What is the actual color of these Allen Edmonds Bel Air?

[bjornb17]

I just bought these off of ebay. The auction listed the color as Burgundy, but the picture looks more like AE's dark brown. However, I don't know that AE made this shoe in either of these colors. Can anybody provide some clarification? Thanks.

 

[spitshine123]

I just bought these off of ebay. The auction listed the color as Burgundy, but the picture looks more like AE's dark brown. However, I don't know that AE made this shoe in either of these colors. Can anybody provide some clarification? Thanks.

Look like AE's dark brown to me, but it may just be the lighting. If they consistently polished the burgundy with a brown-ish based burgundy paste it might come out to be like this also

 

[bjornb17]

I got the shoes and they were most certainly burgundy, but it was superficial as some scrubbing with leather cleaner revealed the brown underneath. Looks much better as brown!

 

[MyOtherLife]



I got the shoes and they were most certainly burgundy, but it was superficial as some scrubbing with leather cleaner revealed the brown underneath. Looks much better as brown!

To my knowlege the Bel Air didn't come in Brown but rather Burnshed Walnut. Either this was as special order or someone re-dyed them...Keep scrubbing. Try Acetone.

 

[bjornb17]



To my knowlege the Bel Air didn't come in Brown but rather Burnshed Walnut. Either this was as special order or someone re-dyed them...Keep scrubbing. Try Acetone.

That's what I thought. I assume these must be a dye job since the burgundy color came off real easily, so it seems to have been tampered width. I filled up about 20 napkins full of red dye and the shoes then had a somewhat dull darker brown color. I saturated the leather in allen edmonds dark brown, wiped up excess and polished, and then put a top coat of saphir dark brown and polished. Now it has a great luster without any hint of red. Here's a (bad) pic I took. Original color on left and new on right.

 

[Recoil]

Bel Air's are great shoes. Good find.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Thank you for the update. They definitely appear to be the Burnished Walnut then dyed, perhaps leavong the original owner unsatisfied.
For reference (Custom Orders not included) The Bel Air was released in these finishes:





I have the Burnished Walnut myself and they are beautiful.
With patience, you can still get yours lighter with acetone on a terrycloth (wear rubber gloves and work outside). Then apply conditioner after. You won't get the original colour back but they will be a lot lighter. Either way, a good find.