medium gray.

I'd like to purchase 4 dress shoes: Fifth Avenue, Strand, Mcallister, Vernon
I'd also like to purchase 1 casual shoe: Delray
I'm also thinking about substituting one of these with the Dalton Wingtip Dress Boots.

I'd like to know what color I should get each of the 5 shoes in? I am leaning toward Merlot for the Mcallister but I'd like recommendations for the other shoe styles. And if you disagree with my Allen Edmonds shoe style selections then please feel free to recommend different style(s).

Here are pics for each style of shoe and the available color choices:

Fifth Avenue (shown in black), available in Black/Bourbon/Walnut/Brown


Strand (shown in black), available in Black/Bourbon/Walnut/Brown


Mcallister (shown in merlot), available in Black/Merlot/Walnut


Vernon (shown in chili), available in Black/Chili



Delray (shown in chili), available in Black/Brown/Chili


Dalton Wingtip Boot (shown in Dark Chocolate), available in Dark Chocolate, Bourbon, Black, and Walnut

 

[SidewinderX]

Do they all have to be AE?

 

[Gauss17]

Fifth Avenue - Black
Strand - Walnut
Mcallister - Merlot

....The next two, I am less thrilled about:

Vernon - Chilli
Delray- Brown

Love the first three, but for the last two I would have gone:

Rutledge or Jefferson - Brown/Dark Brown (I would take a dark brown oxford of any kind over chilli)
Kenilworth - Brown Calf

 

[loanshark]

Fifth Ave in brown
Park Ave in black
Strand in walnut
McAllister in merlot
Strand in brown suede

If possible get the trace McAllister for Cambridge in shell

 

[madman]

Quote: They don't have to be AE. However, I chose AE because of the good recommendations they get on this site. And I have narrow feet, so I need a shoe that I can order in a "B" width. Is there another brand that you recommend?

 

[masernaut]

No dress boot? Switch out the Delray for the Dalton in brown calf. Works fine casually as well.

 

[Gauss17]



They don't have to be AE. However, I chose AE because of the good recommendations they get on this site. And I have narrow feet, so I need a shoe that I can order in a "B" width. Is there another brand that you recommend?

There are a plethora of brands that fit narrow feet, but AE is easy to procure and will certainly fit the role of a solid shoe for someone new to "real footwear". You might try getting 1 or 2 shoes that you think fit well and wearing them for awhile, then continuing with your "5 shoe" purchase. You may fit fitting is easy, or you may find getting the right fit is hard.

 

[madman]

No dress boot? Switch out the Delray for the Dalton in brown calf. Works fine casually as well.

Great advice! But, I don't see brown. Here are the colors for the Dalton: Dark Chocolate Calf, Bourbon Calf, Black Custom Calf, and Walnut Burnished Calif.

Do you mean Dark Chocolate?

 

[SidewinderX]

There are a plethora of brands that fit narrow feet, but AE is easy to procure and will certainly fit the role of a solid shoe for someone new to "real footwear". You might try getting 1 or 2 shoes that you think fit well and wearing them for awhile, then continuing with your "5 shoe" purchase. You may fit fitting is easy, or you may find getting the right fit is hard.

Yeah, I guess my general advice would be not to go whole-hog at first. Maybe get two of them at first (black Fifth Ave and a bourbon/brown/or walnut (least flexible) Strand). That will get you covered at first, and then you can make some decisions about what else you want in a shoe. A 5 pair investment is a serious investment if you decide you want to try something new or differently styled.

 

[suited]

I wouldn't buy 5 pairs of AE. I'd buy 1 or 2, then shop around and look at other brands. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of how their shoes are cut.

 

[madman]

I wouldn't buy 5 pairs of AE. I'd buy 1 or 2, then shop around and look at other brands. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of how their shoes are cut.

Can anyone recommend a good store for me to visit in Orange County (or Los Angeles if necessary)? I'd like to stay < $400 for a pair of shoes and I'd like to have the option to try the shoes in narrow widths.

 

[masernaut]

Do you mean Dark Chocolate?

Yes

 

[jaywhyy]

Can anyone recommend a good store for me to visit in Orange County (or Los Angeles if necessary)? I'd like to stay < $400 for a pair of shoes and I'd like to have the option to try the shoes in narrow widths.

In Orange County, your options are pretty much limited to South Coast Plaza, where there is (from lowest to highest):
1. Allen Edmonds (<300)
2. Brooks Brothers/Peal & Co (can be had <500 during sales)
3. Sacks Fifth Ave
3. John Lobb lol (1200+)

In Los Angeles, you have all of the above plus Gentlemen's Footwear (Carmina, ~500; can be ordered direct from Carmina or Skoat for <500 after a fitting) and Leathersoul (lots of makers, all out of that budget by quite a bit).

That <$400 dollar range is a no-man's-land budget. In terms of what you have available to try on and quality, Allen Edmonds is your best bet at <300, while Carmina would be your best bet at <500. I'd suggest you stick with at most 3 shoes now (I'd recommend 2) and maximize your budget to accommodate maybe a Carmina or Peal & Co shoe during their corporate sale. Reason I say stick with 2 is people's tastes change rapidly after that AE gateway drug, but 2 shoes is the bare minimum so that your shoes aren't being run down too quickly.

That being said, I'm a fan of the McAllister and Delray, myself, as wingtips and NSTs lend themselves more to AEs less sleek lasts. The Dalton is really not a dress boot; you'd want a balmoral boot for that.

 

[Apollotrader]

Can't go wrong with what you are planning or close. As to the don't buy 5 at once crowd, the question is.....

Is five a start or a goal?

If it is a start, 5 pairs of AE will work just fine. If it is a goal I would buy a Park Ave (or Fifth) and a Strand, and expand from there opportunistically.

 

[madman]

In Orange County, your options are pretty much limited to South Coast Plaza, where there is (from lowest to highest):
1. Allen Edmonds (<300)
2. Brooks Brothers/Peal & Co (can be had <500 during sales)
3. Sacks Fifth Ave
3. John Lobb lol (1200+)

In Los Angeles, you have all of the above plus Gentlemen's Footwear (Carmina, ~500; can be ordered direct from Carmina or Skoat for <500 after a fitting) and Leathersoul (lots of makers, all out of that budget by quite a bit).

That <$400 dollar range is a no-man's-land budget. In terms of what you have available to try on and quality, Allen Edmonds is your best bet at <300, while Carmina would be your best bet at <500. I'd suggest you stick with at most 3 shoes now (I'd recommend 2) and maximize your budget to accommodate maybe a Carmina or Peal & Co shoe during their corporate sale. Reason I say stick with 2 is people's tastes change rapidly after that AE gateway drug, but 2 shoes is the bare minimum so that your shoes aren't being run down too quickly.

That being said, I'm a fan of the McAllister and Delray, myself, as wingtips and NSTs lend themselves more to AEs less sleek lasts. The Dalton is really not a dress boot; you'd want a balmoral boot for that.

Thanks for the great suggestions on the different stores and brands. I like some of the Carmina shoes that I see on the Gentlemen's footwear website and will visit them for a fitting.

When you are recommending Carmina and Peal & Co shoes as an alternative to Allen Edmonds, is it because of the look or because of comfort/fit?