Allen Edmonds = What English shoemaker in quality?

Weybridge is an attractive shoe IMO. If I had the cash sitting in front of me, I would probably buy (in this order):

1. Soho in saddle brown (looks like tan)
2. Hale in chili (really love this one)
3. Weybridge in dark brown

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.

Quality-wise I can't complain. The soles are rock-solid (in terms of durability and, to a much lesser degree, comfort*) and the uppers look like good leather to me. I would put them on par with my C&J benchgrade. Bottom line: if you can get them on sale, do so, because they will take a beating and keep on going. Good value for money.

Geoff

*Sorry, folks, but AE loses points IMO because they don't have padded heel cushions. It took a lot of adjustment the first time I wore them. That, however, is not enough to deter me from buying again, if the style is right.

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

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AEs I tried once and found them to be incredibly comfortable. I came to conclusion that the demographics for AEs are in 60+ age.

I would compare them to the makers of ugliest British shoes: Tricker's and Church's. Except AEs are actually priced right.

ha. I actually like Trickers and AE over most of what's been mentioned. I like Church's aesthetics, but not their prices, which are inflated for the quality.

Probably covered elsewhere, but if you rank AE with C&J Handgrade, where do you rank Alden?

I have a lot of nice RTW shoes from a variety of makers. I have one pair of AE whole cuts, and one pair of AE reverse calf chelseas.

Here's the things about shoes: when a shoe is next to you nose, you notice a whole bunch of things that you don't notice when the shoe is on your foot. For example, when you are standing, it is hard to make out the fiddled waist on a G&G.

At typical nose to toe distance, AEs can fare okay. The shoe pyramid is actually inverted, with the point at the bottom. At that point are AEs, and going upward, the pyramid gets wider, not more narrow.

And like the man said, they appear to have introduced some more shapely lasts in the past two years, although those will still be weighed down by the 360 welt.


- B

Forgive my ignorance, but what are the disadvantages of a 360 welt? What are the better options?

Originally Posted by fcuknu

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Forgive my ignorance, but what are the disadvantages of a 360 welt? What are the better options?

It is neither an advantage nor disadvantage. Its main artifact is a bigger heel, with the welt wrapping about it around the counter, which to many eyes contribute to the heaviness of AE's aesthetic.

This is one of the main differences with Alden, and really, nearly all other shoes.


- B

E makes a manly shoe, but they insist on trying to dainty them up. If they'd stick to good, honest, American shoes, I suspect there'd be less complaint. Plain-toe blucher in shell, hefty chukka, longwings, blucher boots -- this is the type of thing AE does well. Unfortunately, it's also what they seem least interested in.

Other makers build specific shoes with a 360 degree welt but AE builds all of its shoes this way -- even the recently discontinued Ritz formal pump.

The shoes depicted in the (animated) opening credits of MAD MEN are clearly 360 degree welted, by the way.

Thanks everyone! They're £120 so I'll give them a miss I think. Might aswell just fork out for some C&J's, shoes I feel comfortable in, and know well.

Originally Posted by saint

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Probably covered elsewhere, but if you rank AE with C&J Handgrade, where do you rank Alden?

Who ranked them with handgrade? I think the consensus is with benchgrade.

I'll rank Alden about the same. Not gonna get into the whole Alden v. AE thing all over again; suffice to say, they're both very good and both have their partisans.

"AE makes a manly shoe"

Amen. AE makes a classic shoe for men. They're not "dainty" or "elegant".

Originally Posted by grimslade

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No, you're not. I'd put AEs on par with benchgrade C&Js in terms of quality of materials and construction.

EDIT: OK, let the trashing begin. I won't argue the point, but I've owned enough of both to have an informed opinion on the matter, which is more than can be said of most of the AE h8erz.

I think there's a lot of groupthink influencing the opinions here. There's a lot of forum loyalty towards AE and Alden, especially amongst American members. I also think its partly influenced by the fact that those shoes are much more common in the US, and American members have an easier reference frame. I suspect there are many American members here who may have commented who don't actually own some of the "entry level" English shoes, like Loake, Barker, etc. and may have only seen photos in the interwebz or perhaps on the occasional visit to the UK. - Having lived on both sides of the Atlantic and owned the whole gamut of American and English shoes, I wouldn't put AE quality anywhere near benchgrade C&J, Churchs or Trickers. Possibly in the same league as Loake 1880, welted Barkers, or Cheaneys, but I think the comparison to mid-range English makers is off the mark.

(As an aside, I think the dislike of Trickers' "clunkier" shoes is a bit unwarranted. Their Jermyn Street shoes are much sleeker than their country lines -- but perhaps the country lines are all that most American iGents are familiar with, because those are the pictures they see online?)

Originally Posted by lee_44106

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While I'm no fan of the 360-welt, to blanketly state that AE has the ugliest last is to ignore the fact that some lasts are quite elegant.

My Park Avenue, Lamberts are in fact quite sleek. There was a thread a while back comparing the shape of the AE Park Avenue to that of the EG Chelsea. The result was NOT as lopsided as one would think.

+1

Originally Posted by saint

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Probably covered elsewhere, but if you rank AE with C&J Handgrade, where do you rank Alden?

Same spot. Except I rank AE with C&J _Benchgrade_.

Aldens are not better constructed or finished than AEs IME.

Originally Posted by Geoff Gander

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*Sorry, folks, but AE loses points IMO because they don't have padded heel cushions. It took a lot of adjustment the first time I wore them. That, however, is not enough to deter me from buying again, if the style is right.

I find the heels--and the foot beds generally--more forgiving than any British shoe I've tried. Certainly I've never felt any advantage to the rather pathetic "cushions" wedged beneath a paper-thin sock liner on most British shoes.

Academe, it's pathetic and desperate-sounding to accuse those who disagree with you of groupthink.

But I think AE's haters often confuse aesthetics with quality of materials and workmanship.

Originally Posted by saint

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Probably covered elsewhere, but if you rank AE with C&J Handgrade, where do you rank Alden?

Whose ranking them with CJ handgrade?