Help with first pair of Allen Edmonds, quality normal?

[vdubiv]

First off, since this is your first "good" pair of shoes, and probably first pair of Goodyear welted shoes, how is the fit?

I have many Allen Edmonds shoes, but I had to sell a bunch of pairs off because they did not fit well, and I was in denial because I too wanted good shoes. Head over to the Allen Edmonds thread and they will tell you that before all else Fit is King!

If these shoes do fit, and you are concerned with the imperfections, only you can decide for your money if you're willing to accept these flaws, whether they are minor or major.

Also, if you are sold on the double monk strap style, Allen Edmonds makes them in darker colors, if you are to take the advice of others here concerning that the shade you chose is a dated, less versatile color.

Just my .02 cents the main thing that would annoy me with this pair is the holes punched in the toe near the welt area, creasing, and scratches will come with wear.

 

[BespokeBrooklyn]

Monkstraps are casual enough to wear with khakis and other casual clothing, so you have a few more options than I do with my tan shoes. I own a pair of tan long wings I often wear with tan suits, or sometimes with khakis, a white shirt, a navy blazer, and a dark tie. Recently, I bought a pair of walnut Barletts for a very fair price. They’re oxfords, dressier than monkstraps or wingtips, so I doubt I will wear them very often unless I am wearing a light-colored suit. But my office is business formal (even now) and during the spring and summer I have a lot of occasions to wear light-colored suits. A lot depends on the formal and informal dress codes where you work and socialize, and, to a lesser extent, where you live.

 

[bicycleradical]

I have several pairs of AEs, all of which display one of those flaws or another. None of the blemishes have affected my being able to wear the shoes or to take care of them. I've worn all of those shoes many times and not had a problem.

It's your call whether you want to return them however I think they are fine.

 

[BPL Esq]

I have several pairs of AEs, all of which display one of those flaws or another. None of the blemishes have affected my being able to wear the shoes or to take care of them. I've worn all of those shoes many times and not had a problem.

It's your call whether you want to return them however I think they are fine.

I agree generally with respect to the cosmetic stuff that won't matter in the long run anyway, but as others have said, the welt issue and the misaligned heel are potentially more serious (e.g., letting water into the shoes, potentially affecting OP's gait and throwing his ankle/knee out of proper alignment, etc.). I generally avoid returning stuff unless I absolutely need to, especially when I'm dealing with a MiUSA company, but I'd try to exchange these and let them sell them as seconds.

 

[Leiker]

I think all those outfits would look better with shoes in dark brown, mid-brown, or black.

Agreed, and yet I see lighter brown shoes with dark blue suits so frequently these days. Not a good look.

 

[Duke Santos]

The more I think about your question, I think a pair of Oxblood 5th Avenues would be perfect. They're easily formal enough for the navy suit, but that little bit of cap brogueing dresses them down just a bit for the chinos. Plus, Oxblood is going to be more versatile across a range of chino colors (much better with any shade of grey than a classic dark brown). And unlike tan or walnut, Oxblood is never in fashion and never out of fashion. It's just something classic that floats below the fashion gods' radar. Remember that there is not going to be a "perfect" shoe that crosses the divide between a navy suit and chinos. You're going to have to make compromises in one direction or the other....or both.

For your second pair, I'd go full casual: something in a brown or snuff suede or grain in either a split-toe derby, wingtip derby or classic penny loafer. A few examples below. #1 would definitely go with the navy suit. #3 could in the right casual circumstances. #2 not so much. All three could be dressed down all the way to denim.

For your third pair, take it in the opposite direction and get that classic pair of cap toe or wholecut black Oxfords as expensive as you can reasonably afford. These are your baddest m-f'r in the room shoes, but unless you work in an old school business formal environment (navy and charcoal suits all week), then their wear will be limited relative to the above two pairs.

 

[JFWR]

I agree generally with respect to the cosmetic stuff that won't matter in the long run anyway, but as others have said, the welt issue and the misaligned heel are potentially more serious (e.g., letting water into the shoes, potentially affecting OP's gait and throwing his ankle/knee out of proper alignment, etc.). I generally avoid returning stuff unless I absolutely need to, especially when I'm dealing with a MiUSA company, but I'd try to exchange these and let them sell them as seconds.

Yeah, if everything was just minor cosmetic flaws, than this wouldn't be an issue; two of the issues are serious enough I'd legitimately just say take 'em back.

 

[Duke Santos]

Plus, if you can make it into a store quickly, you can take advantage of the huge sale going on, not to mention get properly fitted.

 

[dieworkwear]

OPs shoes, however, look more chestnut (ie with a reddish hue) and not tan. However, I would definitely advise OP that his choice of shoe (a chestnut monkstrap) is not a good one. Boring as it is, I would advise to go with either oxfords (for formal use) or loafers (for casualwear) if it is your first purchase of "quality" shoes.

You misspelled oxblood.

The more I think about your question, I think a pair of Oxblood 5th Avenues would be perfect. They're easily formal enough for the navy suit, but that little bit of cap brogueing dresses them down just a bit for the chinos. Plus, Oxblood is going to be more versatile across a range of chino colors (much better with any shade of grey than a classic dark brown). And unlike tan or walnut, Oxblood is never in fashion and never out of fashion. It's just something classic that floats below the fashion gods' radar. Remember that there is not going to be a "perfect" shoe that crosses the divide between a navy suit and chinos. You're going to have to make compromises in one direction or the other....or both.

I think warm-colored shoes suffer from a similar problem. Depending on the outfit, they can draw the eye downward. Since most guys mostly wear cool tones, a versatile pair of shoes should be neutral or cool toned.

Some examples of what I mean. Here are some neutral tan suits. The color is pretty middle of the road.

Here's a warm tan suit. The color is brighter, stronger, and has a hint of yellow.

Here's a cooler, pale tan suit. Color is less saturated and it has a hint of grey.

A neutral or cool tan suit is always going to be easier to break into separates because most men have cooler tones in their wardrobe. So when paired with other cool-toned pants, a pale, cool jacket or a neutral-colored jacket isn't going to clash. A warm-toned jacket, however, will clash. Here's a warm-toned jacket with grey pants. This outfit would look better if Simon was wearing Mark's pants. The color of his pants isn't bright or strong enough to support the jacket.

Another example. Here you can see how a cool-toned jacket on the far left goes with the stone-colored pants. The brighter, warmer jacket on the far right has to be supported with a warmer shade of the same color. The jacket in the middle is neutral and is supported by a similar neutral color. You would not be able to wear the bright blue jacket with the stone pants. The temperatures would clash.

The same is true for shoes. The top most pair of shoes is a pretty neutral shade of brown. Underneath that, we can add varying temperatures -- undertones of yellow and red (warm) or green (cool)

Sometimes warm-toned shoes work in an outfit because the wearer is wearing other warm tones. Sometimes things work by social convention (e.g. burgundy shoes with a navy suit). Or they may be wearing a "happy" or "fun" outfit that calls for something lively. Here's Mark in some summery outfits. Even with the very cold, pale blue sport coat outfit paired with blue jeans, he needs a pair of bright-colored, warm-toned shoes to enliven the "happy" summer look.







But for versatile shoes that aren't so specific to those three situations mentioned above, I think most people would do better in a more neutral shade of brown. I don't think oxblood Fifth Avenues are that shoe. Oxblood isn't a versatile color. Also, oxfords should only be worn with suits. Or at least, definitely not with casual outfits involving chinos (not going to belabor that argument, as I'm sure people are sick of me repeating it).

 

[BPL Esq]

^I sometimes disagree with DWW, especially when the conversation drifts away from classic men's style, but these sort of posts are always great and very informative even to experienced guys who need reminders now and then.

 

[Potatoe]

I feel like Allen Edmonds are actually $250 shoes that some people accidentally end up paying $400 for.

I just don't see how they can justify pricing them at the same level as Carmina or, TLB Artista.

I would send them back. You can probably get the same pair on sale. For AE I feel like the sale price is actually the appropriate one.