help with AE factory-seconds

[Trojanman74]

to anyone that has history with purchasing a AE factory second from ebay, what tends to be the minor imperfectins?

 

[johnny_flapjack]

I've bought one pair from the ebay AE factory store and two from one of their outlet stores. Most times the imperfections tend to be (at least in my experience) difficult to detect. I bought a pair of calfskin Moras and a pair of suede Moras recently, and I really couldn't see anything of consequence on them. Others have mentioned things like the stitching on the soles being off-center and too close to the edge. For the $157 I paid for the Moras and the $220 I paid for a pair of shell chukka boots, they're worth it to me.

 

[cvac]

I advise to NOT buy from the AE seconds store on ebay. They don't take returns, which is a deal breaker for me.

If you CALL the AE Shoe Bank in WI, they have the exact same merch at the exact same prices and are willing to accept returns. They take orders over the phone and ship UPS.

Allen Edmonds Shoe Bank at the Factory
201 East Seven Hills Road
Port Washington, Wisconsin 53074
USA
Phone: 262-284-715

 

[grimslade]

They don't take returns, true, but if you know your size there's little risk. The price isn't always the best, but sometimes you find something there that won't turn up elsewhere.

I bought one pair of Cambridge shell cordovan wing tips. They'd been seconded because they had a full rubber hell instead of the combination heel. I've bought a couple of others and never been entirely sure why they were seconds. I wouldn't worry much about the quality.

 

[amemovox]

E seconds generally represent an excellent value provided you know the last(s) that accomodate your foot. It has been my experience that the defects are undetectable.

Had one experience with a pair of Hillcrests. The shoelace holes were serverely misaligned. Not only did this detract from the appearance of the shoe when laced, comfort was compromised.

I have ordered from the Southern California AE outlet store and they freely exchanged the shoes. Excellent service from the outlet store.

 

[skefferz]

I would email AE and ask what and where the imperfection is.

I've bought a couple of pairs of shoes from AE on ebay.

One pair looked perfect to me.

The last pair I bought was a brandy colored shoe which had an obvious dark discolored spot on one toe. I would not have bought it if I knew this.

 

[Kaizen]

I recently bought a pair of Ramseys from the eBay store. The flaw I see on them is a slight wrinkling of the leather in one spot. Since these are for casual wear, I'm not worried about it.

 

[Piobaire]

I have purchased a couple of pairs of AEs from the ebay seconds store. As other posters stated, you need to know your size and lasts. One pair I purchased are a very nice chili Sanford. The only flaw I have found is that at the very back of one shoe, the seams that runs up the back of the heel, at the very top, it is not 100% centered between where the broguing sweeps back. Exceedingly un-noticeable.

 

[AR_Six]

I just bought a pair of "slightly imperfect" / supposedly factory second Moras in brown calf, only to be informed that they're actually not factory seconds at all, but first quality shoes. Which is obviously excellent. So it's worth asking, apparently some of the seller's shoes aren't imperfect at all.

 

[aragon765]

they also sell discontinued models online - thus the first quality Mora's (and several others) online right now...

IME, the quality has been awesome, nothing that I would do to the shoe within the first 3 or 4 wearings... (tiny scratch, mark on sole). Of course, YMMV.

 

[sho'nuff]

lot of times , factory seconds defects are underlying. it may not always be a cosmetic, outer flaw like in the leather, polish, or stitch.

it may be something in the construction or something miscalibrated within (e.g. nail pulled out of wrong area <hitting wrong spot or at wrong trajectory> and then rehammered in, causing a weakness in that area) which may cause squeaks , discomfort, or accelerated wear and tear , upon wearing.

 

[Financier]

I'll agree with the posters who suggested calling the AE outlet stores. I've used the one in Burlington, NC for several purchases. I pass through that area often enough that I can stop in a few times a year to make a purchases, which I prefer as occassionally a factory second will have a noticable enough flaw in the leather that I wouldn't purchase it. For that reason, I would not suggest ordering by mail from a place that does not accept returns.

 

[JLibourel]

As to the matter of A-E factory seconds, I may well be the king of A-E seconds in this forum, having purchased more than 30 pairs from or via the A-E Cabazon outlet. In the vast majority of the case, what made them seconds was indiscernible to my eye or so trifling that it was inconsequential. Many of these I bought soon after the Cabazon outlet opened 4 1/2 years ago. So far I have had no complaints to speak of. There was a problem with the dye job on some black Byrons I bought, but A-E rectified it gratis. On only two pairs were what made them seconds conspicuous enough to make me a little rueful. There was a noticeable flaw in the welt on a pair of Ashtons in merlot, and on a pair of Fairfaxes in merlot, the right shoe was considerably lighter than the left. I darkened the right shoe with liberal applications of black polish so that the mismatch is now discernible only on the closest scrutiny. Both these pairs were bottom priced at $129 a pair, so I couldn't complain too much. Overwhelmingly, though, my experience with A-E seconds has been extremely satisfactory--probably the best values to be had (routinely anyway) in the entire world of quality shoes, in my opinion anyway.