Allen Edmonds = What English shoemaker in quality?

[Wes Bourne]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

I might have an unworn pair in either 9 or 9.5 (can't remember) heading to B&S.

Moras look great. Unfortunately, they're a very poor fit in my usual size. Otherwise, I'd have taken them off your hands!

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Sator did a thread a while back (maybe on AAAC, I don't remember) that showed AE's side by side with EG's and other brands that made you rethink their "clunky" image.

That was great thread.

Originally Posted by The Louche

My father has worn the same pair of Park Avenues to work everyday for the past 11 years. They still look great. No rotation of other work shoes. 1 pair, no joke.

You should snap a pic and post it in the `well worn shoe thread` or whatever it's called.

I picked up a pair of brown Park Aves from chorse a while back and usually wear them once a week. They take a good shine and the color keeps getting better. I hope they last me as long! My other AEs are an unworn pair of black PAs, a pair of brown suede Façonnable split-toe bluchers (AE Colfax?) with Gumlite soles and a pair of black AE Chester wingtips.

I wonder if AE can reshape my Chesters over the #5 last when I eventually send them in for recrafting...As for my PAs, I'm thinking of getting them recrafted elsewhere to see if they can do without the 360 welt and trim the heels closer to the uppers. Actually, I wouldn't mind if the rest of the welt was also trimmed closer.

 

[onix]

Originally Posted by Wes Bourne

That was great thread.

Can you find the link? It would be a great read. Thanks in advance.

 

[whacked]

Originally Posted by onix

Can you find the link? It would be a great read. Thanks in advance.

See post 75.

 

[furo]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Originally Posted by furo

Even at full retail, could you beat the quality with another brand?

Yes, quite a few brands make better finished, higher-quality shoes. But that doesn't necessarily translate to greater longevity. So the answer depends on your barometer.

So what brand is "better finished, higher quality" for ~325-350 bucks?


I think longevity is the essential variable when measuring quality, so that is definitely my barometer. When you think about it, that's what primarily drives most people in this world to select one brand over another, and I'm one of those people! I buy Honda due to longevity over Chevy, I buy Dell over Alienware due to longevity, I buy LCD over Plasma, Bose to Sony, etc etc etc ... all decisions highly based on longevity.

And most times, longevity isn't exclusive nor independent of other things like looks and material.

If I had to use a weighted matrix to judge a shoe's value, I'd put longevity as having 2x or 3x the weight as "elegance." Second up in my matrix would be comfort, third being looks and fourth being other stuff like detail, handwork, and elegance.

 

[Philip1978]

Originally Posted by whacked

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=79950

Very interesting thread.

 

[ChicagoJohn]

Originally Posted by triniboy27

Moras, bitches.

I love those. Hoping the come down to the sub $200 range

 

[Steven Aver]

E's plastic sockliner they switched to a while ago is so awful, that alone aside from the rest would keep me away from them

 

[onix]

Sutor's posts are interesting, but a major flaw is that he looked from the top down angle. Clunkiness of AE last is from the side where the vamp is too full/straight, it does not have a necessary curve (Vox also showed this in his picture).

 

[agavilanes]

Originally Posted by whacked

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=79950

wow! What a great thread. AE should give him a pair of shoes or something.

 

[Philip1978]

Originally Posted by onix

Sutor's posts are interesting, but a major flaw is that he looked from the top down angle. Clunkiness of AE last is from the side where the vamp is too full/straight, it does not have a necessary curve (Vox also showed this in his picture).

Good point. Missed what Vox was talking about.

 

[clee1982]

Originally Posted by laphroaig

From the wearer's perspective or when holding the shoe, it does look a bit chunky. But I quite like the way they look on other people, particularly dressed down.

I prefer Italian last, and for CJ I like 348 or 352, it's not necessary the chunkiness that botheres me, it's the general shape (the same reason why I can't appreciate most EG and good portion of Lobb). Also, from the side AE looks rather... unpleasing for whatever reason, maybe the instep is sloped too low?

 

[curzon]



The thing to remember is that AE's stock photos are terrible - anyone interested in the brand should really search on this forum, or AAAC, to find amateur photos. They are truer to life and (generally) look twice as good.

I was searching for something else and came across this post. You know, 3 years later and it's still true. Worst shoe photos out there. Hell... ebay photos are better.